Read-A-Thon Coordinator

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Behind the Book is a children's literacy non-profit that brings enhanced reading skills programs into classrooms in high-needs New York City public schools. Working with pre-K to 12th grade students, BtB identifies books that speak to urban youth, then partners with teachers to create immersive curriculum units and bring the authors of those books into the classroom. Through a series of workshops, authors discuss their work and teach a genre of writing, encouraging students to see themselves as readers and writers as they complete their own writing projects.

BtB is launching a program to recruit private schools to coordinate initiatives for their students to raise funds for our mission. Similar to a run or telethon, the Read-A-Thons will invite them to seek sponsors to donate a sum of money per number of pages or minutes they dedicate to reading over one to two weeks. Students may select books on their own, or base their choices on current class curriculum. Each one registers as a participant; recruits donors; and completes reading units during their own time, logging the pages/minutes on a provided form.

Our recent pilot program, for grades 1 through 5, was extremely successful, both for the dollar amount raised and how much students enjoyed the challenge.

We’re now seeking a volunteer for the role of Read-A-Thon Coordinator. The volunteer will manage expansion of the program to include more schools, with a goal of conducting three Read-A-Thons by the end of this year. Working with an appointed school liaison, the Coordinator will implement and monitor each Read-A-Thon, evaluate their success in terms of participation and the amounts raised, then refine and revise components as needed to expand to more schools and potentially other venues.

Responsibilities include:
- Review our current proposal to schools and related materials; suggest improvements
- Using a list of predetermined schools, pitch the Read-A-Thon concept to principals/administrators via letter and personal outreach
- Coordinate materials and create packets for administrators, teachers, parents, and students to register with the program, log their pages/time and sponsors, collect donations, and report progress
- Oversee deployment of Read-A-Thons with the school's liaison and teachers
- Report to BtB’s executive director and development team to strategize, problem-solve, and provide updates
- Administer awards program for winning students (most pages read/money raised) and schools
- Document, assess, and evaluate results

Qualifications:
- Creative, highly organized, and conscientious.
- Able to work independently and under tight deadlines.
- Skills in writing/editing, development and fundraising, and/or non-profit work.
- Experience in developing and implementing outreach campaigns.
- Familiarity with school administrative systems, as a parent or employee.
- Proficiency with related software (Excel/Google Sheets, Word, Mail Chimp).
- Experience as a teacher, librarian, or education professional preferred.
- Marketing experience a plus.
- Commitment to Behind the Book’s mission to build literacy skills in high-needs public schools.

Time commitment is flexible, averaging around 3 to 5 hours a week. Most tasks can be completed from home, but you should be available to meet with BtB staff at our Harlem office as needed.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to volunteer@behindthebook.org. Read-A-Thon Coordinator should appear in the subject line.