Background
Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir) is a non-profit organization that empowers and unites youth from diverse backgrounds to find their voice and celebrate their common humanity through the power of music. Founded at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement on the South side of Chicago, the organization has grown from one choir to a vast network of school-based and after-school programs serving thousands of youth ages 6 through 18 from every zip code of Chicago. Uniting Voices is a civic treasure and model for culturally responsive music education. Since 1956, the organization has built programs that reflect the racial and economic diversity of Chicago. 80% of the youth it serves are from low to moderate income households and the vast majority of students participate free of charge. High school seniors enrolled in Uniting Voices Chicago programs have a 100% high school graduation and college acceptance rate, and go on to become global ambassadors who embody the core values of education, expression and excellence in a wide array of professional fields.
Opportunity
Program Assistants for Uniting Voices Chicago serve a vital role as part of our program team. They have the unique opportunity to work with singers in Neighborhood Choir Programs throughout the city of Chicago, inclusive of families from a wide variety of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Program Assistants are responsible for all non-musical aspects related to the Neighborhood Choir(s) to which they are assigned. Program Assistants work closely with the Conductor of their Neighborhood Choir to gather important information that is then communicated to singers and their families. Program Assistants are present for all rehearsals, concerts and events related to their Neighborhood Choir. Program Assistants play a vital role in engaging with the community that they serve. Currently, Uniting Voices Chicago has openings for Program Assistants in the following communities: Gage Park and West Town; preference will be given to applicants who are familiar or connected to these communities. For Gage Park, fluency in Spanish is highly preferred.
Uniting Voices Chicago Neighborhood Choir Programs
The Neighborhood Choir program provides beginning, intermediate and advanced choral training to over 800 students with treble voices in 3 rd grade and up through programs in 12 Chicago neighborhoods. Neighborhood Choirs meet two times per week with some programs having one weeknight rehearsal and one Saturday rehearsal while others have two weeknight rehearsals. Program Assistants provide regular coverage for all assigned choirs and attend all concerts and events. Office hours are also scheduled to complete administrative tasks.
Key Responsibilities
Community Engagement, Communication and Relationship Building
- Be a strong advocate and ambassador for the mission and legacy of Uniting Voices
- Chicago by welcoming new families, maintaining strong relationships with current families, assisting with recruitment, and attending community events.
- Supervise singers before and after rehearsals to ensure all singers are safe and well-behaved.
- Supervise singers’ arrival and dismissal at all rehearsals and concerts. Plan to arrive thirty minutes prior to rehearsal and leave thirty minutes after rehearsal ends.
- Communicate regularly with community partners to ensure the best possible experiences for all stakeholders.
- Send weekly emails to families with pertinent information such as schedules and upcoming events.
- Assist with tour accounting and attend the annual tour in the Spring. Tours are National and usually span three to four days.
- Distribute flyers for fundraisers, events, and other Uniting Voices Chicago activities.
- Communicate effectively with families to foster deep and meaningful relationships with Uniting Voices Chicago.
- Maintain strong relationships with singers and families to ensure continued participation throughout the year. Give detailed reports when a singer discontinues participation.
Organizational Support and Administrative
- Collect and track registration and attendance and report updates to conductor and office regularly.
- Create monthly calendars in a timely manner, submit to office and conductor for edits and distribute paper and digital copies to families.
- Actively participate in weekly Program Team meetings
- Communicate regularly with the Program Team to ensure equitable experiences amongst all programs.
- Attend and assist with organization-wide events.
- Collect payments for tuition, fundraising and tour from singers, issue receipts and deliver to the main office. Keep accurate records of all transactions.
Qualifications
- Passion for working with diverse youth ages 8-18 and for fostering deep and authentic relationships with their families and communities.
- Experience working with children and youth from diverse backgrounds is preferred.
- Strong understanding of Google Suite, specifically Google Docs and Google Sheets.
- Commitment to collaboration in a team, as part of a larger organizational staff and with families and community partners in a mission-driven environment.
- Dedication to anti-racism and equity.
- Creativity, flexibility, self-motivation, energy, and enthusiasm for this vitally important work.
“OTR” Life Experience: We know that many of your most character-building experiences -- where resilience, grit and grace were required to persevere -- do not show up neatly on a resume. So, we want to hear some of those “OTR” (“off the resume”) moments for you. In order to be on the Uniting Voices team, EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is not a nice-to-have...it’s a must. So, show us your EQ.
What it’s Like to Work at Uniting Voices: Sincerely, we’re a family. We get it done while having fun. We’re all working toward a colorful, peaceful and equitable future - and that feels good. We share a passion for music and the vast potential of young people. In addition to work you can believe in, Uniting Voices offers the following perks:
- Unlimited paid time off, including 8 state holidays and company-wide two week winter break.
- Half-day Fridays out of respect for the work we do on evenings and weekends.
- A choice from three health insurance options with 70% of medical and dental premiums covered. We also offer vision plans, short and long term disability insurance and life insurance.
- A retirement plan with matched contributions up to 3% after a year of employment. We’re invested in your future!
- A pre-tax commuter program that allows you to save on public transportation and parking.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send a resume and cover letter to jobs@unitingvoicechicago.org, with the job title in the subject line.
Uniting Voices is an equal opportunity employer that actively pursues candidates of diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to providing diversity, equity, and inclusion training to all employees, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy status, marital status, age, medical condition, disability, or veteran status in admission or access to, or employment in, its programs and activities.
