Northern California Indian Development Council is hiring for an Indigenous Education Advocate at our Del Norte Indigenous Education Center in Crescent City. See job description below for more details. If you are interested in this position, please visit NCIDC.org to fill out the application and submit your resume.
JOB TITLE: Indigenous Education Advocate (IEA)
JOB LOCATION: Crescent City, CA
SUPERVISOR: Chief Executive Officer and Chief Administration
Officer
SUPERVISES: None
SCHEDULE: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Non-exempt)
COMPENSATION: $28.00-32.00/hr
SUMMARY: Located on the beautiful North Coast, the Northern California Indian Development Council, Inc. is a private nonprofit corporation that annually provides services to 14,000 to 15,000 clients statewide. NCIDC was established in 1976 to research, develop, and administer social and economic development programs designed to meet the needs of Indian and Native American Communities; to provide support and technical assistance for the development of such programs, and the conservation and preservation of historic and archeological sites and resources.
Education is key to sovereignty and self-determination for First Nations. In this new position, created by the Northern California Indian Development Council (NCIDC) with the support of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California (ACLU-NC), the Indigenous Education Advocate will advance educational equity for Native American students in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties and adjacent tribal lands. Education is part of NCIDC’s core mission and expanding training, capacity building and leadership development in this area is a critical need. The Indigenous Education Advocate will have a direct impact on Native American students, families and communities through know-your-rights trainings, leadership development and capacity-building for direct service providers, and will lead systems-level change by building coalitions and leading advocacy work in targeted school districts.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Assist NCIDC expand education advocacy work and promote education equity for Indigenous
students in Del Norte County by:
Supporting Indigenous people, Native agencies, and local Tribes to articulate and implement
their visions of educational equity within Indian Country;
Participating as part of the NCIDC professional and management team in agency planning,
team building, and related agency activities.
Building relationships with tribal leaders, community members, and other stakeholders
focused on educational equity.
Providing agency representation, input and participation in various educational committees
and groups formed by various county, city, Tribal, and school district entities.
Mobilizing, training and supporting community and tribal members, families, students and
youth and other key constituents to understand and exercise their rights in the education
context;
Identifying, training, and supporting community leaders and community-based advocates in
students’ rights and how to advocate for educational equity;
Preparing educational programs and related materials for community engagement events by
adapting current materials to the indigenous justice context for students in grades K- 12;
Supporting advocacy campaigns and public education efforts by identifying Indigenous
voices and stories that can tell the human stories behind social justice issues;
Maintaining coordination with ACLU-NC, including attending professional development
and leadership development opportunities;
Providing training to local Tribal and other educational advocates to support
families/caretakers/advocates in preparing for individual cases related to students with
disabilities and disciplinary action. On a limited basis, when required and no other services
are available, the Advocate may provide direct support to
families/caretakers/advocates in preparing for individual cases related to students with
disabilities and disciplinary action and when appropriate, provide referrals to outside
legal aid organizations.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
At least 1-2 years professional or other experience in a relevant field, such as organizing,
Tribal government, policy-advocacy, the non-profit or legal services sector, or education
sector;
Understanding of unique issues facing Indigenous people and Native Americans in Northern
California, familiarity with current Indigenous movements, and passionate desire to
advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples and affect make change in this region;
CA Driver’s License and ability to travel on a regular basis, including overnight travel.
Dependable, punctual, and able to maintain a high level of confidentiality about sensitive
and personal information;
Ability to plan and implement community meetings, trainings, and other events, including
developing a timeline and materials and following up with participants; High level of
organization, attention to detail, and follow-through
Other duties as assigned.
DESIRED QUALITIES:
Demonstrated success in building and maintaining relationships with Native communities,
Native-led organizations, and Tribes;
Demonstrated experience and effectiveness in coordinating and organizing logistics,
meetings, events, and trainings;
History of living in or working with Indigenous communities, preferably in Northern
California;
Familiarity with traditional and cultural protocols of tribes in Northern California;
Familiarity with, and commitment to, the mission and vision of the NCIDC
Strong public speaking and meeting/training facilitation skills, especially when working
with people from diverse backgrounds, professions or knowledge bases;
Previous experience in education-related advocacy, working with schools or school districts,
and with civil rights organizations or campaigns; and,
Proficiency with computers, in particular Windows and Microsoft Office Suite, including
Excel and PowerPoint, as well as social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Macintosh experience preferred but not required.
LANGUAGE ABILITY: Ability to read and comprehend complex instructions, correspondence,
and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-
on-one and small group situations to customers, clients and other employees of the organization.
MATH ABILITY: Basic math skills. Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of
measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to calculate and figure
amounts such as discounts and percentages.
REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions
furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete
variables in standard situations.
EQUIPMENT/COMPUTER SKILLS: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have
knowledge of Word Processing software and spreadsheet software. Basic internet usage. Ability to
use both a Macintosh computer and a Window-based computer is preferred but not required.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly
required to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, use hands and fingers, handle or feel. Be able to reach with
hands and arms, and to talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 45
pounds. Ability to drive long distances. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close
vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the
essential functions.
CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES: Valid California Driver’s License, clean DMV record, valid
vehicle insurance, CPR/First Aid Certification (or willingness to obtain if able). Verification of
COVID-19 vaccination, or submission of a valid accommodation request that meets State and
Federal law and requirements.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The noise level is usually moderate.
Native American Hiring Preference will be given to qualified American Indians per Policy
Statement 915.027 on Indian Preference under Title VII.