Minnesota
Organizing Fellow

Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

Position: Part Time (20-30 hrs/week)

Reports to: Director of Organizing

THE OPPORTUNITY

Our Turn activates the next generation of diverse civic leaders who know what’s possible for all students because they’ve built power in their communities through leadership development, grassroots organizing, and movement building. In the past few months, our work and members have been recognized by Fast Company, Buzzfeed, The 74 Million, and more. We are hiring an Organizing Fellow to grow our membership base and organizing infrastructure in Minneapolis, Minnesota to continue to build power with young people who are leading the way toward a more equitable education system. 

This role is a part-time position that we expect to last for 4-6 months with the potential to become a full time role, subject to performance and funding. We expect that the Organizing Fellow will need to work an average of 25 hours per week in order to be successful in this role, but exact hours may vary by week and a work schedule will be developed in collaboration with the Director of Organizing upon starting the position. The role will be paid on an hourly basis at a rate of $22 per hour and will also receive a stipend to contribute to healthcare costs and a $60 cell phone plan reimbursement each month. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organizing Fellow will be doing remote organizing until it’s safe to be in person. 

 

WHY WORK FOR OUR TURN?

We approach our work with the audacity of believing that students have the power to rewrite the rules of education in our country and the humility to know that thousands have come before us in this fight. We know that young people, especially young people of color, have been shut out by decision makers who shape their educational experience and respond by providing transformational leadership development and grassroots organizing experience that flip the traditional power dynamic on its head. Our team is highly collaborative and works with urgency, passion, and — most importantly — a lot of joy. We create intentional spaces to build our relationships and set aside time to celebrate milestones, problem-solve together, or just share our latest Our Turn swag! We are looking for purposeful, entrepreneurial social justice activists to join us and continue the fight for educational equity.

 

YOUR GAMEPLAN

Recruitment - Base Building (70%)

  • Direct recruitment of BIPOC Minneapolis Public School high school students, alum in local colleges, and young people most impacted by education inequity.
  • Build a team of 20-40 diverse members within the first 8 weeks.
  • Conduct weekly one on one relational meetings and phone banking shifts.
  • Identify existing and new opportunities to engage young people in person and online. 
  • Support turnout for actions and events by building relationships with members.
  • Create regular email and text communications to keep list informed of opportunities and campaign activities
  • Input Data into Nationbuilder in a timely fashion.
  • Responsible for ensuring that data is up-to-date, and accurate.

 

Coalition and Campaign Strategy (20%)

  • Move the needle on two current issue campaigns.
  • Attend local school board meetings and other community events.
  • Participate in strategy development and planning to grow the organizing program and advance local campaigns.
  • Build meaningful partnerships with community and policy allies to support campaigns, our members, and core organizing work.

 

Training and Development (10%)

  • Support with planning and execution of trainings, action, and events.
  • Provide individual coaching to support leadership development
  • Developing the leadership of young people to share their stories with each other and publicly, with the media and online.
  • Support with small team coaching/management.
  • Provide support on executing national organization initiatives and processes.
  • Contribute to national discussions, initiatives, and committees when possible.



QUALIFICATIONS

  • The desire to work smart, hard, with passion and love, and a deep hunger for advancing social justice through organizing!
  • Demonstrate passion to work in partnership with young people.
  • Demonstrated grassroots community organizing or campaign experience that includes at least one cycle of organizing.
  • Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders and communities 
  • Collaborative work ethic and ability to work effectively across lines of difference
  • Ability to work autonomously as part of an innovative team.
  • Ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively, including speaking in small and large group settings.
  • Complete alignment with Our Turn’s Mission, Statement of Beliefs, and Theory of Change.
  • Ability to work evenings and some weekends.
  • Consistent access to a car and a valid driver’s license. 
  • Must be willing to work flexible hours that will include time outside of the traditional work day and weekends. 

 

VALUES

  • Growth. We give and get a high volume of feedback and work relentlessly to improve.
  • Voice. We exist to amplify the voices of our members and ensure that their experiences are a powerful force in the policy sphere. 
  • Tenacity. We set big goals, persist in the face of challenges, and commit to excellence.
  • Audacity & Humility. We are willing to take risks, think big, and work hard to bring about transformational change, even while acting and listening with humility, respect, and empathy.
  • Dignity. We commit to social justice work because we believe in the fundamental value of every child and person.
  • Collaborative Leadership. We emphasize both personal growth and shared responsibility while investing in our greatest resource: our people.

 

COMPENSATION

Compensation for this role is hourly ($22 per hour) and hours may vary from week to week. We expect that the Organizing Fellow will need to work an average of 25 hours per week in order to be successful in the role. A monthly healthcare stipend and a $60 cell phone plan reimbursement will also be provided. 

 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY 

Our Turn encourages individuals of all identities and backgrounds to apply for this position and is committed to recruiting a team that reflects the diversity of our student movement (BIPOC, members of the LGBTQIA community, first generation college students). Our Turn does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nation of origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, or parenthood. 

 

HOW TO APPLY

Fill out the application to apply for this position here. You'll be asked to upload your resume and write 1-2 paragraphs about why you are interested in this position. Please speak to any of your qualifications or experiences that may not be noted in your resume. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. Please email [email protected] with any questions or requests for accommodations. We’re happy to help!