Location: Maryland
Salary: Contract, 20-hours/week, $20-$28/hr
Schedule: Closing Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2001, 5:00 p.m. EST
Description:
Background: Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a federal program designed to make it safe, easy and convenient for children in grades K-8 to walk and bicycle to schools. The federal government passed SRTS legislation in 2005, making funding available for infrastructure improvements (sidewalk, bike lanes, pathways, street crossings, etc) and for educational programs throughout the state of Maryland.
This funding provides a critical opportunity to bring together organizations and leaders within Maryland to ensure the best use of the funds, and to initiate policy changes which improve opportunities for children to walk and bicycle to schools, increasing their levels of physical activity and safety. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is hosted by the non-profit Bikes Belong Foundation, and is a network of more than 500 organizations. Its mission is to serve a diverse national community of organizations that advocates for and promotes the practice of safe bicycling and walking to and from schools throughout the United States.
Contract Description: Provide support and technical assistance to the Safe Routes to School Maryland Network for 2011. The Organizer will influence policies at the state-level to benefit walking and bicycling for children and families, especially lower-income communities most vulnerable to childhood obesity. The State Organizer will work 20 hours/week on statewide issues, following a Scope of Work and program direction by the SRTS National Partnership’s State Network Manager.
Responsibilities:
The tasks for the Organizer work include the following:
1) Manage a state network which meets monthly over the telephone and includes diverse organizations from health, transportation, education, and environmental interests.
2) Monitor and research policies and opportunities to leverage transportation funding resources at the state level, and assess the opportunities to change policies to improve physical activity, walking and bicycling.
3) Work with state partners to develop and implement action plans at the state level designed to change policies and leverage resources to meet goals of increased walking and bicycling to school and improvements to the built environment.
Examples of policy/environmental change targets include:
1) Implementation and construction of Safe Routes to School projects funded by the state and federal governments.
2) School siting policies of the Maryland Department of Education and other government departments.
3) Allocation of federal safety funds and other funds by the Maryland Department of Transportation, and ensuring that resources are provided to support pedestrian and bicycle safety.
4) Other policies as prioritized by the state network, including a focus on reaching lower- income communities and improving personal safety.
Requirements:
• Knowledge of Safe Routes to School, transportation and health issues preferred
• Minimum of three years proven success in an advocacy/communications position
• Self motivated, creative, detail-oriented and energetic
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in meeting facilitation
• Experience with network/coalition building to create policy changes
• Track record of supervising complex projects with multiple stakeholders, and organizing/motivating volunteers and groups
• Organized and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously, with excellent attention to detail
Contact Info:
Location: Option to work out of 1000 Friends of Maryland Office (1209 North Calvert Street, Baltimore) or your home. The successful applicant must reside in Maryland.
To Apply: Interested contractors should submit a resume and three writing samples in one PDF file to: Stephanie Smith, stephanie@saferoutespartnership.org
Visit www.saferoutespartnership.org for more information about the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and the Network. Visit www.friendsofmd.org to learn more about 1000 Friends of Maryland.
https://www.marylandapa.org/jobs2.php?id=50oldId.20101221174643358