Ilakucaraq Project Coordinator en Alaska Humanities Forum

Job Description - Ilakucaraq Project Coordinator

Ilakucaraq Project

The Ilakucaraq Project (IP) supports Alaska Native youth in building cultural confidence and connection to heritage through youth-focused programming and professional development for adults who work with youth. This project is executed in partnership with the Alaska Native Heritage Center through a grant from the US Department of Education, Alaska Native Education Program. The Alaska Humanities Forum’s role within IP is to engage educators that work with Alaska Native youth to become more culturally responsive and affirming in their relationship-building with students and families as well as their teaching practices, with an emphasis on building connection between urban and rural communities. IP guides educators through a professional development program centered on Indigenous Awareness and Culturally Responsive Teaching that includes a graduate-level university course, culturally immersive gatherings, and supportive peer connections with a cohort of other teachers from around the state. Educators who come through IP programming gain the tools, support, and confidence to sustainably build welcoming school spaces that reflect and honor the cultures of their communities.

Position Summary

The Ilakucaraq Project Coordinator will play an integral role building important connections and cultivating relationships with rural communities as part of the Forum’s cross-cultural work with educators. The Ilakucaraq Project Coordinator will engage with Alaska Pacific University, cultural partners, and conference organizers to further the project’s success. The position will provide critical logistics support, communication, and engagement with community members, educators, and partners to ensure program success. This position will report to the Ilakucaraq Project Manager.

Essential Job Duties
Community Engagement
● Coordinate logistics of culture camps across rural Alaska with guidance from local communities and partner organizations (identify camp hosts, culture bearers, establish dates and potential schedules, volunteer needs)
● Maintain connection and communication with Alaska Pacific University for course recruitment, implementation, and evaluation
● Manage logistics of presenting at and attending several large statewide conferences to deepen our network of organizations and individuals working in education and in support of Alaska Native youth
● Support course instructors and course design as needed, including engaging culture bearers to attend Zoom classes
● Co-facilitate summer culture camp orientations and debriefs

Program Coordination
● Assist the IP Project Manager in recruiting educators for university courses, and provide ongoing supports for teachers as needed
● Cultivate strong relationships with program partners, educators, community members, and Culture Bearers
● Provide technical assistance as needed for course instructors and educators (registration, credit access, Blackboard platform)

Development, Facilitation, and Continuous Improvement
● Work with C3 Director, IP Project Manager, and program partners to plan and facilitate gatherings for educators
● Contribute to Forum team of facilitators by supporting C3 Program and Forum internal convenings as opportunities arise
● Participate in annual professional development to enhance skills in project design and facilitation
● Participate in weekly Forum staff meetings and team meetings
● Perform data collection and project evaluation and reporting functions, including logging participant information and activities
● Other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
● Must support and believe in the mission of the Alaska Humanities Forum
● Must be committed to supporting an equitable and inclusive organizational culture
● Must have an understanding of the history, dynamics, and challenges of Western education in rural Alaska
● Must have own transportation, driver’s license, and reliable personal vehicle
● Must be able to pass state and federal background checks

Keys to Success
A successful candidate for this position will have the following mindset and approaches to the job:
● Relationship building: the coordinator will engage and support people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and approaches, both in-person and remotely. They aspire to make connections with people, build trust and understanding, and approach the smallest and largest of tasks with a team-oriented mindset.

● Attention to detail: the coordinator aims to leave things better than they found them. As the coordinator for a project that spans Alaska and often depends on factors outside of our control, they maintain their cool while collecting data, communicating weather-related programming shifts, and look for what others might be missing in the bigger picture.
● Curious about and comfortable talking about culture: The thought of guiding others through exploring and articulating their own cultures feels interesting and exciting to the coordinator and they are interested in learning about cultures different from their own.
● Adaptability and problem solving: the coordinator is always ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and address obstacles, and is okay when things shift. They look for the root of both simple and complex problems, so they can seek solutions. They approach work with a spirit of “yes” and adapt as things change.

Education/Training
● Applicant must have experience working and/or living in Alaska (but outside of Anchorage). Experience working in predominantly Alaska Native communities preferred.
● Applicant must have interest in facilitating workshops and conversations, and is open to growing this skill
● Applicant must have demonstrated experience successfully planning and managing a project that takes place in rural Alaska, including travel logistics
● Applicant must have an associate’s degree or equivalent life experience

Physical Requirements
● Ability to lift up to 25 lbs;
● Must be comfortable traveling in small (6-seater) airplanes and boats;
● Comfortable driving participants in rental vehicles
● Ability to participate in virtual meetings for up to four hours with short breaks;
● Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, G-Suite, Zoom.

Conditions of Employment

The Ilakucaraq Project Coordinator role is an exempt, full-time position based at the Forum offices in Anchorage with a regular weekday work schedule of 40 hours per week. This position will involve some weekends & evenings. Benefits include medical, dental, disability, ten paid holidays per year, over 5 weeks of annual paid time-off and sick leave, paid family leave, and a 403(b)-retirement plan.

Application and Hire Date

The first round of applications will be reviewed on October 27.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

At the Alaska Humanities Forum, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our employees are critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. 

Contact for Questions

For questions about this position, contact Julie Rowland at [email protected] or (907)770-8415