The RI Council for the Humanities (also known as the Humanities Council) seeks an Engagement Facilitator for an eight-month contract to assist with the Council’s Civic Health Index initiative, managing opportunities for community engagement with the Index and its use across sectors (cultural, health, economic, policy, etc.) for future planning and collaboration.
Funded in part by the nationwide “A More Perfect Union” initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island Civic Health Index is a data-based analysis of the status of the state’s civic health to be published in September 2022. The Humanities Council has partnered with the congressionally commissioned National Conference on Citizenship to create the Index, drawing on established indicators from the US Census’s Current Population Survey. The Index also incorporates existing data from other sources and new data and perspectives collected specifically for the Index. To ensure the representation of a wide cross-section of Rhode Islanders, compensated community partners have already shaped the Index’s development, and will host Index-related events and activities for their communities from Fall 2022 to Spring 2023.
Click here for a PDF of the position details and application process.
To Apply:
Please send resume to scott@rihumanities.org by 5:00pm Friday, August 12, 2022 with the subject “Engagement Facilitator Application.” Please also provide a brief paragraph describing your interest and relevant experience in the body of the email.
Engagement Facilitator Description and Deliverables:
The Engagement Facilitator will coordinate and support engagement activities, materials, and communications related to the Index. In collaboration with the Council’s Associate Director of Engagement and Associate Director of Grants and Strategic Initiatives, specific responsibilities include:
- Regularly coordinate with Community Partners to schedule, host, and document engagement activities sharing the Index across the state;
- Create and distribute social media content and other print/digital promotional materials to advertise Community Partner activities via existing platforms;
- Design and plan a Council-led engagement event for late March/early April 2023 that ensures access through virtual components and engages a wide audience for reflection on the lessons learned from the Index;
- Develop supplemental engagement content/materials to support the use of the Index by a broad cross section of groups and individuals;
- Promote Index-related engagement activities via existing media, podcasts, civic meetings, etc.
- Communicate with Council Staff and project partners as needed, including weekly check-in meetings.
Experience and Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills and event planning and/or project management experience. Additionally, the candidate will have strong interpersonal skills; ability to skillfully manage multiple projects/timelines; facility with technology used during in-person and virtual events (microphones, Zoom, etc.); and a holistic understanding of issues of equity in community engagement efforts. Experience in public humanities, cultural work, and/or community organizing is helpful. A passion for civic engagement and community-based work is appreciated.
Schedule and Compensation:
The Consultancy will start the week of September 5, 2022 and conclude April 28, 2023. Weekly hours will vary according to the workflow of the project, with an average of 10 hours per week. A comfort level with hybrid work (remote and in-person) is necessary as some meetings/gatherings may be in-person. In-person activities will adhere to the Humanities Council’s COVID-19 guidelines for events and gatherings based on the level of community transmission, informed by the Center for Disease Control and the Rhode Island Department Of Health. The facilitator fee is $10,000, with additional reimbursement for costs of travel to attend associated events. A valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle is required.
About the Council:
The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders. For 49 years, the Council has cultivated diverse expressions of the public humanities through vital and innovative public programs, research, and media projects that have reached millions of people in Rhode Island and beyond. The Humanities Council is a catalyst for engagement with our state’s remarkable history and culture, and believes in the power of the humanities community to inspire and improve Rhode Island. The Council was founded in 1973 as an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. A private nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, the Council is supported by federal and private funds.
The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities is committed to diversity and seeks candidates who represent the diversity of the state, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, cultural background, and socioeconomic stratum.
