Parenting Students Success Fellow
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY
EdTrust-West seeks a Parenting Students Success Fellow as part of its 8th cohort of Russlynn Ali Summer Fellows. The Russlynn Ali Fellowship, named in honor of the founding executive director of EdTrust-West, is a career development opportunity for college students and recent graduates. It sets the foundation for current and future educators, policymakers, researchers, and advocates to be lifelong leaders within California’s education ecosystem.
The Parenting Students Success Fellow will support the existing body of work on expanding supports for parenting students across the state. The core work of the fellow will focus on developing an online dashboard that will allow current and prospective students to track and compare family-centered resources and support services, such as childcare, family housing, and resource centers, across public colleges and universities in California. This tool aims to empower student parents by enhancing their awareness of family-centered resources and services available at public colleges and universities in California, allowing them to make informed decisions about their education. The tool will also catalyze institutional accountability, highlighting resource gaps between segments, colleges, and universities, encouraging colleges to prioritize the needs of student parents and potentially influencing statewide policy changes.
EdTrust-West, the California-based office of EdTrust which is headquartered in Washington, D.C, is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the U.S. education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where all students will thrive.
This role is based remotely and full-time (37.5 hours/week) from June 16th through August 22nd, 2025. Earlier start/end dates will be considered on a case-by-case basis to be determined by students' and academic faculty’s school schedules. Fellows must reside in CA and report to EdTrust-West's Oakland, CA office on June 17th for mandatory in-person welcome programming and employment verification and August 19th for mandatory end-of-term programming. The Fellow reports to the Research & Data Analyst supporting EdTrust West's parenting students work and will serve as a member of the Research team.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The responsibilities and objectives for this role include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Learn about the landscape of support services for student parents in California’s public colleges and universities
- Design and distribute surveys and/or phone interview protocols to collect data from campuses about the types of supports and resources available for student parents
- Review university websites and related resources to verify the availability of supports such as childcare, family housing, and resource centers
- Collaborate closely with EdTrust-West’s Research Team to analyze findings and keep the project aligned with organizational goals
- Update team leads on the progress of data collection, analysis, and dashboard development
- Present the findings and making recommendations for dashboard improvements based on data collected
IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS
- Shared belief in EdTrust’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity with a focus on racial equity
- Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including institutional leaders, researchers, and advocacy organizations
- A strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to advancing educational equity, particularly for California's parenting students.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving ability
- Teamwork skills and an eagerness for collaboration
- Willingness to receive and act upon, as well as provide, constructive feedback
- Proven ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and maintain high-quality work under minimal supervision
- Dedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environment
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and experience:
- Enrolled in a higher education degree program; or is a recent graduate within one year of graduation
- General knowledge of education, education policy, or related field
- Experience engaging in work, research, or advocacy that prioritizes the needs of underserved communities, including students of color, low-income students, and student parents
- Experience in designing surveys, conducting interviews, and/or gathering quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources, and translating data into impactful and easily-understood findings
- Experience working with and/or supporting parenting students preferred
COMPENSATION
The pay for this position is $26 per hour for 37.5 hours/week. Sick leave is accrued in this role.
VACCINATION FOR COVID-19
At EdTrust, the health and safety of our employees is of the utmost importance. As such, all EdTrust employees are required to be fully vaccinated and remain up to date on their vaccinations for COVID-19. New hires should be fully vaccinated and up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations prior to their first day of work. Requests for accommodations due to medical or religious reasons will be reviewed by Human Resources.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please provide a cover letter and resume, combined into one document. In the file name, please write the name of the position you are applying for and your last name: e.g., “Parenting Students Success Fellow_Robinson.”
We invite you to consider your cover letter as an opportunity to:
- Tell us why you want to partner with EdTrust-West this summer
- Share how your background and experience make you the right fit for this position
Please submit your application materials at Recruitment (adp.com) by the deadline of March 16, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
EdTrust is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds.