Website Care India

POSITION/DESIGNATION

Program Officer – Early Childhood Education and Social-Emotional Learning

GRADE/LEVEL

Grade F

PROJECT/UNIT

Indian Partnership for Early Learning

PROJECT NAME

Indian Partnership for Early Learning

PROJECT DURATION

5 years (October 2021- September 2026)

POSITION DURATION

2 years

REPORTS TO

Program Manager- ECE

LOCATION

Lucknow

TRAVEL

30 % of travel to field

ABOUT US

CARE is a not-for-profit organization working in India for over 70 years, focusing on alleviating poverty and social injustice. We do this through well-planned and comprehensive projects in health, education, livelihoods and disaster preparedness and response. Our overall goal is the empowerment of women and girls from poor and marginalized communities leading to improvement in their lives and livelihoods.

During FY 2020-21, CARE India directly reached out to 52.7 million people through 53 programmes across 18 states, covering more than 130+ districts. We are part of the CARE International Confederation, working in 100 countries for a world where people live with dignity and security.

CARE India seeks a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.

Our goal is to ensure that women and girls from the most marginalized communities are empowered, live in dignity and their households have secure and resilient lives. CARE India aims to accomplish this goal by working with 50 million people to help them have quality health, education, livelihoods and overcome the effects of disasters.

Our employees are committed to CARE’s values, Code of Conduct, and safeguarding commitments towards a safe workplace for all, including the principle of ‘do no harm’. They are also responsible to uphold and strengthen our safeguarding commitments in their role. To know more about our safeguarding policies please visit our website link given below.

PROJECT DETAILS

India Partnership for Early Learning (IPEL) is a USAID funded project that aims to ensure all children (girls and boys) from Early childhood education to early grades (grades 1&2) are positively impacted in four Indian states (Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, South Delhi Municipal Schools). The ultimately goal of the project is all children (age 3-6) attending AWCs/Balvatika/preschools attain school readiness by age 6; and children (age 6-8) attending early grades (1-2) acquire reading fluency and comprehension, number recognition, two-digit addition and subtraction, express emotions safely, and express understanding of emotions of others verbally or through pictures by end of grade 2 in four intervention states. The project approach will influence practices of both government run and private schools in intervention states to ensure every child of the state is positively impacted.

The project is designed to work very closely at national and state education/WCD department and its institutions to work, influence and advocate on the agenda of Early Childhood and Education and Foundational Learning and Numeracy (FLN). IPEL project adopts a system strengthening approach using technical support model to work with state and national government. For this, IPEL project has set up a central and state level Project Management Unit, having experts on foundational learning, to technically guide department of education and its key institutions for effective delivery of foundational learning and numeracy program in the state. The key technical area includes- FLN content and materials for teachers and children, Robust and quality capacity building approach and review system, FLN vision, budget and financing, Quality educational monitoring and learners’ assessment tracking system and Empowered community engagement in each of the state. It will work towards addressing issues and challenges faced by marginalised children and girls in the states to ensure every child in the state attend the school and acquire learning.

The project is working towards building robust system and mechanisms to positively support schools, teachers and children in intervention states. Since The IPEL project objectives and goals are aligned with the national mission- NIPUN BHARAT, it is working towards achieving the larger goal of National Education Policy and state priorities. The project has formed a consortium of 4 organizations led by CARE to work with state governments and MCD. This consortium will work closely with department of education/its institutions to ensure quality and effective delivery of Foundational Learning (FL) for both public and private schools.

JOB SUMMARY

Program Officer – Early Childhood Education (ECE) & Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a technical position that will be positioned at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The position will be accountable for working with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, UP for conducting training of SRGs and DRGs on early childhood education. The person will also support in developing modules, materials, framework, rubric etc that support in professional development of teacher and education functionaries on early childhood education. S/he will also support in design of learning assessment, monitoring and knowledge development for ECE at the state. The person will work closely with Consortium partner (Central Square Foundation) to jointly work with SSA on technical areas. The position is required to support any other work assigned by Technical Director- FLN.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Design Early Childhood Education and Socio-Emotional Learning Curriculum, Materials and Teaching Learning Materials in collaboration of education department and WCD.

Support in Contextualizing ECE Learning outcome framework, curricular frameworks as per NIPUN guidelines through a consultative process with SCERT and WCD
Support and develop ECE tool kits and teacher guides and reference materials with a focus around Foundational numeracy and social emotional learning
Design SEL and ECE training program and teachers support materials for the state.

Conduct programs for Capacity Building of SRGs and DRGs/ Master Trainers on ECE and SEL.

Participate and provide technical guidance to ECE core group in designing and facilitating capacity building program at state and district level
Engage and Build capacities of SRGs and DRGs on ECE vision, approaches and teaching practices
Engage with ECE resource group to develop state level ECE road map

Lead Professional Development of Teachers/AWWs on ECE in two districts

Support in creating high quality teacher professional development packages for ECE and SEL
Develop Mechanism to ensure DRG and ARPs conduct ECE training at block level
Develop SoPs and check list to support District and Block Resource Groups
Undertake field visit to understand the quality of training and impact in classroom processes in AWCs.
Activate sector level ECE review and planning mechanisms through engagement with district coordinator

Others:

Support in ECE and SEL specific studies and documentations related to the project
Support in development of AWP of the project, collection of case studies
Participate in project review and planning meetings and follow Individual Operating Plan.
Undertake any other assignment assigned by Project Manager

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Technical Specialist- Numeracy and ECE at CMU level and Technical Director- FLN

QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE

Essential

Graduate in Home Science or Education Field
4 years of experience in Teacher training and curriculum development
Experience of designing content and modules around Mathematics
Understanding of teachers’ development approach and practices in MCD schools

Preferred

Previous experience of working with SCERT or any education department
Knowledge of Community engagement practices and approaches

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Communication skills: able to articulate and communicate well to all stakeholders (both verbally and in writing) in a manner that meets the different needs of different audiences

Language skills: able to read, write and speak in Hindi and English language at an expert level

Research skills: able to conduct secondary research for identifying the newest trends and incorporate them in program / process approach

Team Management & Collaboration / People skills: comfortable with negotiating and resolving conflict; able to reflect, empathetic, and a good listener

Time and Change Management: resilient: able to deal well with ambiguity, uncertainty, and change and : able to juggle different and conflicting priorities

Digital skills : ability to prepare presentation, excel, etc at moderate level

To apply for this job please visit careindiacareers.peoplestrong.com.