Educational Projects Coordinator

The Office of Early Childhood (OEC) is a unique state agency in Connecticut that helps families with young children achieve better life outcomes. A new state agency, OEC is called on in its enabling statute to be data-driven, human-centered, and result-focused.  We touch the lives of over 200,000 young children, parents, and caregivers annually through our integrated focus on early care and education programs and safety supports, our home visiting programs, and other critical early childhood services.  By scale of funding, OEC is one of the largest departments of Connecticut state government, deploying and leveraging approximately half a billion dollars each year in service of vulnerable families and communities. 

The State of CT Connecticut is a leader in the coordination of early childhood programs throughout the country.  Whereas early childhood programming in most states is fragmented across multiple programs which families must navigate, only a handful of states have created agencies dedicated to integrating the supports families with young children require – an only Connecticut’s has  clear data-driven mandate.  New parenthood and early childhood are extremely important moments in a person’s life and nurturing or harmful experiences during this time can have significant and long lasting impacts.  OEC acts on the overwhelming evidence that intervention early in life, is the most promising way to break the cycle of poverty.   Your work here will have an impact on the economic security, health, safety, and resilience of families with young children. You will help make childcare safer, more accessible and of higher quality; you will provide families with the support they need to help prevent child abuse, neglect, and trauma; you will help families gain greater economic stability; you will support families with young children who have developmental delays. 

We are recruiting for a full-time, Educational Projects Coordinator.  This individual will serve as staff support to the State Interagency Coordination Council; including planning meetings, travel, and training new members.  The Birth to Three System nationally and in Connecticut is continually evolving, so responsibilities change over time.  As part of a dynamic and energetic team this individual will assist with administering all aspects of Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) including child find, public awareness, education and outreach, faciliating postive working relationships with primary health care providers about referrals and school districts about transition, managing the public facing website and blog content and printed materials.  responsibilites also include providing training and techincal assistance to Early Intervention Service practitioners as well as developing procedures and guidance documents and tools.

This position is located at 450 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT.  The hours are 8:00 - 4:30, Monday - Friday. 

All applicants must include a resume within the "Resume Tab" of their application with their submission.  Applicants invited to interview may be required to submit additional documentation, which supports their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  performance reviews, supervisory references, college transcripts, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.

 

Updates of this recruitment will be provided through your JobAps portal account.  Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.  For all other inquiries, please contact Ellen Morris, ellen.morris@ct.gov, 860-713-6670. 

In a state agency this class is accountable for planning, developing, coordinating, implementing and evaluating early childhood, rehabilitative education, employment and/or social service programs for clients, staff and appropriate community groups and assisting the administrative official or designee in developing and implementing special federal and other grant projects.

Plans, develops, authors, coordinates and implements educational and/or social service programs for clients such as early childhood, college preparatory, special employment, socialization, recreation and home repairs programs; assists in planning, developing and coordinating staff short term inservice training; plans, develops and coordinates short term special educational programs for teachers and various appropriate community groups relating to blindness in general and actual or potential services for blind persons or others with disabilities; assists in planning, developing and implementing of special federal and other grant programs for adults and children with disabilities; identifies needs and determines priorities for further program development and implementation; participates in agency public relations activities and prepares reports as required; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of problems of persons with physical, visual or other disabilities and services available for such persons; knowledge of educational and training methodology; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; some supervisory ability.

Seven (7) years of experience serving the blind, deaf and hearing impaired and/or persons with physical or other disabilities including considerable responsibility for coordination of educational or training programs and some experience with grant programs.

1. College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
2. A Master's degree in education, rehabilitation or a human services area may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

As an active participant on an energetic and dynamic team, the preferred candidate will have: 

• Experience supporting families as part of the Connecticut Birth to Three System by developing Individualized Family Service Plans and planning transition
• Considerable knowledge about how the IDEA Part C is implemented in Connecticut
• The evidence-based practices being scaled up
• Considerable knowledge about the lead agency requirements for supporting the Birth to Three Interagency Coordinating Council
• The IDEA child find requirements, as well education and outreach activities to address the Part C state-identified measureable result
• A documented history of functioning and problem solving independently and meeting hard deadlines
• Experience developing statewide procedures and service guidelines, familiarity with html/website/WordPress online content management and developing with articulate
• Experience presenting to large groups and facilitating meetings
• Flexibility in managing rapid and frequent change 
• Advanced skills with MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint
• Highly professional communication skills
• Knowledge about ICDs and pediatric diagnoses with a high likelihood of resulting in a developmental delays
• Experience providing training and technical assistance
• Evidence of successful completion of Birth to Three Service Coordination training in Connecticut (preferred).

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.