Education ​/ Teaching Associate, Youth Development

Position:
Associate

Location:
Colorado

Preferred Final date to receive applications:
October 16, 2026

Position Summary

As an Associate at Empower Schools, you will contribute to local- and state-level projects and initiatives that apply innovative solutions to better meet students' needs. Working closely with your teammates and partners, this position will primarily support Empower’s growing work and impact in Colorado. In this role, you will help cultivate partnerships, design and implement projects, and join our movement to dramatically increase positive outcomes for students who have been traditionally underserved.

Applicants must be willing to travel up to 30% of the time (primarily within Colorado) to support the growth of our statewide work and to provide on-the-ground support in communities across the state. In this role, you will receive coaching, mentorship, and guidance from experienced leaders inside and outside our organization.

Who We Are

Empower Schools envisions a country where every student, especially those in underserved communities, has the opportunity to succeed in school and life. As a national non-profit, we partner with educators and communities to help catalyze innovation and support the design, launch, and successful implementation of sustainable solutions to local education needs. While the specific work varies by local context, all our projects are grounded in our deep commitment to improving school and life outcomes for predominantly Black, Hispanic, and low-income students.

We focus on three key areas:

• Innovation Zones: We work with communities to design and launch sustainable local partnerships that enable transformative district schools. Innovation Zone educators have the flexibility to make decisions that are right for their students, community, and staff.
• Rural Collaboratives: We work with rural communities to forge new partnerships and develop new ways to share resources so that students in rural areas have access to a great education and are equipped for college and career success.
• Early College and Career Pathways: We work with communities to create opportunities that lead to postsecondary success for all students. We foster innovative, sustainable, and scalable structures that bridge high school to college and career so students can get the head start and success they need even before they graduate.

To date, we have supported the design and launch of empowering partnerships across over seven states. Empower is working to deepen our direct and systemic impact in Colorado. We are currently supporting multiple Rural Collaborative projects in their implementation phase. We are also collaborating with additional communities and state-level leaders to explore and design durable, transformative partnerships between local school districts and their high schools, civic, industry, and higher education leaders to expand opportunities for students and advance community development and economic goals.

Who You Are

• You are committed to centering racial and socioeconomic equity in your work. You understand the impact of systemic and implicit racism and challenge yourself and others to support transformational outcomes for students across race and class.
• You are familiar with the challenges facing urban and/or rural K-12 education (and/or excited and willing to learn). You are excited to develop creative solutions to challenges at the school and system levels.
• You enjoy working independently and as part of a team and can build strong relationships with others.
• You are passionate about the role that communities play in supporting students and have a working knowledge of public-private partnerships centered on expanding opportunities for students and enhancing community and economic development.
• You are organized and interested in designing and implementing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines.
• You thrive in a rapidly-evolving environment and recognize that resourcefulness and effective communication skills are key to success.
• You are a self-starter and are able to navigate ambiguity and complexity with grace and focus
• You can take ideas and solutions from brainstorms to fruition while engaging and incorporating others' perspectives.
• You make time to reflect on your work to improve your effectiveness, know how to self-advocate to get the support you need, and keep it all in perspective with a strong sense of humor.
• In short, you are a generalist interested in learning and growing your…