We're Hiring!

Photo via Sho & Tell

Consult4Kids, better known as C4K, is a consulting firm, specializing in afterschool staff development. In its simplest terms we train and develop adults both virtually and live who then train and develop youth to be successful both personally and professionally. C4K's work is nationwide in scope and is soon to be a worldwide business. Our goal over the next 10 years is to impact 100 million youth and 10 million adults. We are looking for special, talented people interested in a long term career, not just a temporary position, willing to go up and beyond the call of duty.

We are searching for people who are passionate about helping children and youth to fill two positions: 

Resourceful Receptionist
*Handle office logistics (meeting agendas, company calendar, etc...)
*Attend and transcribe meeting minutes as requested
*Set Appointments
*Answer phone calls and take clear notes
*Contact outside entities to build partnerships 

Administrative Assistant
*Research information and summarize findings using various Internet search engines and research sites
*Assist with the volunteer recruitment process (Marketing, Screening Applicants, etc.)
*Data entry (entity files, daily reports, monthly reports)
*Create materials and supplies from scratch 
*Minimal video recording and editing 

Key Characteristics to be successful for both positions include:

• Strong Interpersonal Skills; excellent ability to interact positively with a variety of individuals/stakeholders
• Willingness to learn and try new things outside of their typical comfort zone 
• Able to handle and maintain confidentiality
• Demonstrates a natural confidence and leadership mindset
• Insists upon a high level of quality work 
• Works well under pressure 
• Extremely confidential
• Highly loyal 

Skills needed:

• Ability to think ahead, able to anticipate and act on future issues and needs, must be able prepare self and CEO for predicted events
• Excellent communication skills in both written and oral forms
• Superb organizational skills including planning and prioritizing, ability to multi-task and adapt to changing needs and demands
• Sound judgment and decision making skills, ability to analyze and objectively investigate situations and problems
• Must have experience using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Must be able to demonstrate proper phone etiquette 
• Must have excellent keyboarding skills

Other Items:

• May occasionally require some irregular hours, possibly including some evenings and/or weekends
• Marketing and Social Media knowledge is important, but not required 
• Ability to critique and analyze written narrative and other items 
• Minimal travel required
• Creativity

To be considered for these positions, email us at support@consultfourkids.com with your resume. In the subject line, include your name and the position you are applying for. 

*Serious inquiries only, this is a long-term career position geared to accomplish helping youth and communities.

What We're Reading: "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek

Master consultant, CynDee, is reading Start With Why. Check out her takeaways below.

Photo via Human ResourceFUL

Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why, discusses the importance of knowing why we do the work we do and then sharing that why with anyone who will listen.  Sinek describes what he calls the Golden Circle. At the center of this circle is the WHY?  This circle describes the reason we do what we do.  In other words, the cause that we value and embrace is found in the center.  The second circle is the “value proposition” and explains how we do something.  The third circle is about what we do, and explains the products or services that we provide.  

She Said I Was Smart, So I Am: The Importance of Mindset

By CynDee Zandes

This article is written by a member of our expert blogging community. 

Whether you call it your mindset, your paradigm, or your world view, the lens that you look through, intentionally or not, and interpret the world around you and your place in it is important to identify and understand. Dependent upon your age, this lens has been honed by years of messages from those around you, your own experience, and the outcomes of the choices you’ve made.  No one is oblivious to these pressures.  If the messages you have received are positive ones, like

"You are capable"

"You have integrity"

"You make good choices"

your mindset is different from the person who received negative messages, like

"You are unworthy"

"You lie and cheat with every breath you take"

"You make one poor decision after another, no wonder you are in the position you’re in"

The “tapes” we play in our head each day contribute to our mindset.

I'm finished! What's next??

By CynDee Zandes

This article is written by a member of our expert blogging community.

In the perfect world all youth would finish homework at the same time.  They would all finish with the science experiment at the same time, finish eating snack at the same time, be picked up at the same time, and so it goes.  While in some ways, that might appear to be perfect, it would also mean that we are either working with only one student or somehow we’ve managed to clone them.  Every person is unique and that is really what makes them interesting.  The challenge for those of us who work with youth in groups is how do we manage the, “I’m finished, what next?” question often posed each day, especially during homework time.

One month in...what should you see?

By: CynDee Zandes

This article is written by a member of our expert blogging team.

Well, for most of us, our afterschool program has been operating for about a month this school year.  The program routine is being established and everyone is getting into the groove.  There is a rhythm to the afterschool day so it’s time to take your program to the next level. 

Photo via C4K

By this time your program agreements are most likely established and your young people are demonstrating they understand your expectations of safety, respect, and responsibility in a variety of program environments—multi-purpose room, hallway, restroom, classroom, playground, drinking fountain, gymnasium, and laboratories.  Parents have learned the routine of sign-out and if you run program in California, how to complete an Early Release Form to pick a child up before the required time has passed. 

Shine some light on afterschool programs

Photo via Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach

On Thursday, October 18, 2012 over one million Americans in thousands of communities across the nation will celebrate Lights On Afterschool, an event that first began in 2000.  Afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.

One of the most startling facts is that in America, 15.1 million children (a rate of 1 in every 4) are left alone and unsupervised in the hours between the school bell and parents being able to leave work.  Afterschool programs across the country create a safe place for kids to be afterschool.  But they don’t stop at “safe place,” they bring in academic support, enrichment activities, youth voice and choice, wellness, career and college readiness, STEM, and any other club or class that youth will find relevant and rigorous and give them an opportunity to work with a partner or in small groups.

Get involved. Change a life.

We are working to improve the quality of afterschool and out-of-school time programs by providing staff with free and low-cost training and professional development. We believe that the impact that working in the field of informal education is two-fold: first to the adults working with youth who are educators, mentors, leaders and life-changers; and of course, to the kids in the programs who are exposed to opportunities that they might never receive otherwise that prepare them to be successful adults and leaders. 

Be a part of the movement. 

Volunteer your time by assisting us with a variety of special projects like researching grant opportunities, updating our blog or creating new media! Your skills and passion for helping youth is all you need! If you don’t have time to volunteer, become a part of our giving program! Donate the cost of one cup of Starbucks coffee every month, and you’ll be helping to bring high-quality training to afterschool programs in your community! Help us spread the word! Become a member, then share our cause with your friends and colleagues to strengthen the network of support for kids in afterschool and out-of-school time programs. Join us on Twitter and Facebook, follow the Afterschool the Movement blog and subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Feeling extra charitable? Do all three! You will be a part of a legacy that is leveling the playing field for youth so that every young person will have the opportunity to maximize his or her potential.

A Look Back at Independence, A Look Forward to Interdependence

Photo via Asia Society

According to Stephen Covey there is a Maturity Continuum that moves from “dependence” to “independence” and then to “interdependence.”  Just as this continuum is important for human beings in individual development, it is an important continuum for countries as well.  Countries must progress through the stages from dependent, to independent, and interdependent just like people.  As we become more globally interdependent, countries which have a long history of independence, may find that transition to interdependence easier to make.  In the United States we are all familiar with July 4th, but are you as familiar with September 16th?

In Mexico, on September 16, 1810, the “Cry of Independence” was uttered in the small town of Dolores.  This event marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain.  A Roman Catholic priest, Hidalgo, led the Revolution until his death, and his role in Mexican Independence is as celebrated as the role of Washington in the United States. 

Reflections of a Youth Development Grandmother

By: CynDee Zandes

This articles is written by a member of our expert blogging team.

What was special about September 9, 2012?  Is it that it is the Sunday after Labor Day?  Is it that most kids have gone back to school?  Is it the first official day of fall?  (Unless of course you are in the Southern Hemisphere and it would be the first official day of spring.)  The answer is, none of the above.  It was Grandparent’s Day.  That’s right, Grandparent’s Day.  This is a day that you have to “age” into—much like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day just with more investment of time.

Personally I have learned many things from my grandchildren—Nick and Ryan.  I have learned how much fun it is to see the world through eyes that are full of curiosity and wonder.  I have learned how the seemingly most insignificant things can mean the world to you.  I have learned how to truly enjoy each stage of their growing up.

FREE Webinars for Afterschool Professionals - Tuesday, September 18!

We are happy to offer free webinars to our list of professional development support we provide to the afterschool field. These courses are designed for all levels of staff, from frontline staff to site coordinators to even those directing multiple programs and blend the online instruction that web-based training gives with real time interaction and feedback. That means that any time during the course, you can ask a question, make a comment or contribute to a conversation along with all the other participants joining the webinar. Our expert trainers respond and use this feedback to guide the learning.

We know that true development doesn't happen in one one-hour training, so we've structured the webinars to build upon each other with a new topic every third Tuesday of the month. They are a great for individual development, as well as team and group development. Participate in the webinars with colleagues and use them as discussion topics for meetings. We even record the sessions, so if you ever need to a refresher, all you have to do is click the play button.

What We're Reading: "Platform" by Michael Hyatt

Master consultant, CynDee, is reading Platform. Check out her takeaways below. 

Are you confused about how to use social media in a coherent system to get your message out? Would you like your stakeholders and partners to know about the great things you are doing? Do you struggle with knowing who to follow, how to use Twitter and text messaging, and what it means to use your website to support your work? Michael Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, has written Platform: Get Noticed In A Noisy World, to share the answers to these and many other questions with you and me.

Now if you are social media savvy, Hyatt’s information will serve as a confirmation for what you already know. Well, it is also possible that you will learn a new thing or two as well. For those of us who are less knowledgeable, many of your confusions will be resolved.