Horizons at New Canaan Country School (NCCS) was founded in 1964 and is the flagship program for what has become a national movement. There are now over 70 Horizons programs across the United States and counting. Each year we serve over 400 under-resourced students in kindergarten through post-secondary, the majority of whom live in Stamford and Norwalk. Our program includes a robust 6-week summer program for nearly 300 students and a school year program with academic, enrichment and caregiver programming. We raise our entire budget annually from private sources to ensure that each child can attend tuition-free

Our Vision: To build a more just and equitable society.

Our Mission: Transforming the lives of underserved children and youth through year-round academic and enrichment programs to inspire learning, encourage success, and close the opportunity gap.

Our Values:

• Equity through Opportunity
• Educating the Whole Child
• Joyful and Nurturing Community

Job Summary:  The Community Connector and Social Worker is responsible for supporting the social-emotional growth and well-being of students and families and for developing robust community connections that support recruitment, partnerships, and collaboration that result in better outcomes for children.

School Year Responsibilities include: 

• Provide direct counseling support to children and families as needed and make connections to extended services as needed
• Facilitate connections to necessary social-emotional screenings and services beyond scope of Horizons professional staff
• Identify and develop partnerships/enhance relationships with community-based organizations, including Norwalk and Stamford collective impact groups and resources 
• Support the recruitment and admissions process
• Co-facilitate Family Grade Representative and Family Council Meetings
• Serve as a student/family advocate within the schools and community. Participate in school meetings to support families, and to ensure students are receiving related services, as needed.
• Coordinate family and volunteer participation in annual community-building events to include Holiday Party, KAM Day of Service, Fall Fest, Frogtown Fair, etc.
• Manage the Alumni Association and yearly events including, but not limited to, updating alumni contact information and partnering with the Alumni Association Event Planning Committee
• Be an active and engaged member of our host school community, New Canaan Country School, including attending community lunches and designated events
• Other duties as assigned

Summer Responsibilities include: 

• Serve as Junior Program Dean of Students & Culture to implement positive community events and support faculty/staff with behavioral and/or social-emotional concerns
• Serve as the lead for all volunteer efforts
• Work in partnership with Senior Program Dean of Students and Culture to implement positive strengths-based approaches to behavior and emotional concerns
• Partner with DSFP and DAS to implement assessments that capture social-emotional data
• Contribute to pre-summer staff training in partnership with the DSFP and DAS
• In partnership with the Jr. Program Director:
  • Support Teachers, Teaching Assistants, and Teaching Assistants-in-Training to address student concerns.
  • Lead weekly staff meetings, address concerns, and support student and staff needs.
  • Lead Junior Program functions, daily announcements, routines, and traditions, etc.
  • Plan and implement Friday afternoon program assemblies.
• Collaborate with the summer leadership team to plan Family Night
• Work with faculty and staff to recognize student accomplishments and celebrate birthdays.
• Develop and implement strategies to recognize staff, support team building, and boost staff and student morale
• Develop curriculum and teach the “Transition to Middle School” Class 
• Other duties as assigned

The ideal candidate will have:

• License to practice Social Work in CT
• 3-5 years working with multicultural families and students in an educational setting
• Experience creating and presenting social-emotional programming
• Sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of families/students from marginalized communities
• Strong working knowledge of Google Workspace
• Knowledge of Norwalk and Stamford communities and resources preferred
• Excellent organizational, management and communication skills
• Ability to thrive in a busy work environment and flexibility to work nights and programmatic Saturdays
• Proficiency in Spanish a plus
• Passion for the Horizons mission

Compensation and Benefits:

The Community Connector and Social Worker position is a full-time salaried position with medical and vision benefits; life and disability insurance; 403(b); generous vacation and PTO time, professional development support, and access to tuition remission for children of NCCS faculty and staff. The salary range is $60,000-$70,000, dependent on relevant qualifications and experience. This role is expected to work regular on-site business hours with some evening and weekend hours required to support the program and donor events.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Horizons at NCCS is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

About New Canaan Country School

New Canaan Country School is a co-ed, independent day school for students in Pre-K (ages 3 & 4) through Grade 9 living in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Located in New Canaan, CT, and serving 570 students, our mission is to guide students to reach their intellectual, creative, moral, and physical potential. A talented and devoted faculty engages our students in developmentally appropriate ways, delivering a challenging curriculum that builds intellectual skills and fosters creative and critical thinking. We lead by example and challenge students to fulfill their potential, find their path, and follow their passions whether in the classroom, on the playing fields, on the stage, or serving the community.

Connections working at New Canaan Country School