Backpack 26 Project Fellows
Humanitarian · Kigali, kigali
Institution information
Since Kepler’s launch in 2013, we are building a model of accessible and quality higher education. We provide a different kind of education – one that combines in-person, online, and on-the-job learning in service of a singular goal: decent jobs for young Africans. And we have been successful, with more than 90% of scholars employed within six months of graduating. Kepler, through a partnership with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), has enrolled more than 1,000 students across our campuses in Kigali and the Kiziba refugee camp in Western Rwanda. We have entered into a dynamic time at Kepler. Over the next few months, Kepler hopes to become locally accredited in Rwanda through Kepler College, and we are expanding our academic offerings and programs in Rwanda and Ethiopia.
Backpack16 Project Summary
In its partnership with the University of California Davis, Kepler will pilot the use of the Article 26 Backpack (Backpack) in Rwanda for refugee, displaced, and at-risk young people seeking to connect with higher education, enrolled in higher education, or those recently graduated. Backpack empowers access to higher education and training opportunities through the secure curation and protection of critical educational documents, as well as providing them with the possibility to safely share elements of their educational preparation with universities, employers, scholarship organizations, and credential evaluators. The international nature of Backpack fosters the creation of a global community of refugee and displaced students, and the digital ecosystem provides opportunities to expand knowledge in host countries and countries of resettlement about the humanity, capabilities, and talents of refugee young people.
Job Summary
Kepler is looking for two competent graduates/ students closer to graduation to serve as Backpack 26 project fellows in Rwanda. This is a full-time position that will last 6 to 8 months. The Rwanda Backpack fellows will support refugees and displaced university-age young people living in Rwanda to access the Backpack service tools. Alongside this, fellows will help backpack service users upload critical documents and learn how to use the service for academic and career purposes. Also, Backpack fellows will use the Backpack enrollment as an adjunct to broader career development and college counseling/advising opportunities for refugees and host communities in Rwanda. Backpack fellows will work with the Kepler humanitarian team to implement the project in collaboration with different partners.
The Fellows positions at Kepler are designed as an opportunity for recent or upcoming graduates to grow professionally by gaining meaningful work experience while supporting Kepler programming. Fellows will be provided with significant support from their managers and other team members as well as opportunities for professional development. After the fellowship is complete, fellows should be confident professionals with competitive skills and resumes to continue their careers, whether at Kepler or an external organization.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Supervise and support Backpack interns including administrative processes and team development
- Conduct group workshops and sessions informing the importance of the Backpack tool to refugee communities
- Run program operations and assess logistical needs of the program
- Collaborate with different partners and stakeholders in planning Backpack events in refugee communities in Rwanda
- Develop tools, media, and techniques to train and support the implementation of Backpack that can serve as a model for further expansion
- Maintain accurate and updated records/data of the program implementation and encountered challenges
- Guide Backpackers to use the platform for education and employment opportunities
- Review documents of backpackers and help them to create an account and to use the service
- Prepare monthly reports that include data, a narrative history of the Backpack users, and development phases, recommendations for program improvement
- Reinforce diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Backpack program
- Advise refugee young scholars about transitions to higher education and workplace
- Prepare backpack events and involve all stakeholders
- Participate in meetings with partners for advocating for refugees’ access to tertiary education
- Work with university students to engage refugee communities and schools to use the backpack services in Rwanda
- Manage a small budget and follow finance procedures
- Take responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor
Qualifications
- Have graduated/closer to graduation in a relevant field
- Registered as a refugee in Rwanda
- Experience of working with refugees in education
- Demonstrated knowledge of refugee rights, laws, and methods of advocacy
- Experience with event planning and communicating across different stakeholders
- Ability to manage operations and logistical needs of a project
- Ability to use online conferencing tools [Ex: Uber, Zoom, Google meet, etc.…]
- Ability to use social media platforms [Ex: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc…]
- Organized, extreme attention to detail, and good at the time and task management
- Excellent with using Google Products(creating and uploading files and folders, sharing files folders, google forms, etc.)
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral) and highly adaptable technology skills
- Ability to use at least one project management tool [Ex: Slack, Asana, Trello, Doodle, etc…]
Deadline: The application deadline is October 11th, 2021, late applications will not be considered and only selected candidates will be contacted for the next steps.
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