American Indian OIC - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Community Engagement Specialist
American Indian OIC (AIOIC) has been helping its neighbors for more than four decades, addressing challenges seeded long ago. Founded by leaders of the American Indian Movement in 1979, the mission of American Indian OIC is to empower American Indians who wish to pursue career opportunities, providing individualized education, training, and human services in a culturally rich environment. Each year, AIOIC helps more than 800 of our neighbors, the vast majority of low-income people of color, access culturally contextualized education and workforce services to make positive strides toward economic stability and independence. Although our mission is rooted in the advancement of Native Americans, anyone who could benefit from education and career services is welcome, regardless of race, creed, age, gender, or sexual orientation. In fact, our career pathways programs are branded with the name “Takoda,” a Dakota word meaning “friend to all.” The diversity of our staff has significant benefits for BIPOC youth participants, who see staff members as positive role models who reflect their identity, encouraging the formation of trusting relationships and increasing student engagement with culturally relevant curricula. These attributes make AIOIC effective and well-positioned to help participants follow their self-designed education and career pathways. We know that education is a key component to fair and just inclusion into society, and AIOIC is proud that its programming results in higher educational attainment and earnings for participants. These results advance prosperity, improving lives and strengthening our community. Those who complete our job training program see, on average, a 66% increase in their income. The central goal of our VISTA project is raising awareness and participation in our programs through community engagement. The VISTA worker will join a dedicated team of 40 here at AIOIC.