Ravinia is both North America’s longest-running music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events by a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers make up a typical summer season on our two open-air and two indoor stages. Each year the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is featured in six weeks of concerts, many with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. During the same summer months, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute provides young professional classical and jazz musicians with career-advancing training and concert settings. 

Offstage and year-round, Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education programs engage 75,000 children and adults—in schools with little to no music curriculum, in our Chicagoland communities, and at our 36-acre park—in our mission to make music equitably accessible to all.

A signature Reach Teach Play program, Sistema Ravinia emphasizes community building and musical excellence. Exceptional orchestral training for 3rd-8th grade students fosters social development and creates pathways for continued success. The Site Coordinator is a key member of the administrative team that supports program activities, communication, data entry, inventory, registration, concerts and special events. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Maintain data entry including student information, attendance and progress

• Maintain organized program spaces 

• Attend and assist with student registration, parent meetings, and special events

• Assist with the ongoing inventory of instruments, repairs, music, and supplies

• Assist with creation, distribution, and collection of forms and materials

• Set-up and take-down of rehearsal spaces, events and performances

• Assist with daily preparation of program logistics and materials

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Superior interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds

• Detail oriented with strong organizational abilities

• Experience working with computers and data entry (Google platform experience preferred)

• Physical labor required; ability to move chairs, instruments, and supplies between locations and floors

Education and Experience

• Two to three years related work experience preferred

• Experience and desire to work with children and adults from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds 

• Access to reliable transportation to travel between program sites and events

• Ability to speak Spanish a plus

Compensation: $20 per hour

Work Environment

• Work Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 1-6PM throughout the school year and summer in the Austin Community at Catalyst Circle Rock (5608 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60053) and GR Clark (1045 S Monitor Ave, Chicago, IL 60644) with occasional offsite events. Summer hours (June - August) shift to mornings with evening and weekend field trips.

• Availability to work occasional weekends and evenings for concerts and special events

• Interaction with young students, parents and administrators where the safety of the students is paramount

• There may be weeks where this position is not scheduled to work based on program schedules and needs and Ravinia holidays

About the Program: 

We envision a world where every child has access to music through high-quality music learning and performance and can see themselves in the world’s best orchestras.  Sistema Ravinia is an after school orchestral music education program that fosters youth empowerment and social development through exceptional ensemble training for students in three nucleos (Austin, Lawndale, Lake County) across Chicagoland. The Sistema Ravinia Austin Nucleo welcomes students at two schools – Catalyst Circle Rock and GR Clark – throughout the school year and summer.   Shaped by the philosophy of the noted El Sistema model, Ravinia has embraced the notion of transforming groups of children into communities of musicians who in turn transform their communities.  Students receive mentorship from teachers and administrators that make them feel loved and valued as an asset to their nucleo community.  

Sistema Ravinia launched in 2012 and Circle Rock was the first school to join the initiative.  In 2019, the Sistema Ravinia Austin Nucleo expanded to add GR Clark.  Students from Circle Rock focus on band instruments and students from GR Clark learn string instruments.  Students meet at their individual schools two to three days per week and join together at Circle Rock to rehearse as a full symphony orchestra.  Circle Rock recently completed their state of the art Kehrein Center for the Arts which will serve as the home for the Sistema Ravinia Austin nucleo orchestras.  

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.