Junior Board

Who We Are

In 2021, a small group of high school students approached the Pitch In team with the idea of launching a founding Junior Board, focused on advocating and providing service to our middle school Pitch In program. Working side-by-side with our team, 9th-12th grade Junior Board members will serve as spokespeople, volunteers, advocates, and champions for the vision and growth of our Pitch In program. We are excited for our high school-aged leaders to take the reins, learn more about our work and model, and as the next generation, shape their leadership impact.

What We Do

There is incredible power in a group of young leaders like this, and together, our Junior Board members will get creative and collaborate to raise funding and awareness for our Pitch In program. The Pitch In Junior Board will serve in two critical areas:

Advocacy

Our Junior Board will gain experience aligning themselves with a nonprofit mission they deeply believe in, utilizing their knowledge, experience, and networks to raise funds and make real change in the communities our Pitch In program serves. Members can expect to:

  • Get to know Pitch In school communities in order to gather authentic stories and experiences to share with their networks.
  • Learn to pitch a mission and create their own “Pitch In pitches.”
  • Explore the ins and outs of resource generation, fundraising, and nonprofit operations with the Pitch In Development Director.
  • Plan and execute creative fundraising events on behalf of Pitch In, with guidance from the Pitch In Development Director.
  • Find creative ways to broaden awareness of Pitch In, discussing Pitch In’s work with family and friends whenever possible.
  • Actively broaden their critical consciousnesses, learning about the history of systemic racism and oppression and how it impacts communities Pitch In serves, all while exploring how to use their personal platforms to be a real advocate for change in historically under-served communities.

Service

Junior Board members will engage in hands-on volunteer opportunities that drive our Pitch In program’s work forward and deepen their personal connection to our school communities. Members can expect to:

  • Help serve Pitch In’s school-based Family Dinners (happen monthly in our North Lawndale and Humboldt Park school locations).
  • Plan and host classroom and other needed supplies drives on behalf of our middle schoolers.
  • Assist with the set-up of new Pitch In classrooms in the summertime.
  • Engage in feedback sessions with Pitch In’s Director of Program to suggest ideas of enrichment activities, guest speakers, and out-of-the-classroom field trip experiences that will resonate with their near-peer Pitch In students.

2022-2023 Calendar

Each school year, Junior Board members opt into our three-month Fall, Winter, and Spring engagement cycles, based on their schedules and other extracurricular commitments. We welcome and encourage members to participate in as many cycles as they are able to in order to provide a consistency of support and a comprehensive leadership experience.

Engagement information for this school year, 2022-2023, is coming soon.

Junior Board Commitments

Attend Junior Board Meetings: Meet with the Pitch In Development Director quarterly to share Junior Board and broader Pitch In updates, engage in group conversation and learning about the nonprofit space, and plan future initiatives aligned to Pitch In’s ongoing vision and work.

Serve Pitch In Family Dinners: Three times per school year, serve a meal to students and their families during “Pitch In Family Night,” hosted at each of our school partner sites. Family Dinners happen at each of our schools approximately monthly from about 4:30-6pm, and there is one for each of our 12 classes, so every quarter offers a variety of date options.

Host Innovative Fundraisers: Brainstorm, plan, and execute a variety of fundraisers to help spread the word about Pitch In and inspire more people to get involved. The Junior Board has the power to raise a collective $25,000, which would help us launch one entirely new Pitch In cohort of 4th graders!

Engage in School-Based Service Projects: Help the Pitch In team respond to school-based needs and projects surfaced by our communities, principals, teachers, and counselors. These may include planning/hosting year-end carnivals, game nights/lock-ins at school, and holiday/winter gear drives in support of Pitch In students.

Invest in Personal Growth: Commit to learning how to leverage their knowledge, access, agency, and perspectives to become thoughtful, conscientious advocates for communities that have historically been marginalized.

To learn more, contact Laura Muriello at laura@woodfamilyfoundation.org.