Jessica Smolow Email & Phone Number

Cambridge, Massachusetts

As the Executive Director, I am managing and leading the Board of Directors in fundraising and donor relations all in support of the Maranyundo Girls School and other educational programs across Rwanda.

Greater Boston Area

• Manage and oversee a 3-country USAID-funded project targeting +4,000 adolescent girls in Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe that addresses teen pregnancy and school drop-out.
• Program provides innovative preventative and response platform that includes youth clubs, training teachers and case workers, and linkages to GBV and HIV services.
• Help develop annual work plans, monitoring and evaluation tools; write and edit quarterly reports; assist with development of programmatic tools and resources.

Boston, Massachusetts

• Provide technical, strategic, and operational support for 5-year USAID/PEPFAR program serving orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Zimbabwe in the areas of health and HIV/AIDS, child protection, and government.
• Serve as central point of contact of multi-project portfolio valued at more than $40 million with donors that include USAID/PEPFAR, UNICEF, Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA) and The ELMA Foundation.
• Manage donor relations and contractual agreements; hire and manage consultants; ensure compliance with donor/ government regulations, and reporting requirements.
• Support new business and new program development: help coordinate proposal-writing teams; research new funding opportunities; lead cost proposals; identify and negotiate project partners.

Boston, Massachusetts

• Provided day-to-day financial oversight, tracked project spending on budgets from $500K to $33M.
• Carried out monitoring visits to NGO subpartners in Zimbabwe and provided technical assistance in the areas of out of school programs, child protection and youth programs.
• Developed internal and external communication materials, including annual and semi-annual reports for funders and Board of Directors, case studies, web content, and served as representative at external conferences.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

• Planned, organized and managed direct services to parents and caregivers throughout the City of Cambridge.
• Coordinated, recruited, and supervised part-time staff and team of interns and volunteers who facilitated family-centered activities and events.
• Managed city-wide programming for families and youth through parenting groups and workshops.

Kigali, Rwanda

• Developed fundraising plans for Widows and Student Survivor Organizations from the 1994 Genocide to reach national and international donors.
• Wrote various grant proposals to support survivor projects and updated website/marketing literature.
• Created and implemented fundraising campaign for #1 girl's soccer team in Rwanda, to compete in an international competition.
• Secured over $25,000 from international and national donors, including the US Soccer Foundation.

Kigali, Rwanda

• Conducted teacher trainings and workshops to primary and secondary teachers in rural districts of Rwanda on pedagogy and learner-centered teaching strategies.
• Taught Advance English classes to Government officials at the Rwandan Parliament.
• Led Business English workshops for managers and supervisors of Bank of Kigali to improve communication and customer service using video, audio and computerized teaching materials.

Kigali, Rwanda

• Created, implemented and managed inaugural international education program comprised of 18 year-long volunteers, including placements, trainings, community service projects, and continual in-country support.
• Organized, planned and executed 1-month orientation program for volunteers (including cross-cultural and local language classes and health/safety trainings).
• Wrote and submitted Quarterly Performance Reports for continued funding from grants and donors.
• Developed program literature including training guide for staff, orientation manuals for volunteers and website program descriptions for future applicants.

Boston, Massachusetts

• Managed pre-departure logistics for volunteers.
• Provided 24-hour support for Country Directors. Communicated daily to discuss programmatic issues involving volunteers, Ministry and trainings.
• Oversaw and supervised team of interns creating recruitment and web-marketing campaigns.
• Wrote successful grant applications of over $200,000 from various public and private donorsHelped establish online donation system.

Usakos, Namibia

• Taught English, Math and Computer Science to grades 3-7 with 50+ students per class.
• Began adult computer literacy night course for community participants.
• Renovated and organized multi-lingual school library and led a student-run library committee.

San Diego, California

• Provided long-term cognitive and behavioral therapy to adolescents and their families with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, drug and alcohol abuse and oppositional and defiant behaviors.
• Directed groups on adoptions, social skills, independent living skills, sexually transmitted diseases, and domestic violence.
• Member of weekly treatment team with psychiatrists, psychologists, school representatives and family members to review medication, treatment goals, and family discharge plans.
• Orchestrated utilization reviews with government agencies and private insurance companies to ensure continued funding for patients.

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

• Coordinated admissions for 300+ bed adolescent Mental Health Facility including Inpatient, Partial, Outpatient and Residential Programs.
• Marketed programs and resources to metropolitan area hospitals and agencies.; Provided intensive outpatient therapy to children, adolescents and families.
• Wrote and implemented treatment plans with target goals for each member in therapy.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Facilitated crisis intervention for individuals in acute psychiatric conditions.
• Arranged aftercare treatment and case management services for patients and families.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Visited and counseled identified families from the Department of Human Services to provide support and community resources to help them become independent.
• Began and led after-school support group for girls with history of abuse and domestic violence.

Masters Of Social Work, Social Work

Focus on Mental Health in Children Freshman Graduate Advisor, Hill House, 2002-2003

Bachelor Of Science, Psychology, Minor Business

Activities and Societies: Sigma Delta Tau Sorority Dance Marathon Chair

Semester At Sea Abroad Program

Studied and traveled through Cuba, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Japan

Jewish Studies Teaching Certificate