Pros
Educating elementary and high school youth on how to build and maintain healthy relationships is AMAZING work! There are no other organizations in the city of Chicago doing similar work. Learning about domestic violence as early as possible is invaluable, and Between Friends has embraced that mission.
Cons
The senior leadership team does not value its employees and the sacrifices they make to ensure Between Friends succeeds. They reward loyalty over competency and hard work. They invest very little in the education program, while still requiring top notch results from employees. Between Friends has a program monopoly, but there has been very little tangible growth over the last few years. They have so much enthusiasm, but lack vision and preparedness to see its programs executed at their full potential. And they seemingly jeer at anyone who challenges it! There’s also very little to no room for professional advancement. Employees who are promoted get promoted because they’re loyal, not because they are the most competent or qualified. They have a core group who have been there for years. Everyone else seems expendable, reflected in their inability to retain new employees beyond 2 years. The pay is also not worth the hustle nor is it worth the stress! In the education program, in many cases, you will have a school teacher’s schedule (teaching 3-5 hour-long sessions a day) but your salary offer won’t even come close to that of a teacher’s.