PEN America Seeks Program Assistant to Combat Book Bans in U.S. Educational Institutions
PEN America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to free expression and human rights, is actively seeking a Program Assistant for its Freedom to Read program. This full-time, union-eligible position, based at the organization's New York City headquarters, will focus on supporting research, analysis, and operations aimed at defending the freedom to read and learn in U.S. schools. The role involves tracking and analyzing instances of book bans and censorship in K-12 education and public libraries, maintaining detailed spreadsheets, and validating cases through primary sources like school board meeting minutes and public records requests. The Program Assistant will also contribute to developing educational resources, tracking breaking news, and managing submissions to PEN America’s Book Ban Report Tool. This initiative underscores PEN America's commitment to upholding free expression and free speech principles within educational institutions across the United States.