PROGRAM ASSOCIATE
SUMMER SEARCH BOSTON
While young people from low-income communities – who are disproportionately young people of color – face systemic inequities in school, in the workforce, and in life, they possess unique strengths, resilience and tremendous potential. When provided with support and resources, these young people fulfill their potential and achieve success in school, work and life.
Through a combination of mentoring and transformative experiences, Summer Search supports young people to successfully transition from adolescence into adulthood. We aim to unleash the potential of our young people while also building a toolkit for navigating and challenging systemic barriers to higher education and career opportunities.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Summer Search Boston is seeking a Program Associate to manage a caseload of approximately 37 high school students, building long-term relationships and providing regular mentoring through a combination of groups and individual conversations from sophomore year through junior year of high school. Joining a supportive program team that currently serves over 400 high school students, this hire will have the opportunity to practice Summer Search’s unique approach to mentoring, prepare students for two challenging summer experiences, support college readiness and matriculation, and contribute to closing the opportunity gap for thousands of low-income youth nationwide.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Specifically, the Program Associate will advance Summer Search’s mission through the following job responsibilities:
Student Mentoring and Program Facilitation (60%)
Provide individual 1:1 mentoring to high school students at school, in the office or by phone.
- Manage a caseload of approximately 37 high school students, building multi-year relationships and conducting regular mentoring at school, in the office or by phone.
- Utilize a unique mentoring methodology based upon adolescent social-emotional development, cultural relevance, and critical consciousness. Enable conversations that allow students to reflect upon the impact of identities and social/cultural context on their lives.
- Hold students accountable to year-round program participation, as well as demonstrating a personal commitment to students that result in a high level of engagement throughout their Summer Search experience.
- Monitor and promote students’ academic and extracurricular participation and performance, as well as college readiness requirements.
- Participate in student recruitment, interviewing and enrollment, as well as planning and attending key milestone events for students and their families throughout the school year, including travel to schools within the region and some evening and weekend events, especially in the spring (all events are currently virtual until further notice).
- Participate in regular and ongoing trainings to build job-related skills, knowledge, and capacity e.g. student safety, critical mentoring, social responsibility, efforts to advance Summer Search’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Facilitate bi-weekly group mentoring sessions at your designated high school(s)
- Before each session, prepare by reviewing curriculum, gathering materials and sending student reminders.
- During each session, guide group formation by helping students establish and honor co-created working agreements.
- Create a brave space where students can be honest with each other by consistently noticing when students are or are not operating in accordance with their own group norms, ensuring each student has the space to be heard and challenged respectfully and setting-up physical space that is conducive to achieving the objectives of each session.
- Recognize a student safety situation and how to respond and care for both the individual student and the group.
- Prioritize relationship building by connecting with each student individually at least twice during the session and interrupting behaviors that deviate the group through re-focusing and positive discipline.
- Observe and respond to group needs and adapt facilitation style accordingly.
Administration and Project Management (40%)
- Enter and track program data accurately on a daily basis in CoPilot (Salesforce) database to assess student progress and drive organizational learning, to ensure high levels of program quality and professional development.
- Actively participate in and/or coordinate projects that support school and student outreach, summer programs logistics and implementation, and other special projects as needs of program/students change.
- In partnership with Outreach team, establish and nurture relationships with staff partners at your partner high school(s).
- Partner with the Outreach team to: coordinate resources for groups at your partner high school(s), including scheduling time to promote Summer Search during the school day, securing physical space for 1:1 and group sessions and confirming session schedules and technology needs.
- Acquaint yourself with the curriculum before each session and deliver curriculum as designed with high fidelity.
- Provide curriculum feedback to inform iterative curriculum development.
- Provide on-call support for students on summer experiences for a period of time throughout the summer.
WHO YOU ARE
Program Associates exemplify curiosity, empathy, teamwork, flexibility, critical consciousness, and a commitment to learning.
Specifically, strong candidates will bring:
- EXPERIENCE: You are a highly motivated and self-led professional with at least 2 years of experience in youth development, social work, or high school education, preferably with low-income, diverse populations.
- RELATIONSHIP BUILDING SKILLS: You utilize active listening and reflect others’ viewpoints in order to build trusting relationships with both students and colleagues.
- GROUP FACILITATION SKILLS: Experience facilitating groups of adolescents with a track record of creating and maintaining positive and safe environment. Clear understanding of how to address student safety situations, both individually and within a group setting. Ability to manage emotional labor and boundary settings.
- CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE: Understanding of systems of oppression, such as: white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and more which target and disproportionately impact communities of color. Historical context of privilege and power in America; combined with ongoing personal work, sensitivity, directness, and humility in engaging youth around these topics.
- PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY: You take personal responsibility for work product and results; excellent organizational skills to juggle multiple projects and ad hoc requests.
- TEAMWORK: You are a flexible and eager team player who is excited to collaborate with colleagues and participate in an authentic, feedback-driven office culture.
- DATA SKILLS: Proficiency in meticulous data tracking and management; experience using Salesforce or a similar database is a plus.
- PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS: Resourcefulness and creative problem-solving skills, with the agility to respond to unexpected changes in a thoughtful and calm fashion. Skill in identifying, navigating, and communicating potential risks and challenges
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- BA/BS AND/OR equivalent experience in the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the responsibilities of the job. Equivalencies include demonstrated knowledge in education, social work, counseling, or a related field.
- Academic or applied knowledge of adolescent development is a plus.
- Must have a current driver’s license and a clean driving record or access to reliable, convenient public transportation.
- Bi-lingual English-Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, and Cape Verdean Creole language skills are a plus.
WORK HOURS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Boston staff are working from home 2 days a week and out of our office in Jamaica Plain 3 days a week. Work hours are Monday – Friday, 10am-6pm with occasional weekend and evening special events.
Summer Search requires all of its staff be vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees who are unable to be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious objection may be able to qualify for an exemption, consistent with state and federal law.
OUR BENEFITS
We are committed to staff learning, growth and development. Our intense investment includes:
- Competitive and transparent salaries. This is a non-exempt position with a starting salary of $50,170 or $25.73 per hour.
- Medical insurance with up to 90% employer contribution
- Dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance plans
- 401 (K) and Employer Match up to $2,000 annually
- Generous paid time off including 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, 2 floating holidays, 10 company-wide holidays and a 1-week December closure
- Individual, local, regional and national training
- A commitment to developing leaders from within the organization
- An organizational culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care
- Ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
With a staff that cares deeply about social justice and racial justice, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. We are committed to building an organization with raised consciousness in order to impact how we work with students, as well as how we work together as a team. We hope you will join us as we continue to build a justice-centered organization that fosters a work environment where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and valued
HOW TO APPLY
Click "Apply to this Position" below to submit a resume and cover letter that answers the question, “Why are you interested in the Program Associate role at Summer Search?” Please address your cover letter to Martina Durant, Director of Outreach and High School Program.
SUMMER SEARCH IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.