High School Mentor

Summer Search•Boston, MA

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

At Summer Search, we believe in 'No Ceilings' and envision a world in which young people, regardless of circumstances, can chart their own destiny. In the United States, students from underserved communities – disproportionately BIPOC and first-generation – face systemic inequities in school, in the workforce, and in life. Nevertheless, these young people possess unique strengths, resilience, and limitless potential. Since 1990, Summer Search has partnered with young people during their transition from adolescence into adulthood by connecting them to expansive opportunities, professional mentoring, and a community of support. Summer Searchers recognize their potential and build a toolkit to navigate and challenge systemic barriers, break new ground for their families and communities, and achieve economic equity and a life of purpose. Summer Search Boston is seeking a High School Mentor to manage a caseload of approximately 40 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 will serve over 400+ high school students this coming year, this hire will have the opportunity to practice Summer Search’s unique approach to mentoring, prepare students for two challenging summer experiences, support post-secondary readiness and matriculation, and join a team that is committed to learning, social and racial equity, and the students we serve.

Requirements

At least 2 years of professional experience working with student populations served by Summer Search (e.g. low-income families, students of color, LGBTQIA+, English Language Learners, and diverse religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds).
Group facilitation experience is strongly desired.
Academic or applied knowledge of adolescent development and/or training in restorative/transformative justice work is a plus.
You understand and create an environment where all people feel safe enough to explore, discuss, question, and reflect on past, current or future experiences in one-on-one or large group discussions.
You hold yourself and others responsible for processes, decisions, actions, and commitments to results to drive high quality outcomes.
You're responsive to the needs of stakeholders and follow through on commitments.
You value many voices, are comfortable creating space for dialogue and handle interpersonal issues constructively.
You inspire and foster commitment, connection, enthusiasm, and trust and motivate others to achieve common goals.
You understand the root causes of societal discrimination and injustices and are self-reflective about your own privilege and positional power.
You apply critical thinking and act toward liberatory and inclusive practices.
Proficiency in meticulous data tracking and management; experience using Salesforce or a similar database is a plus.
Proficiency in Spanish or Haitian Creole is a plus.
Access to a car or reliable transportation to travel to the office and schools in the greater Boston area is required.

Nice To Haves

Group facilitation experience is strongly desired.
Academic or applied knowledge of adolescent development and/or training in restorative/transformative justice work is a plus.
Experience using Salesforce or a similar database is a plus.
Proficiency in Spanish or Haitian Creole is a plus.

Responsibilities

Mentor a caseload of up to 44 high school participants, building relationships and conducting regular mentoring at school, in our 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 results in a high level of engagement throughout their Summer Search experience.
Monitor and promote students’ academic and extracurricular participation and performance, as well as post-secondary readiness requirements.
Communicate with students’ families, especially regarding details about summer experiences and career opportunities.
Conduct bi-weekly group mentoring sessions for caseload of sophomores and juniors – in person.
Build multi-year relationships with participants and cultivate their connections with one another and Summer Search.
Create a safe community where students can be honest with each other by 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.
Observe and respond to group needs and adapt facilitation style accordingly.
Support and/or lead outreach presentations and application workshops for prospective students and provide 1:1 follow up as needed.
Establish and nurture relationships with staff partners at your partner high school(s).
Engage school partners proactively in supporting students and coordinating logistics.
Respond promptly and thoughtfully to requests from school partners.
Attend key milestone events for participants and their families throughout the school year.
Know the resources and people available at your partner high school(s) and how these resources intersect with Summer Search.
Connect participants to college access partner and mental health and career resources.
Ensure meticulous data collection on a weekly basis in our program database (i.e. Salesforce) to execute organization-wide programmatic metrics, goals and data expectations, such as outreach and mentoring touchpoints.
Provide curriculum feedback to inform iterative curriculum development.
Participate in ongoing observation, coaching, training, and professional development to build job-related skills, knowledge, and capacity.
Participate in elements of an evaluation plan designed to assess program quality, fidelity and outcomes and to inform individual staff development and continuous improvement of program model (e.g., complete feedback surveys after mentoring sessions).
Participate in other projects as assigned.
Attend and engage with our regional Signature Events and participant and family events about 3 times a quarter, typically in the evenings.
Support project management of participant-facing events (i.e. orientations, summer celebrations, etc.)
Provide support to the Summer on Call team when issues or concerns arise related to your participants during Summer Experiences.

Benefits

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 time off including 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 18 holidays (2 floating holidays of your choice, a birthday day-off, 10 company-wide holidays, and a 1-week December closure). Plus, Re-Fresh Friday’s - a paid full day off the first Friday of every month!
A comprehensive Employee Recognition Program (years of service awards, spot awards, and professional development funding).
A four-week paid sabbatical after five years of continuous employment.
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/community care
Ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve.