Life Coach - Bilingual - South Bend - FT

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES GROUP•South Bend, IN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Excel Center – Northern Indiana is a high-quality, free, public high school for adult learners 18 and older, offering coursework toward an Indiana Core 40 diploma. It provides a structured learning environment with direct/face-to-face instruction, an accelerated format, small classes, and individualized attention tailored to adult learners' unique needs. All students are assigned a life coach who provides academic and personal counseling to support their goals. The Excel Center also requires students to earn industry-recognized certificates and/or dual credit college courses. Life Coaches are integral staff members, primarily responsible for promoting continued student engagement and serving as student advocates and counselors. Each life coach manages a caseload of typically 65-80 students, building relationships and providing resources to remove barriers to educational progress. Effective life coaches triage their caseloads, managing core responsibilities while also responding to student crises.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Flexible availability for daytime and evening classes
Two years of experience in social work, counseling, advising, academic guidance or related field
Superior verbal and written communication skills
Strong meeting facilitation skills
Has working knowledge of computer programs to perform clerical tasks: Google Applications, student information systems, Microsoft applications, Excel, Word and web browsers
Demonstrated ability to develop relationships at all levels and to relate to a diverse population
Awareness of community resources
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment; energetic self-starter; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed and work with a team; able to embrace change positively
Excellent analytic, critical thinking, organizational and strategic planning skills
Ability to gather and analyze data for informed decision making
Possess the essential mindset that all students can succeed
Drive to improve the outcomes and lives of students in and out of the classroom
Exhibit resilience to persevere and create opportunities for students out of challenges and lessons learned
Outstanding role model for success and professionalism
Requires occasional local travel/transporting individuals
Current driver’s license and adequate automobile insurance required
Must be able to successfully pass a background check and drug screen

Nice To Haves

Experience working with high school age students in a non-traditional setting; diverse, inner-city populations and/or in adult education setting highly preferred
Bi-lingual in English and Spanish highly preferred

Responsibilities

Provides support, work closely, and maintains open communication with leadership, staff, teachers and students to support student success
Attend all team and professional development meetings and special events including scheduled open houses, testing sessions, recruitment events, fairs, and orientations
Becomes part of a reliable alliance to ensure student engagement
Manages and monitors students’ information to ensure academic progress
Assist in developing the overall class schedule each term
Develop individual student class schedules
Direct students toward the path that leads to graduation, using appropriate resources such as credit tracking form
Maintains confidential information; tracks student data in student information system and/or Excel
Initiate and maintain contact with key community partners (community agencies, educational institutions, and employers) to extend the support services provided to students
Identify and connect students to community resources to remove barriers and support academic and/or personal goals
Distribute and track public transportation passes
Execute recruitment strategies to attract prospective students through outreach and events
Must be accessible and present for school events (e.g. Open Houses, Recruitment events, fairs, iExcel orientation, etc.)
Participate in administrative leadership meetings
Other duties as assigned