Mentor - Middle School (MS 102, Elmhurst)

South Asian Youth Action Inc.•New York, NY

13h•$22 - $24•Onsite

About The Position

As a Mentor at South Asian Youth Action (SAYA), you can gain valuable experience in youth development while developing professional skills transferable to any setting. SAYA is committed to providing its employees opportunities for growth and room for creativity in a supportive community environment. South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) is an inclusive, South Asian-focused 501(c)3 youth development organization. Through our innovative, holistic approach, we work toward educational equity by providing opportunities and resources to less privileged New York City youth, ensuring they are empowered academically, emotionally, and socially to become engaged community members. Established in 1996, SAYA provides valuable life skills and holistic, impactful programming to underserved New York City youth. As one of the South Asian organizations created in the United States, SAYA is the only organization of its kind in the NYC metropolitan area providing inclusive and secular comprehensive youth development services while centering our community’s experiences. Today, SAYA provides programming at eight elementary, middle, and high schools in Queens and Brooklyn, along with our Elmhurst-based community center - serving a growing number of youths across all sites each year. A key tenet of our work is cultivating vital social and emotional learning (SEL) skills such as belonging, confidence, and self-efficacy through intentionally designed, research-based curricula. Across our organization, services tailored for different age groups include leadership and identity development, academic support that bridges learning gaps, comprehensive college preparation, and activities that nurture creativity and build positive peer connections.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Prior experience working with school age children required.
Interest and experience in youth development, academic enrichment and creating interactive, educational/artistic activities.
A genuine enthusiasm for developing professional skills through training opportunities and field practice.
Comply with School Age Child Care (SACC) requirements including background check and medical clearance.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree or current college students preferred
Bilingual is considered a plus.

Responsibilities

Create a fun, safe, and structured environment for youth which is inclusive to all youth, parents, staff, and key stakeholders.
Plan, develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum including interactive challenging activities and games that enable the youth to develop core competencies and social emotional skills.
Manage classroom and maintain positive learning environment
Provide assistance with homework and encourage academic progress; feel comfortable providing homework help
Actively monitor and engage youth during all program activities including meals, transitions, field trips, clubs, program activities, recreation and dismissal.
Provide guidance, problem-solving facilitation, and behavior modification direction.
Serve as a role model for youth by demonstrating professional language and behavior.
Develop positive, caring relationships with young people and their families.
Use youth development principles to improve program quality and support youth’s growth.
Collaborate and communicate constructively with supervisory staff and team members.
Ensure proper care of all spaces and materials, organize room and report any misused or damaged materials to the Program Director.
Complete and submit in a timely manner all program reports relative to this position, including but not limited to: supply request, lesson plans, incident reports, attendance, snack count and timesheets.
Actively participate in training and professional development opportunities to continuously improve on program quality.