Professional Mentor "Friend"- Coachella Valley 2026

Friends of the Children•Coachella Valley, CA

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

Friends of the Children is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through long-term relationships with professional mentors, known as "Friends." This program provides children facing significant obstacles with a paid, professional mentor from kindergarten through high school graduation, a commitment of 12+ years, regardless of circumstances. The organization is seeking an exceptional professional to serve as a "Friend" in the Eastern Coachella Valley. Friends of the Children prioritizes children and utilizes its values to transform how society perceives and treats youth facing adversity. As a "Friend," you will cultivate enduring relationships built on love, acceptance, and supportive practices. The role involves helping urban, rural, and Indigenous youth realize their full potential by fostering their inner resilience and building community relationships to strengthen social networks and create new opportunities.

Requirements

2 or 4-year degree, or alternatively, at least seven years’ progressive experience working with children and families.
Willingness to commit for a minimum of three years.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated ability to work with children in varied capacities and settings.
Ability to develop trusting relationships with children, families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life.
Ability to work independently and as a team player.
Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Maintain First Aid/CPR certification.
Possess a personal vehicle for transporting children.

Nice To Haves

Spanish language skills, including reading and writing preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a positive adult role model to eight elementary school children.
Develop loving, caring, and sustained relationships with each child.
Set positive expectations for each child.
Nurture and promote each child’s strengths, talents, and abilities.
Help ensure the physical and emotional well-being of each child.
Teach life and academic skills.
Provide enrichment activities.
Model responsible behavior.
Fully document activities and participate in the ongoing evaluation process.
Work primarily one-on-one with the children served.
Build trusting, supportive relationships with parents/caregivers.
Know, understand, honor, and support the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles, and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function.
Develop and sustain a long-term, caring, protective, and loving relationship with each child.
Spend time with children, one-on-one.
Partner with parents/caregivers to provide concrete and social emotional supports for the family.
Set realistic expectations and goals based on each child’s strengths, talents, abilities, and needs.
Teach life skills and help develop a talent/skill/area of interest with each child.
Deepen connections for youth through incorporating specific cultural knowledge in programming.
Provide enrichment resources and activities that include opportunities for cultural identity development.
Develop positive relationships with families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life.
Reinforce basic academic skills.
Maintain a 40-hour work schedule that includes afternoons, evenings, and occasional weekends.
Maintain spending within budgetary guidelines.
Complete, distribute, and collect time summaries, activity journals, short-term plans, expense reports, and evaluations materials accurately and in a timely manner.
Attend and actively participate in team meetings and staff functions.
Maintain First Aid/CPR certification.
Transport children in personal vehicle for mentoring activities.
Provide information and support to the development and executive team on related activities.
Fulfill other responsibilities as requested.
Advocate to secure additional resources, opportunities, and services for youth as appropriate.
Assist with systems navigation in schools to secure conditions for optimal academic success.