Youth Advocate

Children's Aid Job Listing • Bronx, NY

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Youth Advocate will work with chronically absent youth to address barriers to consistent daily attendance at The Samara Community School. The Youth Advocate will support students by designing individualized interventions which support academic and socio-emotional needs. The Youth Advocate will help to identify the causes of poor attendance and collaborate with internal and external service partners to seek solutions and encourage meaningful engagement in school for students and families. The incumbent will understand and promote the organization’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with the functions of the position. Children’s Aid Mission To help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive support to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. Children’s Aid annually serves children and their families at over 40 sites in New York, as well as through three national program models. Children’s Aid is concentrating its efforts on creating cradle-through-college pathways in high-need neighborhoods, with a focus on children’s health, family stability, education, and social and emotional development. Culture and Values We put children, youth, and families first: We listen to and incorporate the voices of children, youth and families in all that we do. We seek equity and transformation in our communities : We courageously work within and outside systems to create opportunities for children, youth and families. We strive for excellence : We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are committed to continuous learning and improvement. We are powered by collaboration : Our work is stronger when we trust, partner, and respect each other and the communities we serve. We are driven by compassion: We lead with kindness, care, and empathy and believe in the endless potential of the people we serve and our team.

Requirements

• Highschool Diploma required
• Highly effective in motivating, stimulating, and engaging students around academic and personal success.
• Highly organized and able to demonstrate sound judgment.
• Detail oriented and an effective listener.
• Strong and consistent communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• associate’s degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of 15-20 youth and are matched with their mentees for a full year.
• Meet with mentees regularly, both one-one and in small groups, to check in on how school is going and listen to youth’s needs.
• Provide tiered interventions to promote attendance for their assigned grade.
• Meet and greet matched youth each morning/afternoon when they arrive at school or program site; make early morning phone calls to absent students.
• Track and monitor attendance data of the students in their grades and celebrate improvements.
• Keep up to date and accurate notes about youth attendance patterns, needs and interventions.
• Work with school and site leadership to identify appropriate interventions to support and engage the mentee.
• Provide light case management (assess the need and strengths of a student and plan interventions).
• Seek advice and identify target source of youth or family support from appropriate school staff and community-based partners under the direction of the Site Director.
• Communicate regularly with Directors or other designated Children’s Aid personnel regarding needs and supplies to support chronically absent youth.
• Attend (or be represented at) weekly student success mentor meetings to share best practices or challenges and to present a summary of how youth are doing.
• Lead weekly clubs for students who are chronically absent.
• Help create a safe and fun learning environment, by working with groups of youth to develop and maintain an effective system of classroom management that encourages children to develop prosocial behavior and self-discipline.
• Provide tutoring using a web-based reading intervention for struggling readers. (I-ready, Lighting Squad)
• Lead Parent attendance workshops on a monthly basis. (Meet with cohort teachers and each grade has parent event)
• Documentation: PowerPoint, messaging, attendance, and activity.
• Meet with teachers and/or other school personnel to create a plan for mentees.
• Provide classroom support to teachers.
• Build strong relationships with the students, families, and colleagues.
• Be a positive role model for the students.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED