Program Associate

Summer Search Boston is seeking a Program Associate to manage a caseload of approximately 44 high school students, building long-term relationships and providing regular mentoring through a combination of groups and individual conversations from sophomore year to senior year of high school. Joining a supportive program team that currently serves over approximately 300 high school students, this hire will have the opportunity to practice Summer Search’s unique approach to mentoring, prepare students for two challenging summer experiences, and join a team that is committed to learning, social and racial equity, and the students we serve.

Specifically, the Program Associate will advance Summer Search’s mission through the following job responsibilities:

Direct Services: Student Mentoring and Program Facilitation (60%): Utilize Summer Search's approach to mentoring using lenses of trauma sensitivity, social and emotional learning, critical consciousness, and adolescent development while navigating situations commonly faced by first-generation, low-income participants. Identify, document, and connect participants to events, stakeholders, and other resources that will support them in their educational attainment, career readiness, and sense of financial well-being.

1:1 Mentoring

• Mentor a caseload of approximately 44 high school students, building multi-year relationships and conducting regular mentoring at school, in the office or by phone.
• Hold students accountable to year-round program participation, as well as demonstrate a personal commitment to students that result in a high level of engagement throughout their Summer Search experience.
• Collaborate with supervisor to reflect on interactions with individual students, their engagement, and their motivations to identify new approaches to try for increased engagement and stronger mentoring.
• Monitor and promote students’ academic and extracurricular participation and performance, as well as post-secondary readiness requirements.
• Participate in student recruitment, interviewing and enrollment, as well as planning and attending key milestone events for students and their families throughout the school year, including travel to schools within the region and some evening and weekend events, especially in the fall and spring.
• Participate in regular and ongoing trainings to build job-related skills, knowledge, and capacity e.g. student safety, critical mentoring, social responsibility.
• Communicate with students’ families, especially regarding details about summer experiences.

Group Mentoring – May occur at student’s school or at the Summer Search Boston Office

• Review curriculum, gather materials and email/text student reminders for bi-weekly group mentoring sessions. During each session, guide community building by helping students establish and honor co-created group agreements.
• Create a safe space where students can be honest with each other by consistently noticing when students are or are not operating in accordance with their own group norms, 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 follow school safety protocols to care for both the individual student and the group.
• Prioritize relationship building by connecting with each student individually at least twice during the session and interrupting behaviors the deviate the group through re-focusing and positive discipline.
• Observe and respond to group needs and adapt facilitation style accordingly. Occasionally, this may involve modifying the curriculum or session structure to be responsive to the needs of the group.
• Be able to recognize identity and power dynamics present in the group, including one’s own identity, and be able to name how it may have an impact on the group.

Program Design & Delivery (25%)

• With School and Community Engagement staff’s guidance, lead outreach presentations and application workshops for prospective students, and provide 1:1 follow up as needed.
• With School and Community Engagement staff, establish and nurture relationships with school staff partners at your assigned partner high school(s).
• Know the resources and people available at your assigned partner high school(s) and how these resources intersect with Summer Search, so you can connect students with them as needed.
• With School and Community Engagement staff, engage school partners proactively in supporting students and coordinating logistics. Respond promptly and thoughtfully to requests from school partners, expressing gratitude where relevant.
• Perform duties that support student engagement in program elements, including summer experience.
• Provide curriculum feedback to inform iterative curriculum development for group mentoring.
• Participate in regular meetings with direct supervisor and fellow mentors to share experiences, problem solve collaboratively, support and learn and build self-awareness of own mentoring.
• Participate in other projects, such as planning student events for the high school team, as assigned.

Data & Evaluation (15%):

• Enter and track program data accurately and daily in Salesforce database to assess student progress and drive organizational learning, to ensure high levels of program quality and professional development.
• Ensure meticulous data collection on a weekly basis in our Salesforce database to execute the organization-wide programmatic metrics and goals, such as outreach, mentoring touchpoints, matriculation, and college persistence.
• Analyze data in collaboration with Director of Programs to adapt approaches and supports as needed.
• 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)

WHO YOU ARE

Program Associates exemplify curiosity, empathy, teamwork, flexibility, critical consciousness, and a commitment to learning. Specifically, strong candidates will bring: Required experience/ knowledge here.

• EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE: At least 2 years of professional experience serving first-generation students from low-income backgrounds and/or communities of color (high school or college-aged). Group facilitation experience strongly desired. Academic or applied knowledge of adolescent development and/or training in restorative/transformative justice work is a plus.
• COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS: You are an active listener and thoughtful and strategic when conveying feedback, sharing ideas, or responding to inquiries to various audiences in multiple formats.
• CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS: You have an understanding of the root causes of societal discrimination and injustices and are self-reflective about your own privilege and positional power. You apply critical thinking and take action toward liberatory and inclusive practices.
• DEPTH MENTORING: 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.
• ACCOUNTABILITY: 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.
• TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION: 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.
• TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: Proficiency in using databases and Excel for data entry and management; experience using Salesforce or a similar student database is a plus.
• LANUAGE SKILLS: Bi-lingual English/Spanish a plus.

In addition, all Summer Search staff bring a commitment to our mission of unleashing students’ potential through mentoring and transformative experiences, as well as the ability to thrive in an environment that values excellence, gratitude, well-being, diversity, authenticity, and collaboration.

LOCATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Work hours are Mon-Fri 10am-6pm with occasional weekend and evening special events (i.e. student interviews, orientations, summer prep sessions, community events, etc.). Work location is Summer Search Boston office in Jamaica Plain and we currently have a hybrid schedule in place. Staff will be required to work 3 days in the office and 2 days from home. Access to a car or reliable transportation to travel to the office and schools in the greater Boston area is required.