College Access and Equity Advisor

A.C.E. ACADEMY OVERVIEW: A.C.E Academy is a college access program that serves Marin County high school students that are historically underserved and come from disadvantaged backgrounds. In order to be responsive to community needs, Huckleberry and A.C.E. Academy also supports Newcomer students in the county with their post-secondary options.

POSITION SUMMARY: Under the supervision of the Coordinator of A.C.E. Academy, the College Access and Equity Advisor is responsible for helping to recruit and support 20-25 youth to achieve academic success and enter post-secondary educational programs. The Advisor will provide comprehensive support to youth including recruitment, workshop facilitation, parent trainings, ongoing curriculum development, and supporting the team's work in individual academic case management. Staff are mandated reporters. Employees will be trained to meet this requirement.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

1. Work with the A.C.E. Academy team to develop, review and revise curriculum and training modules as needed, on topics such as college readiness, job skills and social justice issues. 

2. Co-facilitate weekly cohort meetings with high school youth after school.

3. Work individually with A.C.E. Academy participants on issues related to grades, graduation and college entrance requirements and other academic concerns.

4. Coordinate referrals and linkages for participants as needed. 

5. Assist in the planning and coordination of parent support/parent outreach activities. 

6. Participate in weekly supervision and other program and agency meetings. 

7. Plan and execute special events and field trips. 

8. Monitor and triage the high flow of activity during peak after-school hours. 

9. Participate in the team's community outreach and collaborative work. 

10. Other duties as assigned. e.g. preparing snacks/food, ordering supplies, office and kitchen cleaning, etc.

11. Actively upgrade professional skills by continuously engaging in college/university admission conferences and counselor training events. 

COMPETENCIES: 

1. Maintain an awareness of the agency's mission and work to promote the positive individual and social change goals it embodies. Strong commitment to the well-being of youth, social justice, and a positive youth development approach. 

2. Ability to authentically and meaningfully engage youth and work in partnership with youth. 3. Ability to manage multiple projects and work independently. 

4. Excellent written, communication and organizational skills. 

5. Ability to work and advocate in a collaborative process and negotiate various systems. 

6. Maintain a creative, team-building, cooperative approach to job performance and seek to bring a constructive, problem-solving orientation to all tasks. 

7. Be comfortable with a fast-paced environment that is frequented by youth. 

8. Must be able to address crises as they emerge in an office setting as well as in the field.

9. Maintain a high level of confidentiality at all times.

10. Exercise discretion and professional judgment at all times in keeping with the responsibility carried personally and by the agency for the care and welfare of youth and families. 

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

1. Bachelor's degree in education, human/social services or related field. 

2. Ability to speak Spanish fluently. 

3. 2 years minimum of combined education, work experience and/or lived experience related to working with at-risk youth, low-income youth, youth of color, their families, and college access. 

4. Experience working with and relating to youth, youth of color, newcomer students and their families and communities. 

5. Philosophical commitment to reducing the educational achievement gap and reducing health disparities. 

6. Excellent organizational and communication skills. 

7. Ability to work as part of a cohesive and culturally diverse team. 

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

1. Knowledge of community-based agencies serving adolescents in Marin strongly preferred 2. Experience working in direct service with youth, including training and facilitating group discussions on topics related to academic achievement, employment, job readiness and health or social justice.

3. Experience with navigating Salesforce to enter confidential information.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: This position operates out of the Huckleberry Youth Programs offices in Marin. This role occasionally  includes driving and transporting youth. The position also includes the use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Huckleberry Youth Programs in Marin is located in San Rafael and is accessible by public transportation. For the safety of our staff, clients and other visitors, HYP is currently taking advantage of remote work whenever possible.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: This role requires the ability to talk, hear and sit, to occasionally drive a vehicle, to be able to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds unassisted. 

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS: 

1. TB clearance 

2. Valid CA Driver's license, clear DMV record

3. Covid vaccine required - we will consider accommodations for disability- and religious-based reasons.

SECURITY CLEARANCE: 

1. Must pass DOJ/FBI background check. Due to our requirements with licensing, candidates with backgrounds including items on this non-exemptible crimes list will not be eligible for exemption at this time.  

OTHER DUTIES: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Huckleberry Youth Programs is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing equal opportunity to its employees and applicants for employment without discrimination on the basis of race.; color; ethnic background; religion; gender; gender identity or expression; sexual orientation; national origin; ancestry; age; marital status; pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical condition; disability, including HIV- related conditions; or status as a covered veteran. This policy applies to every aspect of employment, including but not limited to: hiring, advancement, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, compensation, benefits, training and working conditions.