Mentor

Samara Community School (1570 Boone Ave)

$20

Position Summary: Success Mentors will work with chronically absent youth to address the barriers keeping them from going to school every day and to help them reach their educational outcomes. The Success Mentor will help identify the causes of poor attendance, which may include family struggles or poor health, and work with CAS staff and DOE to seek solutions. Success Mentors may also be asked to work directly with groups of youth, lead activities, and organize events.

Essential Duties:

• Have 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 grade 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.
• Assess the needs 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 you work with.

• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Pursuing a Bachelors or Associates Degree
• At least 1 year of experience working with student populations in grade K-8

Key Competencies:

• A demonstrated ability to motivate and challenge students to commit, participate, and remain engaged throughout the program
• Organized with strong follow-up
• Mature, uses good judgment
• Good Listener
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent classroom management skills and proven ability to employ a variety of behavior management techniques to create a safe and fun learning environment.
• An understanding of and sensitivity to the emotional, social and academic needs of students during different developmental stages.