Academic Success Coordinator

Come join one of the most dynamic youth development organizations in Greater Boston. We are seeking individuals who believe deeply in the potential of young people and the power of our mission. West End House has been deeply rooted in the Allston-Brighton community since 1971 after urban renewal destroyed its original home in the West End neighborhood, where it was founded in 1906. Our programs continue to evolve with new, expanded efforts ensuring equitable food access for all, mental wellness and trauma-informed programming, and a career pathways initiative, complementing our long-time high-impact programs in academic success, college pathways, visual and performing arts, leadership and career development, and sports, fitness, and nutrition. West End House is one of the most diverse youth agencies in Boston whose members come from 23 of the 30 Boston zip codes. Our staff is representative of the young people we serve. We are bold in our commitment and efforts to become an anti-racist, equitable organization and welcome candidates with a passion for this work.

WHAT WE OFFER

Salary & Retirement
We offer competitive salaries based on market value and candidate experience, including generous contributions to a 401(a) plan (no match required) to ensure our team is secure now and in the future.

Time Off
The team enjoys 15 – 25 paid vacation days based on tenure with 16 holidays and eight wellness days giving them the opportunity to recharge their batteries throughout the year.

Insurance
We provide strong medical, dental, and vision plans along with a flexible spending account, for you and your family, in addition to life insurance, long term and short term disability coverage.

Parental Leave
West End House offers generous parental leave for the birth or adoption/foster placement of a child.

Learning
We offer professional development funds for each team to use at their discretion and coordinate regular team gatherings to foster continuous learning and build community.

And More…
Team members have access to our pool & fitness center for their personal use; receive daily, scratch made meals; and can elect pre-tax commuter and childcare benefits.

As the Academic Success Coordinator, you will create and facilitate a program that helps youth, at various stages of the learning spectrum, succeed and find fields of study that capture their interests. You will work with elementary and middle school students participating in West End House programs and provide them with coaching and mentorship in a wide array of academic fields, with a specific focus on STEAM and literacy. You will be a leader and subject matter expert in your domain and develop a high-quality, results driven educational enrichment programs. Your talents working with young people will be vital to build close-knit relationships that will help youth remain engaged in the programming. These relationships, in combination with reflections from program data, will enable you to  adapt and grow the program to create the best outcomes for young people.

You will be the primary staff member in charge of the Academic Success Program and report directly to the Program Director.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Academic Coaching and Mentoring

• Work with the Program Director and Teen Academic Success Coordinator to create and implement an overall strategy for academic success at the West End House including literacy, homework help, individual academic interventions, and enrichment
• Implement programs focused on developing youth’s foundational learning skills
• Provide day-to-day support for elementary and middle school aged students based on youth’s immediate academic requirements including assisting with homework, school engagement, study skills, etc.
• Partner with local schools to support members academic achievement and to curate program delivery
• Build and maintain relationships with parents and families to better understand individual academic challenges and inform curriculum design
• Facilitate alignment of program execution with any donor grant stipulations where relevant
• Focus on quality and improvement to ensure consistent delivery of high quality programs.

STEAM and Literacy program design

• Deliver STEAM (STEM+ Arts) and literacy based enrichment programs from various curricula that support members growth
• Create new programs and activities to support literacy and STEAM goals
• Develop relationships with community partners (museums, libraries, corporations, schools, etc.) to facilitate field trips, create volunteer engagement opportunities and build partnerships
• Collaborate with program staff and external partners to create maker related programming and develop a West End House Maker Space as a resource for STEAM programming; maintain all materials, tools and equipment including hardware and software related to the same

General

• Manage and provide feedback to assigned volunteers, peer leaders, and part time staff
• Collect & submit youth participation numbers, surveys, and other information  to ensure that organizational decisions and plans are informed by relevant on-ground data
• Collect and track school data,
• Track and monitor member engagement and development in academic programming
• Implement/adhere to BGCA membership and safety requirements
• Adopt responsibility for protection and care of program equipment and facility; report all issues in a timely manner to facility manager

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

There are a multitude of ways to learn, grow and excel professionally and we know that people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. With this in consideration, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred;  equivalent experience considered.
• 3+ years of experience in program facilitation or youth development
• Demonstrated familiarity with educational enrichment programming in  STEAM and/or literacy
• Experience with literacy initiatives in disadvantaged communities a plus
• Experience working with youth across various stages of the learning spectrum
• Proven track record of building relationships with diverse stakeholders through empathy and robust communication skills
• Strong classroom management and program facilitation skills
• General project and people management experience is a strong plus
• Demonstrable knowledge of youth psychology is a strong plus