Teen Program Assistant

At the West End House (WEH) our mission is at the heart of all we do. We provide high-impact programs that support youth as they achieve academic success, explore the arts, develop career readiness & leadership skills, and adopt healthy lifestyles. We are committed to advancing racial equity through our work and throughout all aspects of our organization  - our youth programs, our community and family engagement, and our board and leadership. 

As the Teen Program Assistant , you will create and facilitate programs that engage teens with a focus on enrichment, recreation, and fun! You will be one o f the lead staff in our High School Lounge, ensuring teens feel welcomed and see themselves in the space, using youth voice to inform offerings that meet their needs and interests.  Your talents working with young people will be vital to build close-knit relationships that will help teens 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.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Ensure the delivery of enrichment and recreational programs for members age 13 to 18, including events and field trips.
• Establish meaningful relationships with teens that are grounded in respect, trust, and growth.
• Work in collaboration with our Teen Outreach and Engagement Manager to create recruitment and retention strategies with a focus in disengaged youth
• Build and promote a culture of community and fun in the High School Lounge.
• Track teen attendance to ensure consistent enrollment in daily programs.
• Act as a catalyst for change; continuously focusing on quality and improvement to ensure consistent delivery of high quality programs.
• Collaborate with other program staff and assist with recruitment of teens into specific leadership, arts, and educational programming
• Manage and provide feedback to assigned volunteers and peer leaders
• Collect & submit youth participation numbers, surveys, and other information  to ensure that organizational decisions and plans are informed by relevant on-ground data
• 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:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• 2+ years’ experience in youth development; preferably in multicultural environment
• Ability to work comfortably with a hands-on approach with a diverse group of teens with various interests
• Experience with teen recruitment and retention
•   Experience with innovative methods to contact and develop relationships with youth
• Comfort managing a large space with multiple activities
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish/Portuguese) a strong plus.
• Valid Massachusetts driver’s license required with a comfortable level with a 12-passenger van.