Student Advisor

Full-Time, 10 - Month Position, Role Level 2

Reports To: Director of Student Success

Supervisory Responsibilities: No

Who We Are:

YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School is a tuition-free, public charter high school, with a singular focus on supporting youth aged 17-20 who have been pushed out of traditional schools. During our 1-year alternative program, Youthbuild facilitates a warm, loving culture that uses a variety of structures to build community, such as a restorative-justice approach to discipline, weekly community meetings, and school-wide service projects. Students are empowered to attain their high school diploma and vocational certifications, while receiving unconditional support by the staff around them. At YouthBuild, we work intentionally to disrupt the cycle of poverty and support our students to achieve post-secondary success (4-year college, 2-year college, vocational training program, or liveable wage job). Visit https://www.youthbuildphilly.org/ to learn more.

The Opportunity:

The Student Advisor is part of our student success team and serves as the primary point-person coordinating and managing support for students during their time at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School. Student Advisors assess student barriers and needs, make referrals for appropriate school-based and community-based resources, monitor students’ academic progress, and support students in planning for and transitioning into post-secondary training or employment.

Who You Are:

You are/have…

• Invested in our core values - Respect, Excellence and Perseverance.
• Equity-focused and believe that all students can achieve. 
• Passionate about community service and civic engagement.
• Excited to mentor students and support them throughout their time at YouthBuild and beyond.
• Collaborative and dedicated to personal and professional development.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (Master’s degree preferred).
• Three to five years’ experience in case-management, utilizing appropriate principles and techniques.
• Extensive knowledge of local services, supports and community resources available to Philadelphia Youth.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, highly flexible work—often highly intense—work environment.
• Strong commitment to helping young adults succeed in reorienting their lives, nurturing their leadership skills, and enabling them to make a difference in their community.

What you’ll Do:

You will…

• Identify and respond to student barriers by completing a needs assessment, goal-setting (action planning), and connecting to resources, while monitoring and documenting progress.
• Supervise and advocate for the retention of students through timely interventions to reduce barriers, proactive individual engagement, family engagement and support systems engagement. Common barriers include child care, homelessness, food insecurity, mental health and exposure to trauma; participate in initiatives aimed at improving student retention, graduation rates and overall academic success. Collaborate with colleagues to develop and implement strategies to support students’ progress and engagement.
• Monitor student attendance daily, as well as conduct attendance-follow-ups during school day with students, mentors, teachers and other program staff. Communicate regularly with the attendance coordinator.
• Monitor student academic progress and provide academic guidance, feedback and evaluation; offer feedback to students regarding their academic progress and areas of improvement; assist students in developing educational plans that align with their goals and interests, ensuring they meet graduation requirements and make informed decisions about their academic path.
• Serve as a lead to the interdisciplinary GPS team, facilitating and monitoring interventions (behavioral, academic, and social) and communicating student's’ status to appropriate staff.
• Maintain accurate and complete student documentation that include a needs assessment, goal setting (action planning), and case notes, copies of referrals made to community or in school resources and other information as deemed necessary. 
• Track, report and document student progress and success stories for grant compliance and performance metrics.
• Provide 1:1 student post-secondary planning support and monitoring (coordinating with senior seminar teachers and the post-secondary team as students progress through career awareness and preparation activities in class), ensuring that all students have a solid plan for post-secondary training or employment and have completed all necessary career portfolio steps to successfully execute that plan after graduation.
• Support the overall climate and culture of the program, including but not limited to, the utilization of restorative discipline practices with students, support of leadership development, participation in events, and visits to worksites/internships.
• Perform other duties, as assigned by the Director of Student Success.

What We Offer You: 

• Generous time off
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) savings plan with an employer match
• Employer paid parental leave, life insurance, short-term disability and long-term disability 
• Educational assistance and professional development opportunities to enhance skills and career growth
• Supportive and collaborative work environment
• Strong community support and involvement

Salary Range:

New YouthBuild Coordinator level staff can expect a starting salary of between $46,000- $60,500 based on years of experience, education, and certifications, if applicable.

During the application process, applicants will have the opportunity to discuss our employee total rewards package and additional benefits.

Apply Here

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. 

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, medical condition, veteran status, or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.