Central Oregon Middle School Mentor

At Caldera, we believe in the power of creativity. Caldera Arts is a catalyst for the transformation of youth from underserved communities through innovative, year round art and environmental programs. Our Youth Program provides students from Portland and Central Oregon with long-term mentoring and summer camp experience that nurture individual creativity, beginning in sixth grade and continuing into young adulthood. Caldera weaves the arts, nature, and personal expression into powerful work that ignites self-expression and allows young people to be creative change agents in their lives and communities. Through our Residency Program, Caldera supports artists, creatives, and cultural workers to work on projects and to build skills and relationships that inspire growth, abolish oppression, and activate change.

Position Title: Central OR Middle School Mentor

Supervisor: Central OR Program & Camp Manager

Location: Currently remote in Central Oregon, working throughout Jefferson & Deschutes Counties upon return to in-person programming

Schedule: Full-Time at 37.5 hours/week. Approximate hours are 10:00-6:00 Tuesday-Saturday with occasional days and hours outside of that. Summer programming will involve work at our residential summer camp at our Arts Center outside of Sisters, OR.

Compensation & Status: $23.33 hourly, non-exempt. Caldera Arts is committed to advancing pay equity and has made a decision to pay all direct-service positions 20% above market rate. Benefits include: generous paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) matching, and flexible spending account.

Equity & Inclusion

We recognize that Caldera communities face many societal inequities. We recognize the history and ongoing impacts of racism in our country, state, and institutions. We acknowledge that we will always have room to grow as an organization and as individuals in our understanding of racism and oppression.

We commit to continually examining our role in both perpetuating and combating institutional racism. We also commit to ongoing alignment of our policies and practices to advance racial equity, inclusion, and freedom of expression.

We commit to integrating equity and inclusion into all areas of our work to better serve our mission; when we do, we get closer to the world that we want for our youth. To ensure our own accountability, we will 1) seek deeper relationships with and feedback from our larger community; 2) use our Equity Plan to guide ongoing work; and 3) apply our Equity Lens to decision-making. We will also seek inspiration from artistic and cultural traditions.

Caldera is an equal opportunity employer encouraging applicants of all backgrounds and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

 We encourage people of color and Caldera community members to apply.

Position Summary:

This position develops lasting relationships with and provides direct support to middle school students served by Caldera Arts, where students build artistic and social-emotional skills and develop projects that drive personal growth and cultural, social change in their communities. Mentors work in partnership with teaching artists and environmentalists to deliver a triangulated system of community-building, mentorship, and skills-based instruction. As part of the program team, mentors work closely with other departments and serve all facets of the organization, giving just as much enthusiasm to overall organizational and administrative work as they do to youth work. The ideal candidate for this position will be a skilled youth-worker and facilitator with a solid understanding of how art and environmental projects can drive personal growth and social or cultural change.

The responsibilities of this position require working on a computer, communicating over the phone, and driving a car. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request.

Due to COVID-19, all programming at this time is virtual. Schedules may shift with a return to in-person work.

Specific Responsibilities:

Mentoring & Program Administration (70%)

• Recruit and maintain relationships with at least 50 youth and their families (with potential to grow) who attend programming consistently
• Cultivate mutually beneficial relationships with schools and community partners to support overall student success and project activities through regular meetings, community event attendance, active recruitment, and devising collaborative projects
• Provide individualized support to youth as needed (i.e. goal setting, connecting to resources, advocating with school and other Caldera staff)
• Plan and implement sequential arts, environmental programming, and mentorship in classroom or virtual setting
• Submit detailed weekly lesson plans in approved format that fit into a larger project-based curriculum that supports Caldera’s Social-Emotional learning and/or Arts for Change outcomes
• Partner with teaching artists, environmental specialists, and community partners to plan and implement project-based programming, as scheduled by managers
• Collaborate with artists in residence to provide Open Studio tours, guest class visits, and/or panel discussions
• Own responsibility of holding youth accountable to participation and behavioral expectations, including obtaining permission forms
• Support program logistics such as food, transportation, and supply coordination
• Help plan and facilitate additional youth events such as intensives, college and career sessions/activities, overnight trips, etc.
• Determine ways to center and incorporate youth voice into program ideation and decision-making
• Regularly collaborate with other staff to tell the stories of Caldera youth
• Manage partnership logistics such as space rental and any necessary payments
• Track attendance and youth progress, as well as conduct evaluative surveys and interviews
• Maintain accurate student records, track and input attendance for each event
• Manage allocated program budget and submit monthly approved reimbursement requests in accordance with financial policies
• Create and distribute advance event communication and track rsvps
• Purchase and organize supplies for events and workshops in accordance with financial policies
• Administer evaluations and enter into database
• Participate in artist residency application review and selection as requested
• Support artists in residence to refine youth workshop and other community engagement proposals in collaboration with other programs staff
• Recruit youth and alumni for Caldera programs and events including residencies, workshops and public events. Participate in outreach events in collaboration with other Programs staff
• Contribute to program ideation and development for both youth, alumni, and artist-facing programming
• Attend program events including Open Studios, residency dinners, and other public events
• Continue mentorship duties during Caldera’s annual, residential summer camp by all of the above and specifically supporting youth during class rotations

Administrative & Organizational Duties (25%)

• Participate in weekly staff meetings and periodic retreats
• Reply to all emails, phone calls, and other inquiries within 48 business hours
• Participate in ongoing learning and professional development
• Collaborate with Development & Communications team to provide reporting information, partner on at least one project annually, and submit at least two blog/newsletter/social posts each year
• Welcome and host other staff and supporters at youth events
• Work collaboratively and interdepartmentally to problem-solve and achieve personal, departmental, and organizational goals
• Take responsibility for upholding and practicing Caldera’s organizational Agreements and work to establish a cohesive team environment that honors the contributions of all staff members
• Attend organizational events such as fundraisers and public programs

Racial Equity Work (5%)

• Participate in equity-focused staff meetings and share facilitation as requested
• Serve on committees (equity, fundraising, etc.) with the goal of promoting and operationalizing equity
• Support Caldera’s annual equity plans in their creation and implementation by giving feedback, serving on the Equity Team, and/or carrying forth activities

Measurements of Success

(this list is not comprehensive and is intended to pay special attention to):

• Consistent engagement and ongoing recruitment of at least 50 students annually that contribute to overall diversity benchmarks
• At least three quarters of submitted lesson plans and/or observations meet expectations for content and outcomes with expectation to increase
• Students report growth in SEL and Arts for Change skills and report feelings of choice and belonging in the program
• Progress in employee learning goals outlined each year

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 2 years engaging youth in an educational setting
• Strong lesson planning and facilitation skills
• Experience planning sequential curriculum for youth and working collaboratively with others to implement
• Ability to build relationships with youth, families, partners, supporters, and colleagues
• Experience working within communities of color and other historically underserved communities
• Ability to bring supplies to various program sites in Portland and Central Oregon
• Ability to travel between Central Oregon program sites on a weekly basis upon return to in-person programming
• Ability to travel between Central Oregon and Portland, with roughly 5 overnight Portland trips during the school year and potentially residing at Caldera’s Arts Center in Sisters, OR for 5-8 weeks during summer camp upon return to in-person programming
• Must be comfortable driving passenger vans with youth, potentially up to 6 hours per day
• For insurance purposes, must be at least 25 years old with a valid Oregon Driver’s License
• Excellent organizational and time management skills and ability to rapidly change focus
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently to meet deadlines with minimal supervision
• Strong Google Suite and database skills and/or ability to adapt quickly to new technology
• Ability to communicate effectively with cultural responsiveness and agility
• Ability to keep precise, detailed records
• Creative problem-solver with strong initiative
• Strong belief in the importance of art and environmental education and its role in social change
• Commitment to ongoing learning with a curious, solution-seeking mindset
• Ability to pass a background and driving check (Caldera considers systemic injustices when investigating findings)

To Apply

Please send a cover letter, resume, and anything else you’d like to share with us to Jobs@CalderaArts.org by March 8, 2021 at 5 pm.

In your materials we want to hear about your interest in and qualifications for this position, including passion for our mission, interest in the job duties, and willingness to engage in ongoing racial equity work.