High School Mentor

At Summer Search, we believe in 'No Ceilings' and envision a world in which young people, regardless of circumstances, can chart their own destiny. In the United States, students from underserved communities – disproportionately BIPOC and first-generation – face systemic inequities in school, in the workforce, and in life. Nevertheless, these young people possess unique strengths, resilience, and limitless potential.

Since 1990, Summer Search has partnered with young people during their transition from adolescence into adulthood by connecting them to expansive opportunities, professional mentoring, and a community of support. Summer Searchers recognize their potential and build a toolkit to navigate and challenge systemic barriers, break new ground for their families and communities, and achieve economic equity and a life of purpose.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Summer Search NYC is seeking a High School Mentor to manage a caseload of approximately 40 high school students, building long-term relationships and providing regular mentoring through a combination of groups and individual conversations from sophomore year through junior year of high school. Joining a supportive program team that will serve over 490 high school students this coming year, this hire will have the opportunity to practice Summer Search’s unique approach to mentoring, prepare students for two challenging summer experiences, support post-secondary readiness and matriculation, and join a team that is committed to learning, social and racial equity, and the students we serve.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Specifically, the High School Mentor will advance Summer Search’s mission through the following job responsibilities:

Student Mentoring and Program Facilitation (60%)

1:1 Mentoring

• Mentor a caseload of up to 44 high school participants, building relationships and conducting regular mentoring at school, in our office or by phone.
• Utilize a unique mentoring methodology based upon adolescent social-emotional development, cultural relevance, and critical consciousness. Enable conversations that allow students to reflect upon the impact of identities and social/cultural context on their lives.
• Hold students accountable to year-round program participation, as well as demonstrating a personal commitment to students that results in a high level of engagement throughout their Summer Search experience.
• Monitor and promote students’ academic and extracurricular participation and performance, as well as post-secondary readiness requirements.
• Communicate with students’ families, especially regarding details about summer experiences and career opportunities.

Group Mentoring

• Conduct bi-weekly group mentoring sessions for caseload of sophomores and juniors – in person. Build multi-year relationships with participants and cultivate their connections with one another and Summer Search.
• Create a safe community where students can be honest with each other by ensuring each student has the space to be heard and challenged respectfully and setting up physical space that is conducive to achieving the objectives of each session.
• Recognize a student safety situation and how to respond and care for both the individual student and the group.
• Observe and respond to group needs and adapt facilitation style accordingly.

Community Engagement and Partnership (20%)

• With School and Community Engagement staff’s guidance:
  • Support and/or lead outreach presentations and application workshops for prospective students and provide 1:1 follow up as needed.
  • Establish and nurture relationships with staff partners at your partner high school(s).
  • Engage school partners proactively in supporting students and coordinating logistics.
• Respond promptly and thoughtfully to requests from school partners.
• Attend key milestone events for participants and their families throughout the school year.
• Know the resources and people available at your partner high school(s) and how these resources intersect with Summer Search.
• Connect participants to college access partner and mental health and career resources.

Data, Caseload Management and Learning (15%)

• Ensure meticulous data collection on a weekly basis in our program database (i.e. Salesforce) to execute organization-wide programmatic metrics, goals and data expectations, such as outreach and mentoring touchpoints.
• Provide curriculum feedback to inform iterative curriculum development.
• Participate in ongoing observation, coaching, training, and professional development to build job-related skills, knowledge, and capacity.
• Participate in elements of an evaluation plan designed to assess program quality, fidelity and outcomes and to inform individual staff development and continuous improvement of program model (e.g., complete feedback surveys after mentoring sessions).
• Participate in other projects as assigned.

Engage in Site-Wide and Network Initiatives (5%)

• Attend and engage with our regional Signature Events and participant and family events about 3 times a quarter, typically in the evenings.
• Support project management of participant-facing events (i.e. orientations, summer celebrations, etc.)
• Provide support to the Summer on Call team when issues or concerns arise related to your participants during Summer Experiences.

WHO YOU ARE

High School Mentors exemplify curiosity, empathy, teamwork, flexibility, critical consciousness, and a commitment to learning. Specifically, strong candidates will bring:

• EXPERIENCE: At least 2 years of professional experience working with student populations served by Summer Search (e.g. low-income families, students of color, LGBTQIA+, English Language Learners, and diverse religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds). Group facilitation experience is strongly desired. Academic or applied knowledge of adolescent development and/or training in restorative/transformative justice work is a plus.
• DEPTH MENTORING: You understand and create an environment where all people feel safe enough to explore, discuss, question, and reflect on past, current or future experiences in one-on-one or large group discussions.
• ACCOUNTABILITY: You hold yourself and others responsible for processes, decisions, actions, and commitments to results to drive high quality outcomes. You're responsive to the needs of stakeholders and follow through on commitments.
• TEAMWORK & COLLABORATION: You value many voices, are comfortable creating space for dialogue and handle interpersonal issues constructively. You inspire and foster commitment, connection, enthusiasm, and trust and motivate others to achieve common goals.
• CRITICAL CONCIOUSNESS You understand the root causes of societal discrimination and injustices and are self-reflective about your own privilege and positional power. You apply critical thinking and act toward liberatory and inclusive practices.
• TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: Proficiency in meticulous data tracking and management; experience using Salesforce or a similar database is a plus.
• LANGUAGE SKILLS: Proficiency in Spanish or Haitian Creole is a plus.

In addition, all Summer Search staff bring a commitment to our mission of unleashing students’ potential through mentoring and transformative experiences, as well as the ability to thrive in an environment that values excellence, gratitude, well-being, diversity, authenticity, and collaboration.

LOCATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

This is a hybrid role with the expectation of working out of our Manhattan office with presence in the Bronx office required a few times a month for group mentoring sessions. In-office requirements are 2 days a week (with an additional day in office once per month as required for in person meetings) and working remotely up to 3 days a week. In person requirements subject to change based on to program needs. You will also be required to be onsite at our NYC partner schools for student engagement and outreach needs.

This is a non-exempt position with a starting pay rate of $31.80- $36.66 per hour equivalent to $62,015--$71,484 annually. Summer Search is committed to transparent, equitable compensation practices. Salaries are benchmarked using current market data and salary bands are created to demonstrate the growth potential within the band. Typically, offers are made at the starting place of the salary band. The Hiring Manager partners with the Talent Team to ensure offers are appropriate, competitive and maintain internal equity.

Well-being, flexibility, and ongoing learning and development are pillars of our culture. We value our staff and are committed to creating an environment where every individual feels seen, heard and valued. Investments in our staff include:

• Medical insurance with up to 90% employer contribution
• Dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance plans
• 401 (K) and Employer Match up to $2,000 annually
• Generous time off including 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 18 holidays (2 floating holidays of your choice, a birthday day-off, 10 company-wide holidays, and a 1-week December closure). Plus, Re-Fresh Friday’s - a paid full day off the first Friday of every month!
• A comprehensive Employee Recognition Program (years of service awards, spot awards, and professional development funding).
• A four-week paid sabbatical after five years of continuous employment.
• Individual, local, regional and national training.
• A commitment to developing leaders from within the organization.
• An organizational culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care/community care
• Ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

With a staff that cares deeply about social justice and racial justice, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. We are committed to building an organization with critical consciousness in order to impact how we work with students, as well as how we work together as a team. We hope you will join us as we continue to build a justice-centered organization that fosters a work environment where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and valued.