Middle School Program Coordinator, Brooklyn

ABOUT US

Apex for Youth empowers Asian American youth from low-income and immigrant backgrounds to unlock their potential today and a world of possibility tomorrow.

With 1 in 2 Asian American youth living in or near poverty in NYC, our holistic approach is responsive to our youth’s age, racial identity and socioeconomic status. Our programs combine impactful mentorship with access to critical resources for our youth and their families that would not have otherwise been available.

Apex creates systems of support for youth from elementary school to young adulthood. Based on shared identities and experiences, we foster transformative relationships with a community of caring adults — from mentors and therapists to athletic coaches and career guides. Through Apex programs, low-income Asian American youth have the resources and support to break through socioeconomic and racial barriers, creating their own future with a sense of agency, belonging and confidence.

Apex for Youth's over 40 staff equip and empower almost 1,000 volunteers to serve more than 2,500 youth across the country online and in person in New York City.

We are building a world without limits for all Asian American youth.

POSITION SUMMARY

Apex’s Middle School Mentoring Program (MSMP) addresses the needs of middle school students through one-on-one caring relationships with adult volunteers through a unique blend of mentorship and group programming. The MSMP curriculum focuses on cultivating transformative relationships, building positive self-identity, exposure, and exploration, and developing inner strengths and mindsets. MSMP takes place on Saturdays from September to June.

The MSMP Coordinator is responsible for owning all family, mentee and mentor communications in English and Mandarin, supporting workshop facilitation, and developing strong relationships with program participants. The MSMP Brooklyn Coordinator will split their time between Apex’s Manhattan office and the program site in Sunset Park. The MSMP Coordinator reports to the MSMP Brooklyn Manager. The ideal candidate will possess excellent organizational skills, interpersonal communication, and conversational proficiency in Mandarin.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Management (40%)

• Facilitate and assist with the development of Saturday workshop curriculum and community events that ensure an impactful experience for youth and volunteers;
• Support with on-site logistics including materials preparation, student and volunteer arrival, attendance, and dismissal;
• Support the collection and documentation of student and volunteer data in Salesforce and other platforms (attendance, surveys, communications);
• Manage collection of evaluation data from youth to measure youth impact, and volunteers to ensure a positive volunteer experience
• Proactively share programmatic feedback and contribute to ideas for program roadmap;

Youth and Volunteer Management (40%)

• Own all program communication for mentors and mentees including planning communication schedules, sending program announcements, and managing RSVPs;
• Support mentee and mentor recruitment, intake, orientations, and trainings;
• Support in mentee and mentor screening, matching, and positive closure processes;
• Support enrollment of youth from partner schools and organizations into programming;
• Provide match support to a caseload of 35-40 pairs at least twice a year; escalate high-needs youth, volunteers, and relationship challenges to Manager as needed
• Develop rapport with program pairs, work to build positive, supportive, and meaningful relationships with youth/teens and volunteers;
• Support the Program Manager to achieve program benchmarks around student and volunteer enrollment and attendance

Partnerships and Events (10%)

• Lead planning for field trips, school break programming, and support planning for other events, in collaboration with mentoring coordinators and other team members
• Collaborate with other Apex departments to provide comprehensive support to youth
• Support strong, collaborative relationships with partner schools and organizations

Other Duties (10%)

• Support the tracking and maintenance of team tools, including the calendar and budget;
• Oversee the roles and responsibilities of an intern, as necessary;
• Attend all program and leadership meetings, as necessary;
• Perform other duties as required

QUALIFICATIONS

• BA or BS preferred (in lieu of a 4-year degree, GED and 3 years of experience in a social service or community organization required)
• Experience working with youth required; experience with Elementary and/ or Middle School youth preferred
• 1+ years of experience in a social service or community organization setting preferred
• Spoken fluency in Mandarin is preferred but not required
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to create genuine relationships
• Strong organizational skills, including attention to detail
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of assigned responsibilities
• Proactive nature and self-starter, ability to problem-solve autonomously
• Candidates are expected to be able to commute to the Apex office in Manhattan at least 2 days a week and Sunset Park, Brooklyn for programming days
• Ability to work Saturdays, and take Sunday and Monday as the weekend
• Ability to travel for occasional out-of-town overnight organizational retreats

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your resume and cover letter to Emily Chow at emily.chow@apexforyouth.org and include “MSMP Coordinator, Brooklyn” in the subject line.

OVERVIEW OF BENEFITS

Paid time off: In the first year of employment, employees are eligible for approximately a combined 40 days of vacation, holiday, personal, and sick leave (10 vacation days, 12 paid holidays, org-wide closures for one week over the winter holidays and one week during the Fourth of July, 5 sick days per year, 3 personal days a year). Additional vacation days accrue according to years worked in the organization.

Medical and other benefits: Employees are eligible to participate in a range of medical, dental and vision insurance plans with Apex covering the majority of the cost for employees; 401K plan with employer matching; flexible spending account; commuter benefits; paid parental leave; and professional development stipend.

Hybrid workplace: Apex provides for a flexible remote work schedule on specific days of the week and requires employees to be on-site for other days of the week, and for special events and programs.

Organizational Culture: Apex is a highly collaborative, flexible, and employee-centered workplace. We are committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity both within our organization and in how we collaborate with others. If you love to work with a team and have exciting ideas you would like to explore and grow, we encourage you to join Apex for Youth!

Spoken fluency in Mandarin is preferred but not required.