Program Associate, College & Career Readiness

ABOUT THE POSITION

Reporting to Program Director, the College & Career Readiness Associate serves as a key member of PureLegacee’s program team. The College & Career Readiness Program Associate supports the implementation of PureLegacee’s Intern Leadership Program (ILP) and the organization’s broader college readiness initiatives. This role is responsible for mentoring, program facilitation, and individualized support to help participants develop personal, academic, and professional readiness skills.

The CCR Program Associate serves as the main point person for active participants from recruitment through graduation. Their commitment to the seamless organization and scheduling, from recruiting through graduation, is the keystone to the program and comes with a proactive and forward-thinking mind.

The CCR Program Associate is responsible for facilitating and implementing the Intern Leadership curriculum. This includes delivering PureLegacee’s workforce development curricula, helping participants explore self-awareness, build leadership and communication skills, and prepare for employment or higher education.

Their efforts ensure that the program runs smoothly year-round, contributing to program recruitment, partnership development and continuous improvement ensuring that participants have a quality experience and feel cared for from interview to graduation.

The Program Associate exhibits a knowledge of college, vocational, workforce development pathways. A background in direct service program delivery and possess skills in, facilitation, and commitment to mentorship. As the point person for the Intern Leadership Program, the CCR Program Associate builds relationships with program participants and supports them in their progression through the program.

RESPONSIBIITIES

Mentoring & Program Facilitation

• Participate in recruitment, interviewing and enrollment, including but not limited to attending tabling events, e-marketing and visits to schools, community board meetings and local businesses.
• Support the planning and delivery of quarterly information sessions about PureLegacee’s programs to the public to continuously increase the candidate pool both in quantity and quality.
• Organize and lead the interview process for the Intern Leadership programs from start to finish while communicating needs consistently with the Program and admin team for support.
• Utilize PureLegacee mentoring model based on social-emotional development, cultural relevance, and critical consciousness. Enable conversations that allow participants to reflect upon the impact of their lived experiences, identities and social/cultural context on their lives.
• Support participants in completing college and career readiness milestones, such as college/trade school applications, FAFSA, scholarship searches, resume development and internship placement.
• Communicate with participants' families and or guardians, when applicable, regarding details about off site experiences and internship opportunities.
• Hold participants accountable for attendance, participation, and progress while offering empathetic guidance.
• Collaborate with Program Director to reflect on interactions with individual participants, their engagement, and their motivations to identify areas of growth and increased engagement
• Build and maintain productive working relationships with external stakeholders, including community-based organizations, youth development experts, outside facilitators and agency leaders and business leaders to ensure continual improvement of the intern leadership programs.
• Participate in regular and ongoing training to build job-related skills, knowledge, and capacity e.g. trauma informed care, critical mentoring, and social responsibility.

College Readiness Support

• Support PureLegacee’s College Readiness initiative, including coordination of campus visits.
• Build relationships with local colleges, training programs and MWBE internship partners to expand opportunities for participants.
• Maintain a working knowledge of admissions requirements, financial aid processes, and workforce pathways to effectively advise participants.
• Provide individualized follow-up with participants to ensure persistence through enrollment and early college success.

Group Mentoring

• Regularly review and prepare to deliver on the Intern Leadership Program curriculum, creating session materials, such as handouts, exercises and tools for use in mentor and intern leadership training sessions.
• Lead restorative circles that build community, foster self-reflection, and strengthen critical thinking about personal career goals.
• Observe and respond to group needs and adapt facilitation style accordingly. Occasionally, this may involve modifying the curriculum or session structure to be responsive to the needs of the group.
• Encourage participants to identify and leverage their assets and lived experiences as tools for success in college and career settings.

Administration & Evaluation

• Support evaluation by collecting regular surveys, attendance, and outcome data to measure program effectiveness.
• Participate in an evaluation plan to assess program quality, fidelity and outcomes to inform staff development and continuous improvement of program model (e.g. regular feedback surveys)
• Evaluate participants' need for assistance with supportive services; mental health services; employment barriers; housing, transportation, substance(s) abuse; childcare; etc.
• Provide ongoing follow-up to ensure participants are on target to graduate.
• Conduct check-ins and assessments collecting case notes to ensure participants are meeting goals in education, employment and emotional development.
• Ensure that case management notes are collected, accurate and data is entered into our database.
• Enter and track program data accurately in the database to assess participant progress and drive organizational learning, to ensure high levels of program quality and professional development.
• Provide curriculum feedback to inform iterative curriculum development.
• Participate in regular meetings with Program Director and Program team members to share experiences, problem solve collaboratively, support and learn and build self-awareness of areas of personal growth.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate or Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Human Services, Social Work or related field (or equivalent experience).
• At least three (3) years of professional experience working with youth populations (preferred experience with foster care and/or justice impacted populations)
• Experience facilitating group sessions or workshops
• Knowledge of college admissions, career readiness, or youth workforce development preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a High Emotional IQ
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, equity and trauma-informed care.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Ability to build trusting, supportive relationships with young adults from diverse backgrounds.
• Skilled in mentoring through a restorative, culturally relevant, and strengths-based approach.
• Capacity to motivate, inspire and foster a growth mindset in participants.
• Sensitivity and understanding of the cultural backgrounds and experiences of the population served by PureLegacee.

PTO includes vacation, sick, personal and self-care days

Medical, dental & vision

English proficiency, Spanish a plus