Student Coordinator

Position Type: Full-Time, Salaried (30 Hours Per Week to Start)

Compensation: $45,240 annually

Reports To: Program Manager / Program Director

Location: Philadelphia, PA (community-based with regular travel to program sites)

About Beyond the Bars

Beyond the Bars is a student-driven, community-based music and resource connection organization dedicated to interrupting cycles of violence and divestment while helping young people recognize their potential and build bright futures.

Through music, mentorship, workforce development, leadership opportunities, and a citywide ecosystem of support, Beyond the Bars partners with schools, shelters, diversion programs, community organizations, justice-involved settings, and neighborhood hubs to help young people build meaningful connections to their communities and futures.

We believe every young person deserves access to creative expression, caring adults, supportive opportunities, and pathways to success.

Position Overview

The Student Coordinator plays a central role in ensuring that young people entering Beyond the Bars are welcomed, known, supported, and connected throughout their experience with the organization.

This position coordinates student and family onboarding, enrollment, attendance, family communication, student records, and transitions between Beyond the Bars programs. The Student Coordinator works closely with Teaching Artists and Program Mentors to ensure attendance, case notes, and other student documentation are completed consistently and that Beyond the Bars has an accurate understanding of who is participating across our programs.

The Student Coordinator also helps young people move between programs and opportunities so that students remain connected to Beyond the Bars as their interests, needs, and goals evolve.

In addition to these organization-wide responsibilities, the Student Coordinator serves as Site Coordinator and Lead Facilitator for approximately 4–5 Beyond the Bars programs. At assigned sites, they plan and lead programming, coordinate and delegate responsibilities among the teaching team, respond to needs in real time, and serve as a primary Beyond the Bars point person.

This position is ideal for someone who is both highly organized and deeply relational—someone who enjoys building strong systems while remaining directly connected to young people, families, staff, and community partners.

Core Responsibilities

Student Enrollment, Attendance & Family Engagement

• Coordinate onboarding for new students and families entering Beyond the Bars programs.
• Ensure student enrollment information, family contacts, permissions, and required documentation are complete and up to date.
• Maintain accurate student rosters and track which students participate in each Beyond the Bars program.
• Coordinate the collection and monitoring of attendance across programs.
• Send regular program and attendance reminders to students and families.
• Follow up with students and caregivers when attendance decreases or students become disengaged.
• Build positive relationships with parents and caregivers and serve as a consistent point of contact.
• Communicate program schedules, changes, performances, events, and opportunities to students and families.
• Help identify barriers preventing students from consistently participating and connect concerns to the appropriate Beyond the Bars staff.

Student Records, Case Notes & Program Data

• Maintain accurate and organized student information across Beyond the Bars programs.
• Monitor completion of attendance, case notes, and other required student documentation.
• Follow up with Teaching Artists and Program Mentors when required information is incomplete.
• Help establish consistent documentation practices across program sites.
• Review attendance and engagement information to identify students who may require additional outreach or support.
• Communicate recurring documentation or engagement concerns to the Program Manager and Program Director.
• Support data collection for program evaluation, partner reporting, grant reporting, and organizational learning.

Student Transitions & Connection

A central responsibility of the Student Coordinator is helping young people experience Beyond the Bars as a connected ecosystem rather than a collection of individual programs.

The Student Coordinator will:

• Help students transition between Beyond the Bars programs and opportunities.
• Identify students who may benefit from additional music programs, leadership opportunities, performances, employment opportunities, community programming, or the Student Teacher Program.
• Communicate opportunities to students and families based on student interests and goals.
• Coordinate warm transitions between programs and follow up to determine whether students successfully connected.
• Help ensure students do not lose connection with Beyond the Bars when a school, summer, diversion, or other short-term program ends.
• Coordinate with Program Mentors and the Resource Connection Coordinator when students need additional resources, opportunities, or individualized support.

Site Coordination & Program Leadership

The Student Coordinator will serve as Site Coordinator and Lead Facilitator for approximately 4–5 assigned Beyond the Bars programs.

At these sites, the Student Coordinator will:

• Serve as the primary Beyond the Bars on-site leader.
• Plan engaging music and creative programming with the teaching team.
• Facilitate music, songwriting, recording, beat-making, instrumental, and other creative activities based on experience and program needs.
• Ensure the teaching team understands the plan and priorities for each session.
• Delegate responsibilities to Teaching Artists, Associate Teachers, and Student Teachers during programming.
• Lead program flow, transitions, group activities, and other components of sessions as appropriate.
• Make real-time adjustments based on attendance, student interests, classroom dynamics, or partner needs.
• Ensure students are actively engaged and staff have meaningful roles throughout programming.
• Ensure attendance and required documentation are completed at assigned sites.
• Communicate important student, partner, staffing, or program updates to the Program Manager and Program Director.
• Build positive relationships with partner-site staff and serve as a consistent Beyond the Bars point person.
• Create welcoming, organized, creative, and youth-centered program environments.

The Student Coordinator provides day-to-day leadership and direction during assigned programs. Formal staff supervision, performance management, training, and professional development remain the responsibility of the Program Manager and Program Director.

Youth Engagement & Relationship Building

• Build meaningful and consistent relationships with young people.
• Create spaces where students feel known, respected, supported, and able to express themselves.
• Facilitate programming incorporating creativity, social-emotional learning, identity exploration, leadership, and community building.
• Learn students' interests, strengths, and goals and help connect them to relevant opportunities.
• Encourage student voice and leadership within programming.
• Participate in showcases, performances, community events, trips, and other youth opportunities as needed.

Internal & Partner Coordination

• Work closely with the Program Manager and Program Director to strengthen student systems and program quality.
• Communicate regularly with Teaching Artists and Program Mentors regarding enrollment, attendance, documentation, and student transitions.
• Coordinate with the Resource Connection Coordinator when students or families need additional resources or support.
• Participate in program team meetings and student-support discussions.
• Communicate regularly with schools, recreation centers, community organizations, and other assigned partner sites.
• Help ensure important student information moves appropriately between staff and programs.
• Represent Beyond the Bars professionally at partner sites, community events, performances, and other organizational activities.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means:

• Students and families experience a welcoming and organized onboarding process.
• Beyond the Bars has accurate student rosters and knows which students are participating across programs.
• Attendance is consistently collected, tracked, and followed up on.
• Students and families receive clear and timely communication.
• Students who begin missing programming receive relational outreach and support.
• Attendance, case notes, and required student documentation are completed consistently.
• Students are successfully connected from one Beyond the Bars opportunity to another.
• Assigned sites have consistent on-site leadership and strong program planning.
• Teaching teams understand their roles and receive clear direction during programming.
• Students experience creative, engaging, organized, and youth-centered programming.
• Partner organizations have a reliable Beyond the Bars point person.
• Program leadership has strong visibility into student engagement and program needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working directly with adolescents and young adults.
• Experience in youth programs, after-school programming, community organizations, education, or similar settings.
• Experience facilitating music, creative arts, youth development, or other student-centered programming.
• Strong group facilitation and classroom leadership skills.
• Ability to lead a team in real time, delegate responsibilities, and respond calmly to changing circumstances.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience maintaining attendance, enrollment, case notes, participant records, or program data.
• Strong communication skills with young people, families, staff, and community partners.
• Ability to balance administrative responsibilities with direct youth engagement.
• Comfort learning and using databases, spreadsheets, attendance systems, and other organizational technology.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed, restorative, and healing-centered youth development practices.
• Commitment to youth leadership, equity, creativity, and community-centered practice.
• Ability to travel regularly between program sites throughout Philadelphia.

Beyond the Bars values lived experience, community knowledge, relationship-building ability, creativity, reliability, and demonstrated commitment to young people alongside traditional professional and educational experience.

Typical Weekly Schedule — 30 Hours

The Student Coordinator's schedule combines organization-wide student coordination with direct program leadership.

A typical week may include:

• Serving as Site Coordinator and Lead Facilitator for approximately 4–5 programs.
• Planning and facilitating programming with Teaching Artists.
• Student and family onboarding.
• Reviewing student rosters and attendance.
• Sending reminders and conducting attendance follow-up.
• Monitoring case-note and documentation completion.
• Connecting students between Beyond the Bars programs and opportunities.
• Communicating with students, families, staff, and partner organizations.
• Coordinating with Program Mentors and the Resource Connection Coordinator around student needs.
• Participating in program team meetings.
• Completing program preparation, documentation, and data entry.

Because many Beyond the Bars programs operate during after-school and early-evening hours, this position requires regular afternoon and early-evening availability.

The position will begin at 30 hours per week, with potential opportunities for increased hours and responsibilities as Beyond the Bars continues to grow.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual Salary: $45,240
• Salaried, 30-hour-per-week position to start
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employer-Supported SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan
• Disability Insurance
• Paid Training and Professional Development Opportunities
• Flexible, Community-Centered Work Environment
• Opportunities for Leadership Development and Organizational Growth

Professional Growth Opportunities

Beyond the Bars is committed to investing in staff and developing leaders from within.

The Student Coordinator is an important leadership position within Beyond the Bars' growing program structure. The role provides experience across student engagement, family communication, program operations, data systems, direct facilitation, partnership management, and on-site team leadership.

As Beyond the Bars continues to grow, team members may have opportunities to increase hours and responsibilities, oversee larger program portfolios, move into program management, specialize in particular areas of youth development, or advance into broader organizational leadership positions.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and brief statement describing your interest in the Student Coordinator position, your experience working with young people, and how you have helped create organized, welcoming, and supportive environments for youth to outreach@beyondthebarsmusic.org .

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual Salary: $45,240
• Salaried, 30-hour-per-week position to start
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employer-Supported SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan
• Disability Insurance
• Paid Training and Professional Development Opportunities
• Flexible, Community-Centered Work Environment
• Opportunities for Leadership Development and Organizational Growth