School Engagement Specialist

Summary: Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH) is a Black-led, community-based non-profit supporting teens and young adults in West and Southwest Philadelphia ages 15 to 24 who are impacted by violence. YEAH creates safe and authentic hangout spaces by providing culturally relevant engagement and implementing teen led interventions to address the root causes of violence. Utilizing teen action through peer led mediation and conflict resolution, community engagement, and economic opportunities, YEAH interrupts the cycle of youth community violence. YEAH acknowledges teens and young adults as the experts of their own lives and prioritizes pushing back against oppressive systems and addressing structural barriers that often lead to violence.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: The school engagement specialist will work with young people living in West and Southwest Philadelphia who receive wrap-around support from YEAH to get them enrolled in school. Once enrolled, the school engagement specialist will monitor attendance; academic progress; and IEP/504 accommodations. The school engagement specialist will connect young people with tutoring and academic support. The school engagement specialist will maintain a rotating caseload of up to 30-40 teens and young adults to focus on re-engaging young people with a new school, transferring schools etc.; connecting to in-person and/or remote tutoring, engaging with schools around necessary IEP or behavioral and academic supports for young people, support related to school attendance, grades, and connection to additional or outside school services as needed. This role will communicate with schools and educational settings to provide ongoing support in the best interest of the young person. At times, this position will work with educational attorneys. This position will be responsible for conducting site visits in schools, coordinating school support or reengagement workshops, completing assessments and documenting progress in the organization’s database. E.g notes, weekly progress forms, and documentation of outcomes.

Job Requirements: Philadelphia residency within 6 months and valid PA driver’s license required. Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred. Candidates must have a background within education, academic settings, and tutoring. Candidates must be detail oriented, know how to take initiative, be a self-starter, have life and professional experience with providing community support services related to skills, employment, and education; a strong interest in social justice and the ability to grasp concepts around violence, race, and systems; excellent verbal and written communication skills; and good organizational skills. Candidates must have strong networking and interpersonal skills and be willing to work with young people who have trauma, legal issues, and are generally underserved and under-resourced. Candidates who identify racially or ethnically as Black or Brown and have been personally impacted by the criminal legal system or violence (directly or indirectly) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Create and maintain relationships with teens and young adults
• Conduct Education Intake interviews to gather information about each young person referred to Education Program
• Work with other staff related to planning and coordinating reengagement or school support events.
• Meet with teens and young adults to develop an individualized plan to help them thrive within their school setting.
• Communicate educational updates to VCI (Violent Crime Initiative) Team members to support court advocacy.
• Attend VCI meetings to share educational updates and to maintain connections with team members.
• Assist teens and young adults with obtaining and connecting to necessary supports such as tutoring, IEP support, behavioral supports etc.
• Assist teens and young adults with obtaining documents needed to enroll in school (transcripts, immunizations, proofs of residency, birth certificates, etc)
• Meet monthly with teens and young adults once placed to ensure ongoing support and check-ins related to opportunities and needs.
• Complete school or needs assessments and necessary documentation such as progress notes, monthly outcome reports etc. reported in the organization’s database.
• Working with leadership to ensure payment of necessary costs is part of an individual's plan for success.
• Assist young people coming from JJSC or state placement facilities with enrolling into a new school and supporting the transition.
• Create and maintain relationships with local schools, the school district, and outside support services that may benefit young people, and evaluate whether they are a good fit for working with young people.
• Maintain documentation and follow up with teens and young adults to help ensure success before, during, and after their connection to identified opportunities.