Thrive Academy, Los Angeles - Summer Site Director

The Organization

At Thrive Scholars, our goal is to see talented economically disadvantaged BIPOC students develop inter-generational wealth and financial security and become the diverse corporate, civic, and academic leaders our country so desperately needs. 

Our comprehensive, data-driven, high-touch program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and networks needed to thrive in any career. Throughout our six-year program, Scholars benefit from admissions guidance and intensive academic preparation before college, and a comprehensive set of academic, personal, social-emotional, financial, and career supports throughout college – all meant to contribute to their economic mobility, starting from their very first job post-graduation. 

(Please read Thrive’s Economic Mobility Statement below.)

The Program

Thrive Academies is one of three programs offered by Thrive Scholars to support high-achieving students of color to maximize their potential and achieve upward economic mobility through education. 

Admitted in grade 11, students attend two six-week commuter summer programs at a host college or university,  the summer before senior year and the summer before college freshman year. At its core, Thrive Academy is a college academics readiness program where students learn the quantitative and writing skills they need to excel in college and in their preferred majors.  The program also includes education and resources students need to apply to selective colleges and universities. This year, we expect to serve 150 students in each of the two locations of our inaugural cohorts of Thrive Academy.

The Opportunity 

Thrive Scholars is seeking a Thrive Academy Site Director (Dir) to be the lead local administrator overseeing the daily execution of our 6-week summer program, ensuring a positive, enriching, & safe experience for Scholars. The Site Director will be the primary Thrive on-site representative and will be in charge of the day-to-day operation of the program. The Site Director will administer program logistics, act as the main point of contact between campus and Thrive, support the development and implementation of programming, and provide supervision/support to the onsite team at Thrive Academy.  The tentative schedule and compensation for the position is outlined below. 

• April 1st - June 1st - $1500 - Approximately 20 hours a month for training and program start-up. 
• June 3rd - August 15th - $8000 - Approximately 45 hours a week for program operations 
• Program dates for scholars are tentatively scheduled for Monday - Friday from 8 am -5 pm, Monday, June 24th - Friday, August 2nd, 2024. Thrive Academies LA will be in recess July 4th - 5th 2024. 

Once the program begins, the Site Director is expected to work from 8-5:30 pm Monday - Friday and may have occasional weekend or evening work for special events, such as college tours or program celebrations.  Full staff training and orientations will begin in early June, schedule TBD in collaboration with the Site Director and Program Director. After the conclusion of Thrive Academies, the Site Director, along with the Assistant Site Director will be responsible for creating an end-of-program report. 

Reports to: Director of Thrive Academy 

Primary Responsibilities The Thrive Academy Site Director will be responsible for the following: 

Administration 

• Serve as primary liaison with the University of Southern California (USC) as our host site for all operational and program matters while in session 
• Oversee daily management of program logistics, including budget, student transportation plan, and supplies 
• Work with the Director of Faculty on tracking and managing class attendance and supporting classroom needs 
• Keep Thrive's Director of Thrive Academy informed via regular check-ins & communication; work collaboratively with Thrive staff to troubleshoot as necessary & implement approved decisions 
• Host staff meetings to provide feedback and guidance as needed to ensure strong performance for the on-site team

Programming 

• In collaboration with Thrive program staff and site staff, lead student orientation, and a weekly 3-hour session on assigned college readiness topics. Most materials and content will be provided.  
• Assist with planning & chaperoning off-site field trips and special events

Student Supervision & Support 

• Monitor student safety, well-being, & program participation; provide support around student issues that may arise; & work as a liaison with parents, medical, mental health, or safety services, as needed 
• Support and monitor participants to ensure that students abide by Thrive Academies Community Standards and attendance policies, and administer appropriate responses for students who are not meeting expectations
• Mediate conflicts among Scholars is needed
• Maintain objectivity and strict confidentiality in all sensitive matters and with student information 
• Serves as point person for parents during Thrive Academy 

The Ideal Candidate 

• Minimum of 3  years of experience working with youth in a full-time role 
• Experience managing people and programming in a learning environment, such as a summer camp, school, academic summer program, residential high school or a college/university 
• Experience in and passion for working with a diverse community of high school & college students 
• Superior interpersonal skills & ability to build effective relationships with students, faculty, & staff 
• High level of dependability & strong commitment to ensuring the health & safety of participants at all times 
• Enthusiasm & ability to work in a high-energy environment, foster positivity & energy among high school & college students 
• Ability to train/manage a team of professional staff and college-age staff members 
• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities 
• Uphold and enforce the values, policies, and procedures of Thrive Scholars as outlined in the program manual 
• Valid driver's license 
• CPR & First Aid certification preferred 
• Experience in school counseling or social work preferred 
• Bachelor's degree required 
• Must pass a background check and complete required safety trainings

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

Thrive has instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, including remote staff. Individuals selected for job opportunities must be fully vaccinated and up to date, per CDC guidelines, and will be required to provide proof of vaccination status in advance of your hire date. 

If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or sincerely held religious beliefs, Thrive will consider requests for reasonable accommodations consistent with our policy.  Accommodation requests cannot be guaranteed, Thrive will consider requests where we are able to provide such accommodations without undue hardship to the organization pursuant to applicable law.  Any such accommodation must be approved in advance of signing an offer letter.

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Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. Knowing their importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org

Thrive Scholars’ Economic Mobility Statement:

We know that everywhere in our country, there are incredibly high-achieving BIPOC students from economically disadvantaged communities who have big aspirations for their future. By virtue of everything they have achieved—academically, personally, and extracurricularly—these students demonstrate tremendous promise to continue to achieve at great levels in college and in their careers. However, as a result of structural barriers they encounter during the pivotal transitions from high school to college to career, we know that many are hindered from reaching their career ambitions and their goals of economic mobility and financial security. We understand these barriers to be complex and rooted in deep societal inequities and in systemic racism, and we believe they must be addressed at all levels—individual, institutional, and systemic.    

At Thrive Scholars, we have found that we are well-equipped to make a meaningful impact on the individual student level. As an organization, we have identified some of the main barriers that get in the way of Scholars getting that first job out of college that will position them to realize economic mobility. We have developed, over the last twenty years, key interventions, delivered through our College Access, Summer Academy, College Success, Mentorship, and Career Development programs - all aimed at helping high-achieving students from economically disadvantaged communities overcome these obstacles to experience economic mobility. This is our North Star. We do not believe that is all of the work that needs to be done at a societal or even individual level in order to promote a just society where every individual can succeed holistically, but we believe this part of it is where we as an organization should focus.