College Access Program Coordinator

Conexión Américas

Position: College Access Program Coordinator

Conexión Américas seeks qualified candidates for the position of College Access Program Coordinator . The successful candidate will demonstrate strong mentoring skills and significant experience in the public education system and working with immigrant and refugee populations. Experience with high school students and leadership development preferred. The successful candidate must be highly organized, possess a high level of professional initiative and creativity, believe in the potential of every student, and be adaptable to working with people of diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Advanced/native-level fluency in Spanish is required, and experience in education is preferred. Please note that part of the interview will be conducted in Spanish.

Only candidates who can demonstrate total commitment to the mission and values of Conexión Américas should apply. Please read about our mission and values on our website at www.conexionamericas.org.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This is an exempt, full-time staff position that reports to the College Access Manager . The College Access Program Coordinator will be responsible for planning and implementing the Escalera program at a high school site in the Antioch area of Nashville. In 2001, the “Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success” was created by UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino advocacy and civil rights organization, to promote economic mobility for Latino youth by increasing educational attainment, career planning, and access to information about professional careers.

Conexión Américas has been implementing the Escalera program since 2014 for 11th and 12th graders through weekly grade-level 2-hour after-school meetings at each high school site. Our goals are to maintain a cohort of 20 juniors and 20 seniors per school site that persists from their junior to senior year and enroll/are prepared to enroll in a post-secondary institution. The program serves primarily Latino students but targets any first-generation college student. In addition to after-school programming, coordinators also provide one-on-one case management and organize other enrichment opportunities (college trips, volunteering, FAFSA support, summer learning experiences, etc.). The role must be in-person at their high school site or the Conexión Américas office at least 3-4 days a week, depending on the school site and program needs. Applicants must have reliable

transportation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages the implementation of Escalera after-school programming, which serves students in grades 11 and 12.
• Plans, monitors, and conducts recruitment and retention outreach for students in the program.
• Builds and maintains a positive relationship with key staff and administrators at designated school site
• Reports program success to school staff and other stakeholders through a semesterly newsletter , staff presentations, and check-ins with key school partners.
• Leads in-school or after-school meetings with students.
• Manages, adapts, and updates the program curricula as needed to fit the cohort's needs.
• Coordinates wraparound services for students, including class selection planning, test prep, career discovery, and leadership and professional development.
• Provides one-on-one individual case management for students regarding their career exploration, college application process, etc.
• Collaborate with other College Access & Success team members to coordinate college tours, visits to college fairs, parent workshops, and other supporting events and activities for students and their families.
• Provides college access support for events at the high school site.
• Manages and maintains a programmatic budget for their high school site.
• Conducts accurate and timely outcome & data tracking to measure and report the success of the program, including contributing data and programming information for required grant reports
• Ensures each student meets the requirements to successfully complete the program.
• Stays up to date and informed on college access topics (admission requirements, college access for DACA/undocumented students, scholarships and financial aid, best practices for case management, etc.)

General Organization Support Duties:

• Supports or substitutes for youth development programming as needed
• Communicates positively and effectively Conexión Américas’ mission and programs
• Assists with fairs and outreach events on behalf of Conexión Américas to talk about all of Conexión Américas’ programs
• Attends and provides support as needed to organizational events and fundraisers

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to those listed above. As with every other job at Conexión Américas, every person in the organization will assist in any way necessary to respond to new demands and to ensure a collaborative environment.

Qualifications (Education and Experience):

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required
• Excellent written and oral communication in English is required
• Native/Advanced level bilingualism in Spanish and biculturalism required (part of the interview will be conducted in Spanish)
• Flexibility, creativity, initiative, and ability to work as a team member
• Ability to interact with diverse groups of stakeholders
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and work in a fast-paced environment with deadlines and strict timelines
• Ability and willingness to work some evenings and weekends
• Excellent computer skills, including MS Office and database management
• Demonstrated appreciation for Latino culture and families, as well as other immigrant and refugee groups
• Experience working with young people and in public schools is preferred
• Experience working with DACA/undocumented students preferred
• Experience and knowledge of nonprofit organizations’ operations are preferred
• Experience with Zoom and/or other online video communication platforms preferred
• Reliable transportation

Salary and Benefits

• The salary ranges from $42,000 to $45,000, commensurate with experience and education
• Medical and Dental insurance
• 401K with a 4% employer match
• PTO Benefits: 18 vacation/personal days and 12 sick days for all full-time employees
• Holidays – 10 paid holidays for all full-time employees
• Flexible 9-5 pm schedule, with occasional evenings or Saturdays as needed
• Ongoing training and development

About Conexión Américas

Conexión Américas is a Latino nonprofit organization based in Nashville, TN. Our mission is to build a welcomingcommunity and create opportunities where Latino families can belong, contribute and succeed. Our organization was founded in 2002 to address some of the most pressing challenges created by recent demographic changes in Middle Tennessee as an increasing number of Latino families come to this region searching for a better quality of life.

We focus on four areas of community impact:

Social Integration(family engagement, youth development, and English as a Second Language), Economic Integration(homeownership, micro-entrepreneurship, and taxpayer education/assistance), Civic Integration(community education through workshops and grassroots leadership development) and Community Development(arts and placemaking).

For more information about Conexión Américas, visit us at www.conexionamericas.org and check ourorganization’s profile at www.GivingMatters.com

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter , resume, and references to Sigfredo Amaya, College Access Manager ,

via email to sigfredo@conexionamericas.org.

No phone calls or in-person inquiries, please.