JOB DESCRIPTION
The Sr. Youth Program Specialist is responsible for coordination, implementation, and teaching in IRC’s Youth and Education Programs in Spokane, WA. This position will initially focus on the coordination of the Individualized Tutoring Program and implementation of the Virtual Summer Reading Program.
The Summer Reading Program is designed to mitigate summer learning and reading loss, promote enjoyment of reading, literacy skills, language acquisition, social and emotional asset development, positive peer connections and positive cultural identity for newcomer elementary students. Online sessions occur twice per week for 5-6 weeks. Sessions include reading books, themed lessons and activities on that book or topic, and virtual field trips to institutes such as the Pacific Science Center, Woodland Park Zoo, and Aquarium. Students are provided a device and summer activity kits containing books and craft supplies to use during the sessions. Students are also enrolled in a free Kids A-z account with thousands of books and are incentivized to read on their own time outside of class. Students participate in a field trip to the Mobius Discovery Center or Library towards the end of the program.
The Individualized Tutoring Program matches K-12 students and families with an IRC screened, trained, and supervised tutor who supports English language acquisition, literacy and fluency, math skills, general homework and social emotional learning. Tutors meet with students once a week after school for 1-2 hours for 3-6 months. Tutoring occurs at home or online. Tutoring is one of IRC’s long-standing programs and IRC is committed to providing high quality tutoring in alignment with Standford University’s National Student Success Accelerator’s standards.
Major Responsibilities:
Virtual Summer Reading Program (VSR)
• Lead the planning, preparation, and facilitation the Virtual Summer Reading program in partnership with the Youth Program Coordinator.
• Plan curriculum and lead large and small group activities and lessons in English literacy, math, art, recreation, and social-emotional learning with K-5 students.
• Provide 1:1 support to students needing more individualized instruction.
• Provide training and technical support to parents/caregivers and students for successful use of digital tools including Canvas, Google Classroom, Zoom, Teams, and the summer reading program platform.
• Follow processes including attendance records, inclusive and trauma-informed classroom management, distribution and collection of learning materials, and health and sanitation procedures.
• Partnership Engagement: attend in person events at local libraries or schools.
• Track students’ attendance, needs, reading time and progress.
• Conduct parent/caregiver follow up calls to obtain feedback and keep families engaged in the child’s education.
• Create safe and healing learning spaces and build supportive relationships with newcomer students utilizing a trauma informed approach to support students’ academic and social and emotional development.
• Support program monitoring and evaluation by ensuring student demographic and attendance data is recorded and conducting family feedback calls at the conclusion of the program to receive input and feedback.
• Participate in program meetings, staff development activities, and fully engage as a member of the IRC team.
• Comply with all policies, procedures, and protocols of the agency.
• Other related duties as assigned.
Individualized Tutoring Program
• Coordinate the Individualized Tutoring Program in Spokane serving between 40-60 tutees from refugee and immigrant backgrounds annually.
• Develop and maintain the Youth Program volunteer pipeline and process in Spokane through partnership with the Spokane Volunteer Coordinator.
• Recruit, screen, and train 20-30 volunteer community tutors annually, who will be matched with newcomer families to provide weekly tutoring either in-home or over virtual platforms.
• Conduct family outreach and enrollment, maintaining a roster of students and volunteers and facilitating tutor placements.
• Provide ongoing support and problem-solving for community tutors, answer questions, providing coaching, and disseminating teaching and learning resources and best practices.
• Provide direct instruction, filling-in for volunteer tutors as needed.
• Conduct regular supervision of community tutors to ensure quality instruction and safeguarding accountability, this includes regular tutor observations and feedback, and quarterly feedback calls with families and students.
• Ensure program policies and guidelines are followed by staff, interns, volunteers and families and program supervision is completed in accordance to program guidelines.
• Partner with HQ to conduct regular tutor roundtables, share information and resources, monitor and evaluate tutoring program for continuous improvement.
• Develop positive relationships with School-based partners through effective communication and program coordination, receiving referrals and providing regular program updates.
Other Duties
• Participate in all program meetings, staff development activities, and fully engage as a member of the IRC team.
• Assist as needed with events and other youth team projects.
• Comply with all policies, procedures, and protocols of the agency.
• Other related duties as assigned.
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: Youth Program Coordinator
Position directly supervises: Interns, volunteers
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal: Youth Program Specialists, Youth Program Team, AmeriCorps Members, other IRC Seattle staff
External: Teachers at partner school districts, Contacts at partner organizations
Job Requirements:
• Relevant degree in Education, Teaching, Child/Youth Development or related field, or 2-4 years relevant experience in teaching, tutoring, or youth development programming. TESOL certificate a plus.
• Experience in training and facilitation utilizing adult learning principals
• Experience in volunteer coordination/management
• Cross cultural experience; connection and experience working with people from refugee and/or immigrant communities
• Experience working with multi-lingual students and families
• Committed to anti-racism and continual learning and growth
• Demonstrated ability to use a variety of instructional strategies appropriate for individual student needs
• Commitment to creating safe and healing learning spaces for newcomer students and utilizing trauma informed practices with students and families
• Flexible and adaptable – able to quickly problem solve and change plans and activities according to student need or unexpected circumstances
• English proficiency, both spoken and written, and professional proficiency in predominant language of local client base desired (Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Somali, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Ukrainian etc.)
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Proficiency in MS Office suite including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
• Ability to work well with people of diverse cultural backgrounds
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team
• Ability to maintain responsibility for multiple tasks in the context of a diverse, fast-paced work environment
• Willing to be First Aid/CPR certified upon hire
Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements