College & Career Coaches - AmeriCorps

Full-time

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What We Offer:

Impact - The work you do here matters to millions.

Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it?

Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.

Opportunities in Tech - Don’t wait for the future, shape it.

Benefits - We care about your well being.

Agency Description

Promise Corps provides teams of College and Career Coaches (CCC’s) to collaborate with school leaders, community members, families, and youth advocates to directly support high school students in their post-secondary planning. With an emphasis on job readiness and high school graduation as the primary focus, Promise Corps strives to expose students to a variety of post-secondary options, including diverse careers and college pathways. Promise Corps CCC’s then collaboratively plan with students towards their most desired post-secondary plan by setting expectations on goal setting and role-modeling positive self-esteem, high expectations, persistence, and resilience.

Promise Corps is uniquely positioned to activate a pathways approach in partnership with the PHENND Next Steps program that continues to support rising high school seniors into their freshman year of college and beyond.

The Promise Corps CCC’s placed in schools will be trained and equipped with resources, information, tools and curriculum to guide students to first explore their post-secondary future and second, set and achieve short and long term goals towards their desired plan. To capture some of Philadelphia's most vulnerable youth, Promise Corps prioritizes high schools located in or near the West Philadelphia Promise Zone (WPPZ).

The West Philadelphia Promise Zone includes the neighborhoods of Mantua, Belmont, Mill Creek, West Powelton, Powelton Village, and portions of Walnut Hill and Spruce Hill. WPPZ has suffered from generations of institutionalized poverty, yet also features world-class employers and post-secondary institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The WPPZ's 2013 poverty rate was 48%, higher than the citywide rate of 26.3%. Over 45% of households earn less than $15,000 each year and the median household income is $13,317. One of the WPPZ goals is to expand educational opportunities and outcomes for youth. Philadelphia schools have high academic deficits and a deep need for support services. While improvements have been made to academic supports for students there are very limited opportunities for college and career counseling. This results in students taking on high amounts of student loan debt, missing opportunities to best prepare for the workplace and being neither college-ready nor job-ready after high school graduation. Through this in-school approach, Promise Corps CCC's build lasting relationships with students and help to expand academic supports toward college and career success. 

AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps opportunities are offered in 6 – 10 month service commitments that meet a community’s critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. In this role members will fulfill a three-quarters-time term of service opportunity in our schools across Philadelphia. Supporting communities’ critical needs in education, Promise Corps members dedicate 1200 hours of volunteer service over 10 months per term in exchange for leadership and career development, and a living stipend provided by our AmeriCorps grant. AmeriCorps is an exciting opportunity for service-minded individuals who are passionate about education and the nonprofit sector. For more information, please visit www.americorps.gov and www.promisecorps.com

Job Description

The AmeriCorps College and Career Coach will serve full time (completing 1200 hours of service) over the course of 10 months, working closely with high school students and families to ensure that students graduate with strong skill sets, and develop awareness of paths and challenges related to postsecondary opportunities.

The Promise Corps members will work with students in grades 10-12, who have been identified as needing support. Each member will be assigned a host school and will work with guidance counselors, teachers and other school personnel to develop long and short-term plans leading to postsecondary entry. CCC AmeriCorps members will conduct individual advising sessions with students and develop a plan that will lead to the students desired postsecondary option.

Responsibilities include:

Post-Secondary Planning and Support

Provide engaging small group workshops and 1:1 sessions to improve students’ knowledge of post-secondary options and requirements
Will work with up to 40 students to ensure each is working towards goal setting and achievement towards their post-secondary plan
Create programming in areas such as post-secondary education options, college application process, financial aid, and career exploration
Work with school staff and teachers to implement the Promise Corps program which includes coaching sessions with students and event planning.
Facilitate interest assessments to identify student interests and post-secondary options
Maintain student information and records by tracking, logging and entering workshop/1:1 hours/time spent with students in database
Develop field trips and events that include college field trips, providing financial aid application assistance and career exposure opportunities.
Implementation of 1:1 sessions, workshops, events and trips may be conducted virtually in the event that schools are physically closed.

Academic Support

Provide tutoring and homework support under direction of teachers
Members will coach students around short and long-term academic goals by reviewing alongside students’ transcripts and report cards
Work closely with partner teacher(s) and other school staff to identify the right supports for individual students
Participate in school trainings and meetings

Other duties:

Service project development
Coordination of college and career exposure events for students
Participation in member development (included but not limited to trainings, professional development, workshops)
Complete 1200 national service hours over 10 months
Attend a “Swearing in” and “Graduation” Ceremony
Maintain a commitment to understanding the Promise Corps program model, and current educational best practices

Qualifications

Education and Experience

Be at least 17 years of age, have a high school diploma, and possess US Citizenship or Permanent Resident status
Have a college degree – associates or above
Pass Tuberculosis Skin Test
Clear a National Criminal History Check, Pennsylvania Criminal History Check, Criminal History Check in your current state of residence (if different than Pennsylvania), and National Sex Offender Registry check
Served less than 4 terms of any length in another AmeriCorps State or National Program
Must commit to a weekly schedule of 7:30am – 3:00pm Monday – Friday. (In the event that schools will be virtual, hours will be 8:00 am – 3:30pm)

Preferred Qualifications

AmeriCorps, Peace Corp or other national service experience
Have experience volunteering with other community based or education programs
Commitment to Promise Corps mission and vision
Interest in working with school-age children and teens
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Proven ability to manage tasks and schedule independently
Demonstrated success with constituent relations skills (volunteers, teachers, parents)
Flexibility and adaptability to manage tasks in a fluid and ambiguous environment
Access to reliable transportation (public transportation or personal transport) to travel within a defined geographic region
Experience working with diverse communities
Bachelor’s Degree
Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with school personnel, after school personnel, program officers, evaluators, parents, students and community professionals
Ability to coordinate programming in areas such as post-secondary education options, financial aid, career exploration through workshops, events, individual and small group counseling and classroom presentation
CPR/First Aid certification is a plus
Demonstrate familiarity with virtual tools utilized for meetings, presentations, workshops. Ex. Zoom, Teams, Google Classrooms, etc.
Must have access to working laptop/desktop computer and reliable internet connection

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of college and career strategies such as career exploration activities, job training efforts, FAFSA documentation etc.
Knowledge and experience working with youth
Experience with all Microsoft Office suite tools

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please click on the following link for the AmeriCorps Member application: PROMISE CORPS APPLICATION

Additional Information

BENEFITS

This position is part of the AmeriCorps service program. As an AmeriCorps member, you will serve your community through Promise Corps and receive a modest, living allowance of at least $12,000 for serving a term of service ($598.00 bi-weekly). Childcare assistance is available through AmeriCorps for those who qualify. Members may be eligible for student loan forbearance on federal student loans.

Additionally, at the successful completion of your service term, AmeriCorps Members are eligible for an education award of approximately $4,336.50 to be used for college, trade school, or other educational expenses, including qualified federal loans. For more information, please visit www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps.

SCHEDULE
Monday through Friday 7:30 am – 3:00 pm. Additional evening and weekend hours as needed for events, school activities, and additional service days and projects. Start date: August 20, 2021 End date: June 8, 2022

(In the event that schools will be virtual, hours will be 8:00 am – 3:30 pm)