Description
Job Description
Job Title:
Youth Advocate - Kennedy Center (Hoops Haven Youth Sports Programming)
Location:
New York, NY
FLSA Status:
Full Time, Non-Exempt
Classification:
Professional
Department:
Alianza Youth Services Division
Reports to:
Director (HH)
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Yes
☐
No
☒
Summary: As part of the Catholic Charities Hoop Haven Program, t he Youth Advocate will work with and support youth ages 12 to 17 at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Community Center in Harlem in the building and fostering healthy of p ositive life skills , with a primary focus on health and wellness . The Hoop Haven program was developed several years ago with a mission of engaging Harlem youth, with or without any sports related skill or acumen, and introducing the concept of team sports as a means of establishing healthy life habits and a team-centered mindset. Hoop Haven does not utilize try-outs as a means of student participation and accepts youth of all skill levels and backgrounds.
The Youth Advocate will work with a team of other professionals who support heal thy activities for youth and will actively promote positive academic and life skills through a combination of sports related group activities (predominantly basketball) and academic support.
The ideal candidate will have a passion for working with youth, knowledge of health and wellness as a means of supporting personal and academic growth, a working knowledge of basketball or other team sports , and a commitment to fostering the growth and development of youth in the Harlem community.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
- Regularly interact with students (ages 12 to17 ), parents /guardians , educators , and the community on a variety of issues and topics that affect Harlem youth, including healthy living, sports, exercise, community engagement and academics, as well as offering social and emotional support and referrals as needed.
- Work directly with students by developing engaging team building activities and education with a focus on team sports as a means to the development of positive life and problem solving skills , including de-escalation and anti-violence rubric .
- Link students and their families to other internal Catholic Charities services and external resources and referrals depending on need.
- Work closely with the Program Coordinator on activity and curriculum development, as well as marketing and outreach of the program to the community.
- Provide routine academic support as part of the program curriculum, both in group and individual settings (i.e. homework and other school related assistance).
- Maintain attendance logs and any other required documentation. Use Catholic Charities prescribed technology and databases to track and record program data and metr ics as assigned by the Program Coordinator .
- Maintain monthly progress notes on participants; collect and complete all necessary documentation and reports related to program activities.
- Assist in the maintenance of the monthly calendar of program activities and workshops available to participants.
- Attend student field trips and special events when necessary.
- Participate in staff meetings, case conferences and other meetings as assigned.
P osition Type and Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are generally 10:00AM to 6:00PM, Tuesday through Saturday . Additional evening and weekend hours will be required to meet program deadlines, goals, client needs, and attend special events.
Working conditions and physical demands required:
The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- When conducting home visits or field trips, individuals will use public transportation or traverse city streets, occasionally ascend/descend stairs, and be exposed to outside weather conditions.
- Remain in a stationary position while monitoring activities, providing instruction, or when at a work station.
- Use a computer at least 40% of the time.
- Ability and patience to work with youth , particularly in group settings.
- Be actively mobile for long periods, providing instruction.
- Travel when taking field trips, using public transportation, traverse city streets, ascend/descend stairs, and be exposed to outside weather conditions, while escorting youth.
Qualifications
Education and/or experience required:
- Bachelor's Degree
- Relevant work experience in an area of health and wellness .
- A minimum of 2 years' experience working with youth.
- Experience teaching or training individuals in group settings.
- Basketball knowledge preferred but not required. A general understanding of team sports as a means for positive youth development strongly preferred.
Skills, Licenses, and/or competencies required :
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate and effectively engage youth with diverse backgrounds .
- Ability to work well in a team environment.
- Excellent network-building and outreach skills.
- Must be organized and detail oriented and have the ability to work effectively under pressure in both team setting and individually.
- Excellent computer skills and experience (Interne t, Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point) .
- Must pass all necessary background checks and clearances as required by Catholic Charities Community Services.
