Achievement Coach

DETAILS

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reality Changers’ youth programs build first generation college students by offering tutoring and mentoring resources to support the college readiness, academic preparedness, and leadership development of 8-12th grade participants.

The Achievement Coach-10th Grade is responsible for holding all participating students to the program’s high standards in an encouraging manner. The Achievement Coach- 10th Grade role has a dual function– supporting headquarter students meanwhile challenging them to strive to meet their highest potential. The program sees each student holistically – not only working to help a student meet their academic goals, but their personal goals as well. This Achievement Coach-I0th Grade position will work primarily with 10th grade students and rotate among grade levels according to the needs of Reality Changers cohort model.

The Achievement Coach leads both group and individual coaching for their student cohort in College Town. Coaches drive the academic and interpersonal skills development of their students using study room time, school visits, home visits, one-on-one mentoring, and community service. The Achievement Coach must be a relationship-oriented leader who is able to execute programs and services that support 8-10th grade participants to achieve in the following key areas: 1) Academics; 2) College Knowledge; and 3) Leadership.

BENCHMARKS /GOALS / MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

• High engagement and 80% retention of students in programs and events, in accordance with team goals and metrics.
• Student improvement in academics, personal development, and performance on program and grade level benchmarks.
• Participate in cross-team collaboration to strengthen the alignment of 8-10th grade programs and curriculum and support the organization’s outreach and development efforts.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

An incumbent may perform any combination of the essential functions shown below. This position description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, knowledge, or abilities associated with this classification, but is intended to accurately reflect the principal job elements.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1) Provide Personal and Academic Support to Students:

• Provide continuous encouragement to students from low-income and underserved backgrounds, i.e. home visits, school visits, communication with teachers/counselors, regular student check-ins, etc.
• Track grades for all students in their grade level and pay special attention to students whose grades stand or fall below a 3.0 GPA.
• Identify the barriers, obstacles, or reasons for academic underachievement and based on these reasons, develop a personalized plan that will help lower-performing students perform at Reality Changers’ academic expectations.
• Follow-up with students to evaluate the effectiveness of personal plans of action; conduct regular communications (phone, email, etc.) with students to inform them of upcoming events, opportunities, and/or students’ performance/progress.
• Plan and execute student activities during school breaks and weekends to help build strong relationships that inspire and encourage their participation in the College Town program.
• Develop expertise with a designated team of students to generate meaningful experiences to keep students on track to apply to college and to continually engage in programming.

2) Conduct Outreach on Program and School Sites:

• Serve as a representative of Reality Changers by maintaining a positive and consistent presence on our middle and high school sites.
• Plan, coordinate, and participate in the program’s annual 10th grade challenge assemblies designed to inspire and recruit new students into the program.
• Collaborate effectively with parents, guardians, teachers, school administrators, and other community resources to solve student challenges.

2) Instruction and Academic Counseling for Students in Cohort:

• Lead cohort through the entire college application process by learning and enthusiastically delivering the curriculum.
• Deliver group presentations/lectures on college knowledge and college admissions, as well as provide individual college counseling to students.
• Work with students to develop competitive application essays that best reflect their stories, talents, and abilities.
• Work with the San Diego Community College School District to provide targeted support for two-year college bound students.
• Assist with researching colleges appropriate for each student and helping students to secure recommendations and transcripts.

4) Program Operations and Administration:

• Deliver team-based curriculum to students and provide constructive feedback to the College Town team.
• Maintain excellent up-to-date student records and assist with ongoing student data collection.
• Take direction from the Sr. Vice President and the College Town Program Manager for the completion of daily operational tasks which ensure program excellence.
• Participate in Reality Changers’ special events, such as (but not limited to) summer leadership camp, College Fest, speech tournaments, and the end-of-school year scholarship celebrations.
• Register as a van driver for program event attendance/student transportation needs.
• Perform other duties as needed.

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE

• Prior work with young adults is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university is preferred. Collegiate assessment will be considered (and expected to be exemplary) if work experience is limited.
• Exhibited commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and experience in executing programs/initiatives aligned to DEI/

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES

• Strong written and verbal and communication skills, as well as presentation skills, organization skills, and computer skills.
• Proficiency in a second language is a plus (Spanish).
• Ability to relate well, engage, and motivate various types of people, especially students of different backgrounds and cultures.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Exceptional organization skills and dedication to detail, with experience managing multiple deadlines with an outcomes-oriented approach.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to adapt to different circumstances in order to still meet goals.
• Must be highly adaptive, versatile, and responsible, even when confronted with ambiguity.
• Willingness to take initiative and do what is necessary to complete the job.
• Strong attention to detail and good follow through.
• Meet schedules and timelines.
• Ability to maintain records.
• Strong administrative skills.
• Knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Office, G Suite, Zoom, and email systems. Experience in Salesforce is a plus.

ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS

• Represent Reality Changers in a positive manner in all public and private settings.
• Instill a sense of empowerment in the students to uphold Reality Changers’ expectations of them (such as turning in homework).
• Provide positive encouragement to staff, students and instructors in all public and private settings.
• Exemplify commitment to Reality Changers’ mission and values.

TRAVEL / HOURS

• Frequent travel within San Diego will be expected.
• Regular weekend and evening work will be expected.
• A 4/10 schedule is required (M-Thu)
• Employees are currently working on an 80/20 hybrid model e.g. 80% on site and 20% remote work.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• A valid driver’s license or reliable transportation to and from site location(s), Reality Changers’ headquarters, and related events.
• Clear Tuberculosis Test (TB) or ability to obtain medical clearance.
• A job offer of employment is contingent upon completion of our pre-employment screening process.

SALARY / BENEFITS

As a candidate for this position, starting salary and related elements of compensation will be contingent upon work experience, education, job-related skills, and any other factors Reality Changers considers relevant factors to the hiring decisions for this position. This non-exempt position is eligible for appointment at $24.00 hourly.

Benefits for this position include a 403(b) plan, medical, dental and vision coverage, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, paid holidays, 10 days paid sick leave, paid parental leave, one paid week off in July for annual office closure, and unlimited flexible paid time off.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. Due to COVID-19, Reality Changers employees are temporarily operating in a hybrid model—working in-person from the office and remotely from home.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This job requires the ability to sit, use hands and arms to perform repetitive motions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus. It requires moderate dexterity, application of basic skills (calculator, keyboard, hand-eye coordination, etc.) and the ability to bend or stand as necessary.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

At Reality Changers, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) are connected to our mission and critical to the well-being of our staff and our community. In 2021, we were recognized as an “Outstanding Organization for Diversity & Inclusion” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals San Diego Chapter.

Reality Changers serves first generation youth from low-income backgrounds and from groups who are traditionally under-represented on college campuses—such as Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBT+, Immigrant and/or Undocumented communities. Because we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities and/or backgrounds.

TO APPLY

To apply, please submit the following to jobs@realitychangers.org by August 23, 2024:

• A thoughtful cover letter outlining your interest in the position and how your qualifications align with the above requirements and Reality Changers’ focus and mission.
• Current resume
• This non-exempt position is eligible for appointment at $24.00 hourly.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible as interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis. The anticipated start date is September 2024.

Please note:

• No phone calls.
• Relocation is not available.
• All prospective staff will be fingerprinted and must pass a criminal background check.

For more information, please visit www.realitychangers.org