Academic Coordinator
Location: New York, NY (Harlem)
Type: Full Time, Exempt

About StreetSquash

About StreetSquashStreetSquash was founded in Harlem in September 1999 as the second squash and education program in the United States. A comprehensive youth enrichment program, StreetSquash combines academic tutoring, squash instruction, community service, college preparation, leadership development, and mentoring for young people ages 11-24. What began as an after-school program with 24 middle school students and two staff members has expanded to serve 400 participants from 6th grade through college graduation, and entry into the workforce.

About the Position

StreetSquash is seeking a driven, innovative ACADEMIC COORDINATOR with a passion for supporting young people in 6th through 12th grade and putting them on the path to achieving their higher athletic and educational goals. An ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to youth development in an after-school setting, value personal excellence, and have comfort supporting a young person’s social-emotional development. They will have significant experience working with youth of color attending public schools in urban areas.

The Academic Coordinator will be expected to oversee and be present at weekday sessions until 6:30 pm, frequent Saturday programming, and select special events. This position will report to the Program Director.

Position Responsibilities 

Programmatic Responsibilities

• Facilitate after-school academic support sessions assisting students individually with homework and platform-based learning, manage volunteers and tutors
• Tutor middle and/or high school students one-on-one or in small groups
• Facilitate and implement enrichment and skill-building curricula
• Work closely with the academic team to coordinate programming
• Meet with teachers as needed to advocate and assess students’ progress; communicate regularly with caregivers, guidance counselors, and others in each student’s support system
• Participate in team meetings to meet the needs of students on your caseload and those of the academic team, including family engagement, planning team trips and cultural outings, organizing community service activities, facilitating team-building workshops, etc.
• Support students in their academic and personal growth through programming and relationship-building
• Collaborate on program-wide initiatives and projects including curriculum development and facilitation for summer programming
• Manage an additional program component (Ex. Friday enrichment program, student leadership committee, family leadership board, etc.)
• Tracks and analyzes participant enrollment data and trends for StreetSquash related to student persistence, success, graduations, etc.
• Help guide students in 8th grade through the high school application process including hosting family meetings
• Participate in overnight trips during the course of the program year (Ex. 1-2 two-night squash trips, 1-2 one-night team trips, 1 overnight high school camping trip)

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and 1-2 years of experience in youth development with students of color attending public schools in urban areas; degrees in the education field a plus
• 1-2 years of direct service experience with middle and high-school-aged students
• Valid driver’s license, comfort, and capacity to occasionally drive 15 passenger vans
• Proven track record staying on top of multiple projects, planning backward and anticipating obstacles, identifying and involving stakeholders appropriately, using resources wisely, being flexible and adaptable under pressure.
• Familiarity with NYC Dept. of Education and Public school systems (Harlem familiarity a plus)
• Prior experience in online academic delivery systems or platform-based learning (ALEKS, i-Ready, etc.) a plus
• Must be able to demonstrate a strong knowledge of academic advising, student retention initiatives, and a track record of exceeding job expectations
• Sensitivity to different cultures and communities; demonstrated ability to work well with diverse or marginalized populations; can bring in allies across diverse communities

Qualifications & Experience

We are seeking candidates with a deep commitment to academics in the context of youth development who are results-oriented and have strong collaboration skills. You should have:

• Must have a commitment to work from a strength-based, youth and family development perspective experience with tutoring, homework help, and academic advising
• Excellent middle and high school behavior management
• Teachable knowledge of all academic subjects (middle school and/or high school level) and curriculum development
• Excellent small group teaching and facilitation skills experience
• Solid organizational abilities, including planning, program development, and task facilitation
• Passion for young people and enjoyment of spending time with them, coaching or tutoring them, and pushing them to set and achieve goals in all aspects of their lives
• Project management, interpersonal, organizational, and networking skills are critical, including excellent writing, research, and computer skills
• Other languages proficiency is a plus
• Google Suite, Zoom, and Salesforce experience a plus or demonstrated experience to learn new systems
  

Commitment: StreetSquash values long-term, deep, impactful work with students. It takes years to cultivate relationships and staff retention is a critical component of organizational success. This is not a transitional role or a temporary steppingstone. Candidates should be prepared to commit for the long haul, just as we are committed to supporting our staff to develop and grow.  

Compensation & Benefits: StreetSquash offers competitive compensation, commensurate with experience. Full benefits include employer-supported health coverage, monthly MetroCard or equivalent transit stipend, monthly cell phone stipend, FSA, paid federal holidays, 20 days of paid vacation plus 5-day holiday break, 40 hours of sick time, 3 personal days (after the first 90 days), and 401k contributions (after 1 year of employment).

Vaccination: StreetSquash has implemented a policy requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and submit proof as to their vaccination status in order to work on-site. Therefore, all new hires, prior to their start date, will be required to: (1) be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e., receive both doses of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose of a one-dose vaccine) and provide the Organization with a copy of their COVID-19 vaccination card, or (2) or receive an accommodation exempting them from the vaccination requirement. StreetSquash will keep any information about an employee or applicant’s vaccination status confidential in accordance with, and to the extent required by, applicable law.

Application Process: Interested candidates should send a resume and a detailed cover letter that directly addresses the specified requirements as outlined above and why you are interested in this position to hiring@streetsquash.org with “Academic Coordinator” in the subject line. Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Final applicants will be requested to consent to a pre-employment background check and employment verification. A background check is required to extend a job offer.

StreetSquash is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. No knowledge of squash is necessary for this position.