Youth Academy Specialist

Job Description

Founded in 1933, the IRC is a leading nonsectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. IRC aspect of the IRC is to assist refugees and other forcibly displaced people resettling in the United States. The IRC opened a Denver office in 2016 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees. The office is slated to resettle approximately 500 refugees and more than 700 Afghan parolees in federal fiscal year 2022, in addition to serving an active longer-term caseload of more than 1,600 people. Some services are limited to refugees and other Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible populations, while others are open to a broader population of immigrants and forcibly displaced people. Most services are available for at least five years following arrival in the U.S.

The IRC in Denver’s approach is client-centered, empowerment-focused, trauma-informed, and multigenerational. Advancing racial equity and narrowing the gender gap are priorities for the IRC in Denver. The team’s efforts in this space are ongoing and evolving. Current work is focused on participating in learning and dialogue to deepen understanding and awareness of systemic inequities and systems of oppression; building an internal organizational culture that reflects a commitment to antiracism and gender equality for clients as well as staff, volunteers, and the broader community; engaging clients more deeply in making decisions that affect them, whether at the individual, household, program, or organizational level; using our power and influence to advocate for rules, policies, and laws that address inequities experienced by the people we serve and seek systemic change for the benefit of all who are impacted by these inequities; undertaking intentional efforts to shift dynamics and promote power sharing between leadership and the broader team as well as between staff and clients; and examining and changing practices in recruitment, recognition, and other areas of employee engagement and talent development to prioritize access to opportunity and work toward full inclusion and belonging for clients, staff, and volunteers who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQI, as well as those who have lived experience as refugees and immigrants.

JOB OVERVIEW As an integral part of the IRC in Denver’s Safety and Wellness team and working in close coordination with the Resettlement Team, the Youth Academy Specialist is responsible for providing support to children and youth and their families as school-age children are oriented to school and socialized through the youth summer academy and other out-of-school time programs. The Specialist will support building the summer and out-of-school time curriculum; training and coordinating facilitators and volunteers; organizing logistics; recruiting children and youth participants from within IRC’s caseload; and ensuring all service documentation and reporting requirements are met. During the school year, the Youth Academy Specialist will plan and prepare for the coming summer programming, lead caregiver engagement workshops, and support out-of-school time programming as needed. The Specialist will train and coordinate the tutoring volunteers and interns to support the Youth Summer Academy. The Specialist will also support youth psychosocial support (PSS) programming during the school year, in addition to building community partnerships to expand opportunities in support of children and youth. This position reports to the Senior Youth Education Program Coordinator.

The work is driven by a belief in the capability of all clients, a commitment to empowering clients and promoting self-efficacy, and a strong orientation toward trauma-responsive and compassionate approaches to help children, youth and families set and move toward goals. The Youth Academy Specialist ensures that services are delivered in a timely, professional, and efficient manner, and in accordance with client needs, IRC quality standards, policies and procedures, local and state regulations, established federal guidelines, and donor requirements.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES - Plan and implement goals and objectives to successfully achieve outcomes for the Youth Summer Academy. - Develop and deliver culturally- and age-appropriate academic and social-emotional and academic learning (SEAL) curriculum for the Youth Summer Academy in consideration of the needs of refugee and immigrant children. - Aid families in navigating school systems to support student learning and ensure their children’s success. - Recruit, supervise and coach the Youth Summer Academy facilitators, volunteers, and interns. - Lead training opportunities for the Youth Summer Academy team on best practices including positive youth development, social emotional asset development, and working with Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) and English Language Learners (ELLs). - Build relationships with local partners to maximize their coordination, cooperation, and support. - Collect and track participant data, maintain attendance records, assessment data, and other outcomes and metrics, and ensure documentation is entered into the ETO and Geneva databases in a timely manner. - Assess and monitor participants’ social-emotional and academic gains by regularly administering assessments. - Prepare reports on program activities and accomplishments per donor requirements. - Perform other related duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS - Experience working with youth; experience working with refugee and/or immigrant youth strongly preferred. - Experience working in a multi-cultural non-profit and/or international setting with diverse client base. - Professional work experience including supervisory and program management experience to ensure high program quality and impact. - Demonstrated success creating and implementing youth programming and developing community partnerships. - Experience and demonstrated understanding of psychosocial support (PSS) concepts and methodology. - Experience advocating for child development standards. - Demonstrated commitment to safeguarding principles to ensure the wellbeing of children and families. - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, particularly when working cross-culturally, across languages, and with individuals with low literacy and/or limited English proficiency. - Ability to think and work independently. - Must be extremely flexible, capable of working under pressure with deadlines and managing multiple priorities. - Superb organizational, planning, time and task management and logistical skills. - Strong decision-making capabilities, with solid judgement and ethics consistent with the IRC Way. - Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), internet applications and relational databases. - Use of a reliable personal vehicle preferred, with valid driver’s license and current insurance.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Position reports to: Senior Youth Education Program Coordinator Position directly supervises: Youth Summer Academy, tutoring, and out-of-school time interns and volunteers

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires candidates who are selected for interview to furnish proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to be considered for this position.

WORK ENVIRONMENT - At present, the IRC in Denver office is partially open. Hybrid remote/in-person work modifications are in place due to ensure staff and client safety given public health guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff will be provided with IRC laptops and cell phones and must have access to a location with secure internet service where remote work can be performed according to the schedule negotiated with their supervisor. - All staff are required to adhere to IRC’s COVID risk mitigation policies, which include but are not limited to masking, physical distancing, enhanced hygiene practices, symptom screening, and isolation and quarantine when needed. In some cases, these policies may be stricter than those imposed at the federal, state, or local level. - The IRC in Denver strives to offer a positive working environment, with intentional efforts to ensure that it is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible for all. Staff are required to adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates under policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation. - Standard professional office environment combined with time in neighborhoods where refugees live. Travel in and around the Denver metro area to facilitate service delivery, build community relationships and represent the IRC with community partners. - Hours outside of typical office hours, including weekends and evenings, are occasionally required. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS This position is a full-time, regular, ongoing position scheduled at 37.5 hours per week. It is classified as non-exempt and is eligible for overtime in accordance with state and federal law. Compensation starts at $21.00 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience. As a full-time, regular employee, the Youth Academy Specialist qualifies for the IRC’s phenomenal benefits package, which includes: - Generous paid time off with 20 days of paid vacation per year, 10 days of paid sick leave per year (not inclusive of paid COVID leave), and at least 9 paid holidays per year. - Outstanding medical, dental, and vision care benefits with low employee contributions toward premiums. - Optional health care and dependent care flexible savings accounts and commuter benefits programs. - Life, accident, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance. - Comprehensive parental and family leave benefits. - A 403(b) retirement savings plan that offers employer contributions and a matching contribution program. - A comprehensive employee assistance and resilience program. - Business travel medical insurance, access to Guardian Nurses, and more.

In addition, the IRC in Denver actively promotes learning and growth for its team members, through staff development accounts that allow staff to engage in individualized goal-aligned professional development, access to a range of talent development offerings to build skills in a wide array of areas from humanitarian principles to management skills, and opportunities to lead and engage with colleagues from across the IRC through communities of practice, special assignments, and designated roles that represent the Denver office, whether here in the U.S. or globally.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Qualifications