Recreation

Position Overview

Recreation Staff support the planning and delivery of structured recreational, educational, and enrichment activities at a federally contracted residential facility. This role helps create safe, engaging, age-appropriate programming that promotes wellbeing, positive social interaction, and daily routine in a fast‑paced operational environment. The ideal candidate has experience working with migrant populations, is comfortable in rapid‑response or emergency settings, and can work respectfully with individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and personal backgrounds.

This is a fully onsite position based in Alexandria, Louisiana.

• Plan, organize, and facilitate structured indoor and outdoor recreational, educational, and enrichment activities for children, youth, and family groups in accordance with facility schedules and program guidelines.
• Support age‑appropriate activities that encourage physical movement, creative expression, positive social interaction, and constructive use of leisure time.
• Supervise activity spaces, recreation areas, and group programming to help ensure participant safety, respectful conduct, and appropriate use of equipment and supplies.
• Set up, monitor, and break down recreation spaces, materials, games, sports equipment, arts and crafts supplies, and other activity resources.
• Assist with maintaining schedules, activity rosters, attendance logs, equipment inventories, and other required documentation.
• Promote a calm, respectful, and culturally responsive environment by using sound judgment, positive communication, and appropriate de‑escalation techniques.
• Engage effectively with families and unaccompanied children from diverse cultural, linguistic, and personal backgrounds.
• Observe participants for signs of distress, conflict, fatigue, or behavioral escalation and report concerns promptly to supervisors and appropriate staff.
• Coordinate with operations, case management, education, medical, behavioral health, childcare, and other program teams to support consistent service delivery.
• Support special events, orientation activities, and flexible programming needs during surge, transition, or emergency conditions.
• Follow all safety, safeguarding, confidentiality, and operational procedures while supporting daily activities.
• Perform other recreation, youth engagement, or operational support duties as assigned based on program needs.

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Education, Child Development, Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, or related fields is a plus.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in recreation, youth programming, childcare, education, camp programming, residential services, shelter services, or other directly related support roles.
• Experience working with migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, families, children, youth, or other vulnerable populations is strongly preferred.
• Ability to work effectively in fast‑paced, high‑demand, or emergency‑response environments.
• Ability to lead or support structured activities in a safe, organized, and age‑appropriate manner.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work respectfully and effectively with people from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to maintain accurate activity logs and documentation.
• Must be based in Alexandria, Louisiana or the surrounding vicinity, or able to reliably commute to the project site.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing, is required.
• Must be bilingual (Spanish and/or another language commonly spoken by migrant…