Professional Mentor - Friend

PROFESSIONAL MENTOR

Friends of the Children is a nonprofit that is impacting generational change by empowering youth through relationships with professional mentors. We do this by providing children facing the most obstacles with a long-term, salaried, professional mentor, from kindergarten through high school graduation, 12+ years – no matter what. We are currently seeking an extraordinary professional to embark on a new career journey as a Professional Mentor at our Detroit Chapter.

We are currently seeking a professional mentor for our Childhood program (Kindergarten to 5thGrade) to serve as a positive adult role model to eight elementary children and develop loving, caring, and sustained relationships with each child. For each child, a Professional Mentor will set positive expectations; nurture and promote each child’s strength, talents, and abilities; help ensure physical and emotional well-being;

teach life and academic skills; provide enrichment activities; and model responsible behavior. A Professional Mentor will fully document activities and participate in the ongoing evaluation process. Professional Mentors will work primarily one-on-one with their children, while also building trusting supportive relationships with parents/caregivers. A Professional Mentor must know, understand, honor, and support the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles, and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function.

• Develop and sustain a long-term, caring, protective, and loving relationship with each child.
• Spend time with children, one-on-one.
• Partner with parents/caregivers to provide concrete and social emotional supports for the family.
• Set realistic expectations and goals based on each child’s strengths, talents, abilities, and needs.
• Teach life skills and help develop a talent/skill/area of interest with each child.
• Provide enrichment resources and activities that include opportunities for identity development.
• Develop positive relationships with families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life.
• Reinforce basic academic skills.
• Maintain a 40-hour work schedule that includes afternoons, evenings, and weekends (normal working days are Tuesday through Saturday with Sundays and Mondays off).
• Maintain spending within budgetary guidelines.
• Complete, distribute, and collect time summaries, activity journals, short-term plans, expense reports, and evaluation materials accurately and in a timely manner.
• Attend and actively participate in team meeting and staff functions.
• Maintain First Aid/CPR certification.
• Transport children in personal vehicle as required for mentoring activities.
• Provide information and support to the development and executive team on related activities.
• Fulfill other responsibilities as requested.

• Associate degree, Bachelor's degree preferred;
  Alternatively, at least seven years’ progressive experience working with children and families will be considered in lieu of a college degree
• Experience with reading literacy coaching/training is a plus
• Willingness to commit for a minimum of three years.
• Advocate to secure additional resources, opportunities, and services for youth as appropriate
• Assist with systems navigation in schools to secure conditions for optimal academic success
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to work with children in varied capacities and settings
• Ability to develop trusting relationships with children, families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life
• Ability to work independently and as a team player
• Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively
• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• A sense of humor is a plus

We have a four(4) step interview process that includes: 1-A phone screening from HR, 2-An interview with our Program Director(PD) and Program Manager(PM), 3- A panel interview to include the Executive Director and a staff person from our National office and 4
- An observation with you and one of the children in our…