School Liaison Specialist - NE

Position Details

Join Our Team as a School Liaison Specialist!

Full-Time | Detroit, MI | $22.35/hour
Arabic Speaking Highly Preferred

Are you passionate about helping youth and families thrive? Do you want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of refugee students as they adapt to a new culture, community, and school system? If so, we want you on our team.

We are seeking a dedicated School Liaison Specialist to support the successful acculturation and academic progress of refugee youth in the Detroit area. In this role, you will serve as a vital resource to teachers, parents, and students—building bridges, breaking down barriers, and empowering families to succeed.

As a key member of our School Impact Program, you will:

• Provide one‑on‑one advocacy to youth, parents, and teachers
• Facilitate parent–teacher meetings and help families navigate the education system
• Arrange interpretation services to ensure clear communication

• Build positive, productive relationships with school administrators, teachers, and community organizations
• Facilitate cultural awareness training in schools and classrooms
• Coordinate youth referrals and identify new locations for ESL classes

• Assist in maintaining data on student attendance, academic progress, extracurricular involvement, and graduation outcomes
• Support preparation of quarterly and year‑end reports
• Help manage case files, documentation, and small‑purchase records
• Arrange transportation for youth and adults to classes, field trips, and meetings

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or human services (required)
• Experience in community education and/or working with refugees (preferred)
• Cross‑cultural training or personal experience living or working within other cultures (preferred)
• Valid driver’s license
  , reliable vehicle, and insurance
• Arabic language proficiency is highly preferred

Your work directly impacts the success, confidence, and future of refugee youth. You’ll play a pivotal role in helping students overcome challenges, celebrate their strengths, and build a foundation for lifelong achievement.

If you're an empathetic professional with a passion for education, cultural diversity, and community impact, this is an incredible opportunity to make a difference every day.

• Assist Senior School Specialist in preparing statistical data on refugee truancy, grades and graduation, youth involvement in extra‑curricular activities and parent participation.
• Assist Senior School Specialist to work with local educational systems to obtain refugee youth referrals and to arrange locations and times of the School Impact Project. Assist in finding new locations for English as Second Language (ESL) classes.
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with school district management, teachers, youth and their parents. Keep updated list of schools, addresses, phones numbers, and contact names.
• Facilitate cultural awareness training to schools and classrooms. Provide one‑on‑one support and advocacy to refugee parents, youth and their teachers, including parent/teacher conferences or meetings with other educational professionals. Provide or arrange for interpretation for refugee adults and youth in their native language at meetings.
• Maintain effective communication with other community agencies or individuals involved in service or referral. Encourage and participate in cooperative working relationships.
• Assist with translation of documents as required for program functions.
• Maintain all required attendance records, client information, forms and other needed documentation of services in a timely fashion. Assist in coordinating school specialist training and in‑service sessions.
• Assist with case file reviews and record keeping for small item purchases.
• Provide or arrange for transportation of refugee adults and youth to and from meetings, ESL classes, field trips, etc.
• Maintain data on clients and statistical program information and prepare required reports; assist in preparing quarterly and year‑end reports.

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or human services required.

• Community education and working with refugees preferred.
• Cross‑cultural training or experience of living in and relating to other cultures preferred.
• Arabic speaking strongly preferred.

• Valid unrestricted driver’s license with good driving record. Reliable personal automobile with valid proof of automobile insurance.