Professional Mentor Friend Eastern Oregon

Friends of the Children – About the Organization

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, paid, professional mentor, who we call a “Friend,” 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 Friend at our new Eastern Oregon location with a deep appreciation and understanding of the rural and Indigenous cultures in Eastern Oregon.

We are currently seeking a mentor 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 Friend 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 Friend will fully document activities and participate in the ongoing evaluation process. Friends will work primarily one‑on‑one with the children they serve, while also building trusting supportive relationships with parents/caregivers. A Friend 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, or area of interest with each child.
• Deepen connections for youth through incorporating specific cultural knowledge and interventions in programming.
• 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 meetings and staff functions.
  
  Maintain current driver’s license, good driving record, and vehicle insurance.
• Maintain First Aid/CPR certification.
• Transport children in personal vehicle as required for mentoring activities.
• Provide information and support to the executive team on related activities.
• Fulfill other responsibilities as requested.

• 2‑ or 4‑year degree, or at least seven years of progressive experience working with children and families in lieu of a college degree.
• 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.
• Demonstrated ability to develop trusting relationships with children, families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life.
• Demonstrated understanding of Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing and interweave this knowledge in all aspects of the work.
• Ability to work independently and as a team player.
• Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills.
• A sense of humor is a plus.

$21.63‑$24.04 hourly…