Youth Program Specialist

Youth Program Specialist

Our House empowers homeless and near-homeless families and individuals to succeed in the workforce, in school, and in life through hard work, wise decision-making, and active participation in the community. The Our House team has defined a set of seven Guiding Principles that characterize our culture and that we intentionally seek to uphold:
Hard Work, Wise Decision-Making, Community, Initiative, Integrity, Safety, and Heart.

You will be responsible for providing a safe and enriching out-of-school time program for K-12th grade in accordance with Arkansas' Minimum Licensing Standards. Our Club operates every day after school and all day during school-out-days (school breaks, summer break, teacher in-service days). Youth Program Specialists will implement a trauma-informed, two-generation approach to support youth and families in their journey out of homelessness.

• Provide direct service, supervision, and lesson planning for youth, ages K-12th grade, using a strengths-based, positive youth development framework
• Create an enriching, fun, and safe environment for youth and families in Our Club
  • Ensure that best practices are used in the classroom, actively seek feedback from youth on program choices, and foster supportive staff and peer relationships
  • Support youth who have special needs or struggle with emotional regulation
  • Assist with the meal and snack service and complete required paperwork
  • Maintain clean and organized classroom and program spaces
• Support academic success of youth and help bridge the gap between school and home
  • Help youth with homework and tutoring when needed and incorporate Arkansas Department of Education K-12 standards
  • Build relationships with feeder schools and track academic strengths and needs
  • Support transportation needs, including helping families navigate school bus routes, or riding the Our House van for school pick-ups
  • Connect youth to academic supports like tutors with ARKids Read
  • Collaborate with the Mental Health team to deliver social and emotional learning activities that explore identity, emotional intelligence, and empathy
• Plan enrichment activities that engage youth and integrate a two-generation approach.
  • Develop programming in areas of STEAM, Health & Wellness, Youth Voice, Literacy, Life Skills, or other topics of interest to the youth
  • Plan and execute field trips or special guest visits during out-of-school days that expose youth to new and exciting experiences
  • Plan family engagement events like Family Fun Night, Parenting Education, holiday celebrations and an annual Black History Program
• Regularly communicate with parents about youth needs, successes, and progress
  • Communicate through the program communication app, Bloomz
  • Discuss youth's development and behavior with supervisor and parents regularly
• Provide youth and families wrap-around services by collaborating with the Stability Program, Mental Health Program, Early Childhood Program, and Housing Programs
• Maintain important program documents, including youth sign-in/sign-out sheet records, program bulletin boards, and monthly calendars and newsletters
• Assist with data tracking, performance measurement, and complete required professional development for Our Club
  • Conduct literacy assessments, collect quarterly report cards, and complete Strengths Difficulties Questionnaire assessments to measure progress
  • Monitor attendance and input youth daily attendance into Our House Database
  • Attend at least 30 hours of professional development each year, including participating in Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA).
  • Follow all grant requirements and Arkansas Minimum Licensing requirements
• Conduct other duties as assigned to fulfill Our House's mission

• Ability to work effectively with diverse staff, parents, and community members
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to planning
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-direction
• Some supervisory experience with youth and staff
• Ability to develop relationships with the youth and nurture them through behavior and family challenges

• High School diploma required;
  Bachelor's degree preferred
• A background or college courses in education, social work, or psychology preferred
• At least 2 years of experience working with youth is preferred
• Ability to swim is preferred
• Obtain CPR / First Aid certification within first 90 days of employment
• Must be able to lift 30 lbs
• Complete Youth Worker Certification within 6 months of hire
• Complete the Arkansas New Staff Orientation within 90 days of hire
• Must be able to pass criminal background checks, child and adult maltreatment registry checks, sex offender registry checks, and a pre-employment drug screen

Visit our careers page for more information on benefits and perks!

Our House is a drug-free workplace.

Our House is an equal opportunity employer. We value…