Youth Program Specialist

Department:
Our Club

Reports to:

Youth Program Coordinator

Employment Type:

In-Person, Full-Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt

Schedule:

9:00am-6:00pm Monday-Friday on school days, 7:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday on school out days

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…