Youth Advocate

Job Description

Youth Advocate
- Kennedy Center (Hoops Haven Youth Sports Programming)

New York, NY

Full Time, Non-Exempt

Professional

Alianza Youth Services Division

Director (HH)

Yes

No

As part of the Catholic Charities Hoop Haven Program, the Youth Advocate will work with and support youth ages 12 to 17 at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Community Center in Harlem in the building and fostering healthy positive life skills, with a primary focus on health and wellness. The Hoop Haven program was developed several years ago with a mission of engaging Harlem youth, with or without any sports related skill or acumen, and introducing the concept of team sports as a means of establishing healthy life habits and a team-centered mindset.

Hoop Haven does not utilize try-outs as a means of student participation and accepts youth of all skill levels and backgrounds.

The Youth Advocate will work with a team of other professionals who support healthy activities for youth and will actively promote positive academic and life skills through a combination of sports related group activities (predominantly basketball) and academic support.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for working with youth, knowledge of health and wellness as a means of supporting personal and academic growth, a working knowledge of basketball or other team sports, and a commitment to fostering the growth and development of youth in the Harlem community.

• Regularly interact with students (ages 12 to17), parents/guardians, educators, and the community on a variety of issues and topics that affect Harlem youth, including healthy living, sports, exercise, community engagement and academics, as well as offering social and emotional support and referrals as needed.
• Work directly with students by developing engaging team building activities and education with a focus on team sports as a means to the development of positive life and problem solving skills, including de-escalation and anti-violence rubric.
• Link students and their families to other internal Catholic Charities services and external resources and referrals depending on need.
• Work closely with the Program Coordinator on activity and curriculum development, as well as marketing and outreach of the program to the community.
• Provide routine academic support as part of the program curriculum, both in group and individual settings (i.e. homework and other school related assistance).
• Maintain attendance logs and any other required documentation. Use Catholic Charities prescribed technology and databases to track and record program data and metrics as assigned by the Program Coordinator.
• Maintain monthly progress notes on participants; collect and complete all necessary documentation and reports related to program activities.
• Assist in the maintenance of the monthly calendar of program activities and workshops available to participants.
• Attend student field trips and special events when necessary.
• Participate in staff meetings, case conferences and other meetings as assigned.

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are generally 10:00AM to 6:00PM, Tuesday through Saturday. Additional evening and weekend hours will be required to meet program deadlines, goals, client needs, and attend special events.

The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• When conducting home visits or field trips, individuals will use public transportation or traverse city streets, occasionally ascend/descend stairs, and be exposed to outside weather conditions.
• Remain in a stationary position while monitoring activities, providing instruction, or when at a work station.
• Use a computer at least 40% of the time.
• Ability and patience to work with youth, particularly in group settings.
• Be actively mobile for long periods, providing instruction.
• Trav…