College Access Specialist

ABOUT RED HOOK INITIATIVE (RHI)

Red Hook Initiative (RHI) is a community-based nonprofit working to improve the lives of the more than 6,500 residents of Red Hook Houses, Brooklyn's largest public housing complex. RHI believes that the social change to overcome systemic inequities begins with empowered youth and that change in communities should come from within. In partnership with community adults, we nurture young people in Red Hook to be inspired, resilient, and healthy, and to envision themselves as co‑creators of their lives, community, and society.

Youth development, community building, and community hiring are at the core of RHI's approach to strengthening Red Hook's future. Our model gives young people and residents the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to interrupt the systems and barriers that perpetuate historic inequities in the community. Residents lead the way toward a more equitable, hopeful future. Over our 20-year history, RHI's model and dedicated team have been nationally recognized for their innovative, place-based approach to social change.

RHI creates a culture of excellence with our ten core values as the foundation: community leadership, mutual respect, welcoming space, strengths-based perspective, trust, high expectations, encouragement, inspiration, holistic approach, and adaptability.

The College Access Specialist works across the Middle and High School programs to build and sustain a college-going culture and promotes awareness of the link between higher education and professional careers. There is a focus on supporting high school juniors and seniors who are participants in RHI's Youth Leader program. The College Access Specialist works with juniors and seniors to co‑create a  right‑fit  college roadmap in support of participants' post‑secondary goals.

This person provides comprehensive college‑readiness support: informing and facilitating college‑readiness programming and financial aid workshops; assisting with researching and applying for scholarships; engaging and coaching parents about the college application process; and cultivating and maintaining relationships with college admissions counselors. College Access Specialists will develop and lead an early college awareness program for 6th-8th graders. They will also be responsible for leading summer College Access programming for our Freedom School program.

This position is full‑time, 40 hours per week, with regularly scheduled hours from 12pm to 8pm, Monday through Thursday, and from 10 am to 6 pm on Fridays. Weekends will be assigned, as needed. There is flexibility around this during the summer and non-program periods.

• Develop and facilitate programming to expose and prepare participants for college, including early awareness programming for 6-10th graders.
• Coach an estimated caseload of 40-50 juniors and seniors on college preparedness.
• Lead the college application process for college-bound participants and advise on a variety of post‑secondary options.
• Develop workshops, events, and trips that will support, inspire, and inform participants about the skills needed to pursue higher education and other post‑secondary opportunities (trips, panels, and college tours/fairs).
• Mobilize resources to connect participants with relevant resources important for post‑secondary success (SAT courses, college prep mentors, additional tutoring, school/placement visits, etc.).
• Coordinate financial aid and FAFSA workshops; assist students and parents with navigating the financial aid/FAFSA process.
• Coordinate scholarship application process, including Jordan WINGS, SUNY Geneseo, and other notable programs and partnerships.
• Coordinate with program leadership in youth development to provide differentiated college prep support to participants according to their individual plans, in small group and one‑on‑one settings.
• Support with College/University partnerships
• Analyze report cards to co‑develop improvement plans with participants.
• Work closely with students' guidance counselors or college advisors for additional assistance.
• Develop and lead parent workshop series on post‑secondary…