Academic Mentor

Location: New York

About El Puente El Puente is a human rights institution founded in 1982 with a mission to inspire and nurture leadership for peace and justice. Based in New York City and Puerto Rico, El Puente creates community-led movements for self-determination through a holistic leadership and membership model, high-impact youth and community development programs, arts and cultural organizing, education, and civic engagement.

El Puente is a youth-centered organization rooted in the belief that young people are leaders, artists, organizers, and agents of change. Its work integrates leadership development, education, the arts, wellness, civic engagement, and community building to support young people and families in creating more just and equitable communities.

El Puente's work spans across several Youth Leadership Centers, environmental justice initiatives, and organizing efforts that place community voice at the center of change. From local neighborhoods to global conversations, the organization continues to stand at the forefront of movements for equity, climate justice, and human rights.

The Opportunity El Puente is seeking an engaging, dependable, and community-centered Academic Mentor who is passionate about helping young people strengthen their academic skills, confidence, and love of learning.

The Academic Mentor plays an important role in creating a supportive after-school environment where young people can receive individualized academic assistance, develop stronger study habits, and build the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. Through one-on-one support, small-group instruction, literacy development, test preparation, and enrichment activities, the Academic Mentor helps participants work toward greater academic independence and achievement.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working directly with young people, understands that every student learns differently, and believes academic support should be encouraging, culturally responsive, and connected to the whole development of a young person.

Working closely with program leadership, school-based staff, families, and fellow youth development staff, the Academic Mentor helps create an environment where participants feel supported, challenged, and empowered to reach their goals.

The Role The Academic Mentor provides direct academic support to young people participating in El Puente's youth programs.

Reporting to the Program Director and working collaboratively with program and school-based staff, the Academic Mentor supports participants with homework completion, literacy and math development, study skills, test preparation, and other academic needs.

The Academic Mentor will work individually and in small groups with participants, helping identify areas where additional support is needed and developing strategies that encourage growth, confidence, and academic success.

Beyond academics, this position contributes to El Puente's broader youth development model by building meaningful relationships with participants, supporting family engagement, participating in enrichment activities, and helping young people develop the skills and confidence needed to advocate for themselves and their communities.

Key Responsibilities Academic Support and Mentoring Provide individualized and small-group homework assistance and content-specific academic support.

Support participants in strengthening skills in mathematics, reading, writing, and other core academic subjects.

Help participants develop effective study habits, organization, time-management skills, and academic independence.

Design and facilitate literacy activities and interventions that strengthen reading comprehension, writing, and communication skills.

Develop and facilitate study-skills, test-preparation, and academic enrichment activities.

Identify areas where participants may need additional academic support and work with program leadership to develop appropriate strategies.

Encourage participants to set academic goals, recognize their progress, and build confidence in their abilities.

Provide patient, strengths-based academic guidance that responds to different learning styles and needs.

Youth Development and Engagement Build meaningful, supportive, and consistent relationships with young people.

Participate in a team-based approach to mentoring and supporting participants through El Puente's membership model.

Create learning environments that are welcoming, structured, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of young…