Academic Lead

Academic Lead, Providence About Squash Busters

Squash Busters is a 30‑year‑old sports‑based youth development program that uses a combination of squash, fitness, academic support and enrichment, community service, and mentoring to improve the lives of youth in Boston, Lawrence, and Providence. Squash Busters’ mission is to challenge and nurture youth in these cities – as students, athletes, and citizens – so that they can recognize and fulfill their greatest potential in life.

Squash Busters currently serves 500 middle school, high school, and post‑secondary students. Middle and High School Students practice at least three days a week throughout the school year and participate in weekend practices, tournaments, and summer opportunities. After high school graduation, students join the Post‑Secondary Services Program, and a dedicated staff team supports them in their chosen post‑secondary path, and provides career development, internship placement, and employment opportunities.

In Boston, programming takes place at the Badger‑Rosen Squash Busters Center located on Northeastern University’s main campus. In Providence, we work and play out of the Gorgi Squash Busters Center on the campus of Moses Brown School. In Lawrence, we have designed a facility, in partnership with the City of Lawrence and others, that broke new ground for the urban squash movement by placing Squash Busters directly inside a beautiful, new, 80‑unit affordable housing complex on the banks of the Merrimack River in downtown Lawrence.

Our core values are Love, Honesty, Attention to Detail, Teamwork and High Standards. Do these match yours?

The Academic Lead will report to and work closely with the Assistant Program Director (ADP) to set the vision for academic and enrichment programming, establish measurable outcomes each year, and lead the team in delivering on those goals. In addition to this leadership work, the Academic Lead also plans and runs daily academic and enrichment programming for Squash Busters students and oversees the processes for ensuring students’ participation in school year and summer academic, leadership, and career opportunities within and external to SQB’s programming.

This person will act as a model for hard work and commitment and will support the creation of a positive, dynamic culture for staff, students, and families. The Academic Lead will work closely with and serve as a mentor to the Program Coordinator, who supports the Academic Lead in running daily academic and enrichment sessions. This leadership role extends to other volunteers, part‑time employees, or partners who support or deliver academic sessions as the team challenges, nurtures, and holds accountable SQB youth so that they recognize and fulfill their potential.

Reports to:

Assistant Program Director

Home Office:
Providence, RI

Schedule:

10:30‑6:30/7:00 Monday‑Friday during the school year, with occasional weekend or evening hours required. Fridays (or another day) are given off when working a Saturday. Summer hours are slightly reduced.

• Oversee the creation and implementation of all academic and enrichment programming for middle and high school while working closely with the ADP to ensure the team meets or exceeds its target outcomes each year.
• Ensure maintenance of student standards and performance benchmarks that indicate progress against team goals.
• Use data to identify programmatic trends and create and/or adapt programs to meet identified needs.
• In collaboration with the ADP, oversee academic and team trip budgets.
• In collaboration with ADP, recruit, train, manage, and develop volunteers, partners, and occasional part‑time staff to support academic programming.
• Conduct both informal and formal observations of academic team members and provide regular feedback, direction, and mentoring.

• Collaborate with cross‑site counterparts to execute organization‑wide events and meet organizational goals.

• Plan, supervise and direct daily homework help sessions, team building, community service, and leadership activities. Maintain documentation of activities.
• Collaborate with…