Lead Teacher; Program Facilitator

Lead Teacher (Program Facilitator)

Reports to:

Senior Lead Teacher

Location:

In person at exalt's location in Syracuse, NY (224 Harrison Street, 7th Floor)

Schedule:

Working hours:

11am-7pm;
Classes 3pm-5pm

About exalt

exalt is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming outcomes for court-involved youth ages 15–19. For two decades, exalt has inspired young people at a critical crossroads to believe in their worth and create lasting behavioral change. Through our integrated model of structured classes, individualized support, paid internships, court advocacy, and alumni resources, we equip youth with the skills, experience, and confidence to avoid further justice system involvement and become self-sufficient, productive members of society.

At exalt, we empower youth to see a future filled with hope — and we provide the road map to get there.

exalt is seeking a Lead Teacher to join the Syracuse team. The Lead Teacher guides cohorts of young people through exalt's program — a transformative journey that moves participants from classroom learning to real-world internship experience and, ultimately, to a concrete plan for their future. The Lead Teacher facilitates three components of this core program:

• Pre-Internship Preparation (4 weeks): A daily workshop-style class that builds four core skills — critical thinking, communication, creative problem-solving, and resource management (the ability to identify and leverage available supports and opportunities) — while connecting employability, educational engagement, and justice system avoidance to real-life decision-making.
• Internship Phase (4 weeks):
  During this phase, participants are placed in paid internships. The Lead Teacher facilitates weekly Friday Seminars that help students connect their workplace experiences to the three key areas where exalt supports its participants: justice system avoidance, academic progression, and employability.
• Post-Internship Phase (1 week): A daily class during which participants synthesize their internship experience with prior learning and develop tangible, personal goals and strategies for staying on track after the program — in school, at work, and in their communities.

exalt's approach centers the voices, experiences, and cultures of our young people. Rather than relying on traditional lecture-based instruction, Lead Teachers create space for participants to explore ideas through dialogue, creativity, and real-world application — building critical thinking and self-advocacy through active participation. This approach also builds discipline and accountability, inspiring youth to internalize and apply exalt's four core skills to decision-making across settings — in school, in professional environments, and in their daily lives.

• Facilitate multiple program cycles annually for cohorts of youth ages 15-19, creating an engaging and supportive learning environment.
• Build authentic relationships with young people who are typically resistant to traditional educational settings.
• Assess individual student learning styles, challenges and strengths and tailor instruction to maximize engagement and comprehension.
• Communicate regularly with Program Coordinator and exalt staff to share students' obstacles, assets and opportunities.
• Enter weekly data in Salesforce database including attendance, performance and notes assessing developmental progress and setbacks of students.
• Devise creative strategies to address the diverse needs of students at risk of not completing the program.
• Link all classroom discussion and instruction to exalt's long-term goals for students: increased investment and persistence in school, employability, and sustained avoidance of further justice system involvement.
• Conduct all pre- and post- assessments on schedule.
• Collaborate with Program Coordinator to develop individualized goals for students and support their progress towards goals by conducting school visits, attending court appearances, or connecting them to additional resources as needed.
• Collaborate with exalt staff on a regular basis to assess and support participants' ongoing progress and needs,…