Before & Afterschool Group Leader

Location: Burbank YMCA (Reading, North Reading)

About the role

Under the supervision of the Site Director/Program Administrator, the Group Educator plans and implements classroom curriculum, provides homework assistance, communicates information to families, and maintains a safe, healthy, warm, engaging, and attractive environment. The Group Educator serves as a liaison between the school day teacher and parent to support the academic and social-emotional success of students.

Responsibilities

• Ensures group/program curricula that provide growth in cognitive skills, self-awareness, group relationships, and character development.
• Adheres to EEC licensing standards and fosters an inclusive culture.
• Communicates information to parents.
• Maintains a program environment that is safe, healthy, and engaging.
• Delivers a developmentally sound program for children, providing positive channels to grow, learn, and develop to their full potential.
• Ensures the program meets community needs in a manner consistent with the YMCA mission.
• Designs age-appropriate activities that promote growth in cognitive skills, self-awareness, peer relationships, and character development.
• Serves as a role model for colleagues, program participants, and families by conducting themselves in a caring, responsible, honest, and respectful manner.
• Focuses on programming that promotes healthy living, social responsibility, and youth development to position the YMCA of Greater Boston as the childcare program of choice.
• Keeps the safety of children as the first priority; emphasizes personal safety and emotional well-being with children, parents, and staff.
• Uses positive and constructive methods of child guidance, ensuring all staff does the same.
• Adheres to rules, regulations, and procedures set forth by the YMCA of Greater Boston, the branch location, and the Department of Early Education and Care.
• Ensures supervision of children and manages smooth transitions to promote safety and appropriate behavior.
• Works with the Site Director in designing program space and maintains facility and supplies.
• Assists the Site Director with relevant assessments, including progress reports, parent surveys, and program self-assessment.
• Provides children with a well-balanced curriculum of planned learning experiences supporting social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development.

Qualifications

Must meet one of the following:

• Bachelor's or Associate's degree and three months of experience working with school-age children.
• High school diploma or equivalent and six months of experience working with school-age children, including three months of supervised experience at a school-age child care program.
• Nine months of experience with school-age children, including three months of supervised experience at a school-age child care program.

For experience to be counted, it must be a minimum of 12 hours per week, or if less than 12 hours a week, every block of 50 hours counts as one month.

Benefits

• Free YMCA membership for you.
• Discount on specialty programs like personal training and swimming lessons.
• Discounted or free family membership.
• Robust retirement plan up to 10%.
• Health, dental, and vision benefit package.
• Vacation and sick time (part-time employees receive sick time).

Additional perks include:

• Developing leadership skills in a caring, challenging, and diverse working environment.
• Exploring career opportunities while learning new skills and functions.
• Shaping the future of young children while making a difference in communities.
• Engaging in YMCA career training programs alongside passionate colleagues.
• Healthy work/life balance.

Pay

$16.50 - $22.00 per hour