Professional Mentor - Full-Time, Salaried - La Pine

Basic Function / Position Objective

A Friend works intensively with eight (8) children as a positive adult role model to develop a caring, trusting and sustained relationship with each child. For each child, a Friend will set positive expectations; nurture and promote their strengths, talents and abilities; help assure physical and emotional well-being; teach life and academic skills; provide enrichment activities; and model responsible behavior. A Friend will fully document activities and participate in an ongoing evaluation process. Friends will work primarily one-on-one with their children.

Essential Functions And Responsibilities

• Develop and sustain a long-term, caring, protective, and loving relationship with each 4th to 8th grade child.
  • Spend time with children, one-on-one.
  • Partner with parents/caregivers to provide concrete and social emotional supports for the family.
  • Set realistic expectations and goals based on each child’s strengths, talents, abilities, and needs.
  • Teach life skills and help develop a talent/skill/area of interest with each child.
  • Deepen connections for youth through incorporating specific community knowledge in programming.
  • Provide enrichment resources and activities that include opportunities for identity development.
  • Develop positive relationships with families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life.
  • Reinforce basic academic skills.
• Maintain a 40-hour work schedule that includes afternoons, evenings, and weekends (normal working days are Tuesday through Saturday with Sundays and Mondays off).
  • Maintain spending within budgetary guidelines.
  • Complete, distribute, and collect time summaries, activity journals, short-term plans, expense reports, and evaluations materials accurately and in a timely manner.
  • Attend and actively participate in team meetings and staff functions.
• Maintain current driver's license, good driving record, and vehicle insurance.
  • Maintain First Aid/CPR certification.
  • Transport children in personal vehicle as required for mentoring activities.
• Provide information and support to the executive team on related activities.

Essential Skills And Abilities

• Experience working with K-2nd grade youth;
• Ability to partner with parents/caregiver to provide concrete and social emotional support for the family;
• Ability to develop trusting relationships with children, families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work with children in varied capacities and settings to help them learn and grow;
• Ability to cultivate trusting relationships with children, parents, teachers and community members;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and communicate appropriately within the workplace;
• Ability to use creativity and initiative in planning activities to continually develop children;
• Ability to work independently and as a team player;
• Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively;
• Ability to set goals and develop plans to meet those goals to ensure the development of each child;
• Ability to complete administrative tasks accurately and on time;
• Ability to handle high mobility and driving demands safely and with good judgment;
• Basic computer and keyboarding skills, proficiency with e-mail systems, familiarity with MS Outlook and Access (or other database applications);
• Ability to exercise good judgment independently, in various situations and environments, and under varying levels of stress.

Additional Job Requirements

• Maintain current driver’s license, good driving record, and vehicle insurance;
• Maintain First Aid/CPR certification;
• Transport children in personal vehicle as required for mentoring activities;

Required Education, Experience, And Abilities

• 2 or 4-year degree Alternatively, at least seven years’ progressive experience working with children and families will be considered in lieu of a college degree.

Working Hours

The Program requires that you see each of your assigned children both in and outside of school, for an average of four hours each week, although how you accomplish that is at your discretion within established Program guidelines.