Youth Mentor & Activity Specialist
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Volunteers of America - Dakotas
Sioux Falls, SD, US
Summary
The Youth Mentor & Activity Specialist is responsible for supervising middle school students and facilitating engaging academic and recreational activities. They also maintain a safe environment, track attendance, and provide support to students and families.
Job Description
**This position is eligible for a $500 hiring bonus**
Department: Out of School Time
Job Status: Relief
Reports to: Middle School Youth Program Coordinator
Position Supervises: None
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 3:15 PM – 6:00 PM
POSITION SUMMARY
Are you looking for a meaningful, hands-on opportunity to work with middle school students? As a Youth Mentor & Activity Specialist, you’ll play a key role in creating a safe, fun, and supportive environment where students can grow, learn, and thrive.
What You’ll Do:
- Be a positive presence by supervising students and ensuring their safety at all times.
- Build real connections through games, conversations, and activities that help students feel welcome and valued.
- Lead engaging programs by planning and facilitating at least 11 academic, recreational, and social-emotional activities each month.
- Keep things running smoothly by helping maintain clean, organized spaces and assisting with hygiene when needed.
- Support families and students by communicating clearly, following behavior plans, and upholding our values every day.
Reasonable Accommodations Statement
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS STATEMENT(S)
Programming
- Supervise middle school students in a safe and enriching environment
- Provide appropriate supervision of students to ensure safety and intervene when necessary
- Actively engage with students through games, play, conversation, etc.
- Plan a minimum of 11 activities per month as assigned by the Middle School Youth Program Coordinator and submit to Coordinator in advance for approval
- Facilitate activities as assigned by Coordinator
- Complete van driver and provide safe transportation to off-site activities and field trips
- Clean and organize afterschool spaces to ensure they are safe and developmentally appropriate
- Help students with personal hygiene
- Track attendance, snack records and participation as requested
- Assist with data collection and reporting as requested
- Report any incidents, behaviors, injuries, etc. to Coordinator and assist in completing related forms as requested
- Support students and implement consequences as identified in the organization’s policies and procedures and any written behavior plans
Student and Family Supports
- Communicate student and family needs with Middle School Youth Program Coordinator to facilitate referral to community resources
- Participate in and help with special events and family nights
General
- Attend scheduled meetings and required trainings, which may occur outside of regularly scheduled hours
- Complete all required trainings within identified timeframe
- Report any safety, maintenance or equipment concerns to Coordinator as soon as possible
- Be a positive role model for students by being a positive, active and engaged member of the team
- Maintain high level of confidentiality with sensitive information
- Report any instances (or suspected instances) of child abuse and neglect to the proper authorities
- Report any instances (or suspected instances) of child abuse and neglect to proper authorities
Responsible for other duties as assigned.
POSITIONS QUALIFICATIONS SKILLS & ABILITIES
Education: High School Diploma and/or state education requirements required
Experience: Previous experience working with youth preferred, but not required.
Skills: Ability to build relationships with students; ability to communicate clearly and positively; Ability to lead a group of students in an activity; Ability to respond calmly to unexpected situations.
Licenses: Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
A. Ability to Stand, Walk, sit, manually manipulate, reach outward and above shoulders, speak and bend on a daily basis
B. Capability to lift, carry, push or pull up to 50 lbs on a daily basis
