About Our Organization:

At Youth Guidance, we believe that no matter what challenges a young person faces, they are more likely to succeed when they have caring adults in their lives. Our highly-trained staff guides kids to overcome the life and academic challenges facing the youth. We meet kids where they are — physically and emotionally — to help them focus on their education, make positive choices, and remain on the right path toward life success.

Founded in 1924 today Youth Guidance is a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs serving more than 8,500 youth while touching the lives of more than 14,000 youth, parents, teachers, and community members.

Position Summary: The Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum Specialist is responsible for training implementation and coaching for the Evolve project, Youth Guidance’s innovative approach to scaling social-emotional learning circles to improve student outcomes. Youth Guidance trains 2-3 school staff per school to facilitate Evolve circles while also providing training to school staff on creating healing-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive schools.

The Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum Specialist will support in this effort, working collaboratively with the Manager of Curriculum Design, Director of Professional Development and Curriculum Design, National Implementation Manager, Evolve Evaluation Manager, and design consultants. The Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum Specialist will travel as needed (20%) to facilitate training and coaching with school based Evolve Circle leaders and observe curriculum implementation.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

Co-facilitates the implementation of the Evolve Training Academy, the program’s professional development and coaching strategy to build capacity of Evolve Circle leaders that support trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices

• Provides on-going training during Evolve Circle leaders virtual coaching sessions
• Provides technical assistance and support to Evolve Circle leaders on Evolve Central, the program’s online learning management system

• Conducts informal/ formal observations of the Evolve Circle Leaders
• Assists the adaptations of the Evolve curriculum, a structured social-emotional learning group curriculum that supports students in forming a positive identity, developing healthy relationships, and engaging in school
• Works collaboratively with the program team and Evolve Evaluation Manager to iterate curriculum design as warranted
• Collaborates with the Manager of Curriculum Design, Director of Professional Development and Curriculum Design and design consultants to ensure that best practices in the fields of social-emotional learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, positive youth development, trauma-informed care and evidence-informed interventions are integrated into program design
• Participates in ongoing staff development, as needed, to stay current with ongoing program area trends
• Assures the agency’s core values and key concepts are interwoven into program design and implementation, as allowed by program stakeholders
• Supports, builds, and shares best practices for positive student outcomes.
• Supports school staff with tracking and monitoring student data.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Education/Experience/Training

• Bachelor’s Degree in education, social work, psychology, human services, or counseling
• 3-5 years of work experience in education, human service, youth development, or social service field
• 1-5 years of work experience in social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum development or SEL program implementation
• Experience using a Learning Management System (LMS)
• Experience working in and with schools and school staff
• Experience in creating and facilitating professional development for school staff on trauma-informed practice, social-emotional learning, and culturally responsive schools
• A minimum of 3 years of working in or with an educational system with a focus on social, emotional, and behavioral support is strongly preferred
• Experience in a Middle or High School setting preferred

Skills/Abilities

• Possesses excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Excellent presentation skills live in-person and virtually.
• Proficiency with technology and systems with an emphasis on an ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Strong service and support orientation towards students, educators and school communities.
• Strong coaching and interpersonal skills that excel in cultural sensitivity and respect for differences.
• Effective communicator with excellent verbal, written and negotiation skills to communicate effectively and with integrity across various audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and adapt during new and shifting priorities with a solution-oriented approach to problem solving.
• The ability to work well both independently and cross-functionally.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrated passion and dedication to the agency’s mission and the continuous improvement of service quality.

Competencies

• Communication: Uses effective written and oral communication with internal and external audiences and stakeholders; demonstrates empathy and listening
• Client orientation: Recognizes needs of diverse stakeholders and approaches relationships with a service orientation, to ultimately maximize impact
• Growth mindset: Views growth as important for personal and professional development; seeks out opportunities to expand skills, even if change is required; demonstrates curiosity and eagerness to learn
• Ownership and quality of work: Effectively manages own work ensuring delivery of high-quality work
• Mission driven: Demonstrates commitment to the mission of the organization as a whole and alignment with organizational values

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This job operates in a professional office environment, school setting and working with the public, COVID-19 vaccination is required
• Occasional local and national travel

DEI Statement

At Youth Guidance, we understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are fundamental to realizing our vision of bright and successful futures for all young people. We celebrate the diversity of youth and recognize them as empowered leaders, problem-solvers, and experts of their own experiences. At the same time, we acknowledge that many systems and institutions meant to support youth are inequitable and unjust.

As such, we are committed to advancing DE&I through our words and our actions, both internally and externally, by:

• Strengthening cultural competence as well as policies, practices, and organizational structures that foster belonging and leverage the unique backgrounds and talents of staff;
• Offering youth-centered programs that are accessible and responsive to people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, sexual identity, gender identity and expression, language, and cultural and religious beliefs and practices;
• Influencing systems that youth, their families, and communities are impacted by, such as schools, organizational networks, governmental bodies, researchers, and the funding community, to apply approaches that embrace DEI in addressing the needs and supporting the aspirations of young people.

Youth Guidance is an equal opportunity employer and proudly values diversity. Youth Guidance does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law and is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity along all of these lines. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.