Academic Tutor

Job Description 

Position Title: T.R.A.C.K. Tutor 
Dept & Initiative: 02-2101 
Reports to: Academic Success Program Coordinator 
Status: Seasonal Part-Time (August-May) 
Schedule: 15 hrs/week 

Gary Comer Youth Center: Having opened its doors in June 2006, the state-of-the-art Gary Comer Youth Center (GCYC) offers positive extracurricular alternatives in a welcoming and safe environment. The mission is to provide the support for all of our youth to graduate from high school, prepared to pursue college and careers. Located on Chicago’s South Side, the Gary Comer Youth Center draws its primary membership from the youth residing on the South Side of Chicago with a focus on Grand Crossing residents. GCYC is the oldest and largest institution sitting on the Comer Education Campus which includes our organizational partners Gary Comer College Prep High School, the South Shore Drill Team, and Gary Comer Middle School. For more information, please visit: www.garycomeryouthcenter.org. 

Position Summary 
Academic Tutors are responsible for providing support for the academic growth of young people in the T.R.A.C.K. program. T.R.A.C.K. stands for Transition Readiness and College Knowledge. This program's focus is to develop a pipeline for south side low-income, high performing youth to high performing schools in the Chicago landscape.   
 
Tutors will help participants complete assignments, set and achieve academic goals, develop relevant skills, and better understand the curriculum outside the classroom.  Tutors will also help youth learn accelerated material outside the classroom.  Tutors will meet with participants individually and in small groups to maximize potential growth. Tutors are expected to participate in professional development to strengthen tutoring and mentoring techniques. 

Essential Functions and Responsibilities: 

Assisting assigned middle school students with homework, projects, test preparation, papers, research, and other academic tasks 

Working with students to help them understand key concepts, especially those learned in the classroom 

Teaching skills to improve academic performance, including study strategies, note-taking skills, and approaches to answering test questions 

Demonstrating academic best practices for specific subjects and assignments, including research and writing tactics 

Developing and distributing teaching materials to supplement classroom lessons, including study guides 

Conducting practice tests to track progress, identify areas of improvement, and help set goals for exam preparation 

Providing students with positive and constructive feedback 

Parent communication, engagement and notification via phone check-ins, emails and handwritten notes. 

Facilitate effective data management of members’ assessments and growth, including input into databases and case notes. 

Complete a background check and fingerprinting. 

Miscellaneous: 

Responsible for maintaining a physically and emotionally safe environment to ensure further proper youth supervision and managing conduct issues and incidents. 

Attends required staff meetings and trainings. 

Works with other staff to execute effective outreach, recruitment, and retention strategies. 

Supports the mission of GCYC. 

Works collaboratively in a team setting serving the needs of youth. 

Is committed to the safety and development of all GCYC members. 

Takes on other duties as needed. 

Serves as a role model for youth and community. 

Abides by the employee handbook and established GCYC policies and procedures. 

Qualifications 

Be currently enrolled in a secondary 5th-12th education program.  Major with a concentration in math, science, ela or special education/gifted youth   

Thorough knowledge of a specific academic subject preferred 

Strong verbal and written communication skills to clearly explain challenging concepts, provide instructions, and deliver feedback 

Ability to motivate and encourage students to improve their academic performance using effective goal-setting strategies 

Creativity and flexibility to personalize their learning approach for individual students 

Patience and compassion for students as they develop skills and improve their performance 

Previous demonstrated excellence in the academic subject which will be the focus of tutoring 

Comfortable engaging youth as an individual or large group (as many as 15) 

Able to communicate effectively with youth. 

Must demonstrate cultural competency, and dedication to working with youth, families, and community members in our care. 

·Education & Skill Requirements 

Be currently enrolled in a secondary 5th-12th education program.  Major with a concentration in math, science, ela or special education/gifted youth   

Be interested in being a lead in a class setting 

Must possess genuine care and concern for youth – especially pre-teens and teens. 

Program area management skills that are engaging, non-oppressive, and age appropriate. 

Strong project management and organizational skills. Must be able to initiate and finish projects. 

Able to communicate effectively with youth, co-workers, stakeholders, and families in a respectful and culturally competent manner via written and verbal communication. 

Must enjoy working with teams but can also work independently. 

Enjoys being the leader but is also confident enough to take directions from others. 

Must be able to take initiative and problem-solve. Must be a creative thinker. 

Demonstrates strong accuracy in all areas of work. 

Must possess adaptive vitality. 

Demonstrates understanding of the positive youth development philosophy. 

Demonstrates an understanding of guidance and discipline principles & conflict resolution strategies. 

Must demonstrate cultural competency, and dedication to working with youth, families and community members in our care. 

Must have basic computer literacy skills – including Microsoft Office, independent use of the internet and ability to learn and properly utilize software systems. 

Prefer some experience working with children aged 11-14 

Physical Work Requirements & Environment: 

The GCYC environment is consistently bustling with youth and community members. The Center’s work is fast-paced and varied. Our work is done on-site where our youth and families are. Therefore, it is required that team members meet these requirements: 

Have the ability to lift up to 25 pounds. 

Possess the ability to monitor a group of youth during field trips and to complete building and program rounds. 

Be able to stand and move with youth during programs, field trips and special events throughout the day. 

Must be able to ride various modes of transportation including school and coach buses, airplanes, cars, vans, and public transportation. 

Can operate in crowds or with small groups. 

Able to complete administrative work in a shared office space within a youth center. 

A flexible schedule for the evening and some weekend hours is required during the school year. Summer hours have a more traditional work schedule. 

Salary : $18 - $20