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 Chicago’s 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.

Youth Guidance at Uplift Community Academy is a dynamic team of skilled instructors passionate about engaging students and creating a fun and supportive after school environment. We are seeking enthusiastic and responsible candidates that enjoy working with groups of students and are flexible team-players.

Position Summary: To instruct, supervise, engage and ensure the safety of after school students as well as assisting the Community Resource Coordinator in promoting programs and performing responsibilities as assigned at Parker Community Academy.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Supervise, instruct, plan lessons, and lead activities for students enrolled in the after school programs and promote the values of Youth Guidance and your assigned school
• Write and implement 2-3 lessons per week in subjects of your choosing, where you can share your skills and talents with students
  • Seeking candidates with experience in facilitating one or more of the following: dance, spoken word, arts & crafts, social-emotional learning subject matter, and/or recreational activities for youth
• Afternoon availability: Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays 3pm to 6pm and Wednesdays 2pm to 5pm.
• Maintain behavioral expectations for students in keeping with established methods and procedures
• Assist students of varying ability with homework and other projects
• Escort students to and from programs, following the established after school schedule
• Assist in the distribution of publications and additional information used to promote the programs and various enrichment programs as offered
• Provide support to the regular school day administration and staff
• Provide conflict resolution with students
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Education/Experience/Training

• Must have minimum of High school Diploma or GED. Bachelor's degree or student working towards a degree preferred
• Experience working with school age children strongly preferred
• Experience working in a school setting OR working with groups of 15-25 people preferred

Skills/Abilities

• Ability to understand the policies, procedures, and general organizational structure of the Chicago Public Schools
• Ability to be proactive with projects and follow through in a timely manner with an end result that adheres to the Resource Coordinators' vision
• Ability to be flexible with program assignments and make changes to projects and proposals on the fly
• Demonstrated effective verbal and written communication skills
• Proficient in conflict resolution

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. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stoop, kneel and crouch.
• The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, and viewing a computer terminal.
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 

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, all Youth Guidance employees must be fully vaccinated or approved for a medical or religious exemption
• 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.