Activity Specialist

Activity Specialist

Rooted in the Bronx, New Settlement stands with community members to break systemic barriers, advance justice, promote leadership and strengthen neighborhoods. By ensuring agency around education, employment, housing, wellness and creative expression, we help cultivate an equitable society where individuals and families have the power to use their voice to create the change they wish to see.

Since New Settlement's inception in 1989 as a settlement house rooted in the Bronx, our organization has been a responsive community partner. Originally established to revitalize abandoned buildings into affordable housing, New Settlement has since evolved into a multi-generational, forward-looking organization. We support 15,000 members of the community annually by providing organizing in housing and schools, and programs in education, college access, youth development, arts, workforce development, wellness and more.

Reporting to the Program Director, the Activity Specialist teaches, nurtures and encourages a group of about 15-25 students in the elementary school by being a positive role model.

Program hours are afternoons, Monday through Friday and we operate during some school holidays. We service students in grades K-8 from September – June with the possibility of summer programming July – August.

Our programs provide a wide variety of stimulating hands-on art, literacy, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities as well as gym, homework assistance and a nutritious hot meal. We use an age-appropriate, positive youth-development approach that includes health, fitness and community engagement.

We have partnerships with NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Cooking, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Bronx Care Health System, ABADA Capoeira and Partnership for After School Education.

Job Duties include but not limited to:

• Understand, adhere, and enforce school program expectations, policies, and protocols as laid out by Program Director and Executive Director.
• Sets a positive tone with students.
• Plans and leads quality hands-on activities.
• Creates lesson plans.
• Ensures the safety of students at all times.
• Anticipates and resolves conflict.
• Reports all incidents accurately and timely.
• Maintains accurate and up to date records (e.g. attendance and sign-out sheets, incident reports, etc.).
• Supervises mealtime.
• Assists with homework and maintaining the overall condition of the classroom.
• Collaborating with after school staff and teachers.
• Interacting positively with parents at dismissal.
• Required to participate in staff meetings and training.
• Supervises a Group Leader.
• Other duties or special projects as assigned by the Program Director.

Qualifications & Experience:

• High School diploma or GED; some college preferred.
• Minimum of one-year experience working with school age children preferably in an educational setting (school or after-school program).
• Experience assisting with quality activities; ensuring safety of program participants.
• Knowledge of youth development practices.
• Must be sensitive to diverse cultures.
• Possess strong planning and organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a team setting.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) a plus.
• Must possess the ability to maintain confidentiality and use appropriate discretion.

Position Requirements:

• Must be cleared and maintain clearance throughout duration of employment by NYS DOH and DOE fingerprinting screening, NYS Central Registrar Background Check, 3 Reference checks, Staff Exclusion List (SEL), and must provide a physical examination with updated TB test.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

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 accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

• The ability to sit, stand, walk and use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and telephone to talk and hear.
• The ability to frequently sit and reach with hands and arms.
• The ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

Working Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Must be able to utilize office equipment such as desktop/notebook computers, copiers, printers, scanners, telephones, and calculators.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Employment is at will and employees will undergo 45- and 90-day check-ins during their 90-day probationary period.

New Settlement is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.