School Attendance Specialist (Northeast Bronx YMCA)

School Attendance Specialist (Northeast Bronx YMCA)

The YMCA of Greater New York is here for all New Yorkers — to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community. Founded in 1852, today the Y serves a diverse population of more than half a million New Yorkers who learn, grow, and thrive through programs and services at our 24 branches. Community is the cornerstone of the Y. Together, we connect active, engaged New Yorkers to build stronger communities.

The Northeast Bronx YMCA is seeking a School Attendance Specialist. Under the supervision of the Youth & Family Director, the School Attendance Specialist will play a critical role in providing intensive and extensive attendance and academic support to assigned children in grades K – 5 and their families. Support through check-ins and activities must be designed with a level of understanding and care that promotes social-emotional skills and a sense of belonging. The School Attendance Specialist will also be responsible for creating a safe and positive environment for these children and their families to provide opportunities for learning, interaction, and academic/personal growth.

The School Attendance Specialist is responsible for supporting and working with assigned participants in their cohort through engaging in group activities or regular school-day and/or afterschool check-ins. They will also be responsible for checking in with families, connecting them with resources, and developing enriching and exciting family engagement activities and attendance challenges.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide support to assigned participants and their families through regular check-ins and/or group activities.
• Plan and implement meaningful activities, attendance challenges, family engagement activities, and special events that are age-appropriate, exciting, and challenging.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with parents and guardians through regular communication about their child's attendance and as needed, connect families with community resources.
• Document, track, and maintain regular progress and attendance records of designated participants. Provide feedback regarding participant progress as needed.
• Attend school attendance meetings, as needed, and report on participants' progress and needs.
• Ensure the health, safety, and well-being of program participants by providing appropriate supervision.
• Work cooperatively with Afterschool Counselors, professional staff, teachers, and other program and school staff.
• Promote an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful environment that embraces the diversity of all participants.
• Create and maintain a strength-based, youth-focused atmosphere consistent and sensitive to participants' needs with learning, emotional, or behavioral differences.
• Understand and communicate the YMCA's core values and the goals of the school and Y Afterschool program to participants and caregivers.
• Serve as a positive role model for participants.
• Actively participate in training sessions, designated meetings, and extraordinary events, as appropriate.
• Maintain accurate program documentation (attendance, behavior reports, incident reports, and accident reports, as appropriate).
• Adhere to all Department of Health, YMCA of Greater New York, and funder standards, expectations, and regulations.

Desired Skills & Experience:

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience working with elementary-aged youth.
• General knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Knowledge of Access, Adobe PageMaker, and Photoshop preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills, leadership qualities, and comfortable working with diverse youth and adults.

The YMCA of Greater New York offers a variety of benefits to its staff members, including retirement benefits, medical, paid time off, free YMCA membership, and more! Benefit eligibility is determined by an individual's employment status (i.e., full-time or part-time), tenure, and/or the number of hours scheduled to work. Click for more information.

If you would like to be a member of our dynamic team, please complete our online application and submit your résumé and a thoughtful cover letter that explains your interest in the role and our organization. If you are a current YMCA employee, please submit your application through the Internal Career Site in Cornerstone.