Volunteer Tutor Position - Philadelphia, PA Area

Organization: Next Step

Position: Volunteer Tutor

Position Type: Virtual/Hybrid

Locations:

• Boston, MA
• Providence, RI
• New Haven, CT & Hartford, CT
• New York, NY
• Philadelphia, PA
• Washington, DC

Organization Description(s):

At Next Step, we are dedicated to supporting young people aged 13-29 living with chronic illnesses such as cancer, HIV, sickle cell, and other rare genetic conditions. Our mission is to empower them with the skills, tools, and knowledge to shift their mindset from “Why me?” to “What’s next?” We achieve this through a three-step process build on the pillars of:

• Engagement: Building Community + Changing Perspective
• Education: Learning Skills + Growing Confidence
• Empowerment: Building Resilience + Developing Leadership

Next Step’s STRIVE program is a free tutoring program for teens, ages 13-18, living with chronic illness. The program is primarily hosted in Boston, New York City, Washington DC, New Haven, Philadelphia, and Rhode Island. The program providers young people with:

• Weekly 45-minute 1:1 tutoring/mentoring sessions during the academic year
• 2x a year community & family events (aimed at providing fun and connection for youth and families)
• Ongoing virtual groups, as needed

Position Description :

The Volunteer Tutor position will be responsible for the ongoing delivery of weekly tutoring sessions for the young people within our program. The tasks and responsibilities are as follows:

• Delivering weekly 45 minute – 1 hour long virtual tutoring sessions for 1 young person during the academic year
• Communicate weekly reminders about sessions to the young person AND their parents/guardians
• Document tasks and goals discussed during tutoring sessions
• Generate post-session updates for the young person, parents/guardians and Next Step staff
• Attend four 2-hour virtual training sessions over the summer of 2026
• Attend and participate in bi-weekly tutor supervision over the course of the academic year
• Facilitate virtual hangs with other mentors & young people to increase community connection (as needed)
• Be available for 4-5 two-hour virtual trainings over course of the summer (6/22, 7/6, 7/20, 8/10, & 8/17)

Qualifications

• Able to commit to weekly tutoring during the academic year (approx. mid-September to early June)
• Have previous experience as a tutor and/or mentor
• Comfort working with diverse audiences
• Ability to create a positive and encouraging learning atmosphere
• Ability and readiness to hold space for others
• Works very well on a team and is supportive of teammates/colleagues
• Have experience with supporting others living with chronic illness
• Have excellent organizational and computer skills
• Exceptional communication skills and professional boundaries
• Possess a good sense of humor and work ethic
• Responsible and professional
• Can work independently
• Demonstrate a commitment to the mission of Next Step
• A strong sense of professional boundaries and patient confidentiality
• Have a strong interest in public health, medicine, and social justice issues
• Must have required vaccinations for residential programs by state law: MMR, Varicella, and TDAP.
• Due to the nature of the participants, we work with, who are often immunocompromised, we also require staff to be up to date with COVID-19 and flu vaccines