Program Advisor at Reading High School - TRIO Upward Bound Programs

Penn State University; Reading, Northern (Berks County, KY); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Tuition discount

Job summary

Penn State University’s Upward Bound Programs seeks a Program Advisor to support roughly 100 students at Reading High School. The role involves planning social, educational, and service-learning activities under federal TRIO guidelines and coordinating events with community partners.

The advisor will recruit students, provide guidance on college readiness, financial aid, and career services, and deliver summer and residential programming in accordance with grant requirements.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering direct college-prep services to 9th–12th graders.
• Ability to work with low-income, first-generation students from diverse backgrounds.
• Understanding of federal TRIO program guidelines is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Organize, develop, and implement social, educational, and service-learning programs for Upward Bound participants.
• Lead recruitment and programming for grant-determined school districts and events.
• Advise, tutor, or refer students on college readiness, financial aid, and career services.
• Develop academic year and summer programming in line with federal guidelines.

Skills

College prep services

Experience with low-income students

Bilingual awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in education or related field

Job description

POSITION SPECIFICS

This position is funded for 1 year(s); continuation past 1 year(s) will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding. Upward Bound Programs (UBP) includes five federally funded TRIO grants through the Department of Education: four of them are Upward Bound (UB) in addition to one Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS). Two of these grants serve students at Reading High School. These grants help high school students gain academic skills and motivation to continue their education beyond high school. At Penn State, UBP is located within The Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity. UBP is seeking a Program Advisor to work with approximately 100 students attending Reading High School. Office space at Penn State Berks will also be provided and shared with an additional Reading High UBP program advisor.

A UBP program advisor assists in organizing, developing, and implementing social, educational, and service‑learning programs/activities for Upward Bound Programs’ participants. The successful candidate will be responsible for student recruitment and programming for grant‑determined school district population, parent/student events, and community stakeholders. The counselor will advise, tutor, or refer program participants on various student services including high school course selection, college readiness, financial aid, health and wellness, career services, academic advising, student leadership, and diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the counselor will develop and implement academic year and summer residential programming in compliance with federal guidelines as outlined in the grant and develop and maintain effective working relationships with school districts, community partners, and campus and University‑wide offices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications:

• Understand and articulate unit policies and federal grant guidelines in oral and written communication
• Demonstrated experience in providing direct college preparation services to 9th- through 12th-grade students
• Experience working with low‑income, first‑generation high school students from different backgrounds

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in counselor education, college student personnel, psychology, social work, education, higher education administration, or a STEM field
• Knowledge and experience with federally funded TRIO programs
• Familiarity with second language learners as many of our students are bilingual

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

Minimum Education, Work Experience & Required Certifications: Bachelor's Degree 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted. Required Certifications: None.

BACKGROUND CHECKS / CLEARANCES

• PA State Police Criminal Background Check
• PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form
• Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check

This position requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid driver’s license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to standard background checks. Penn State does not sponsor or take over sponsorship of a staff employment Visa. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

SHIFT & TRAVEL

This position will require occasional evening and weekend hours, as well as some overnight travel for UBP meetings, retreats, and conferences. The program advisor will also reside in a residence hall(s) during the annual UBP Summer Academy to help implement programming and supervise students.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $44,628.00 - $64,668.00.

Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Robust retirement plans
• Substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time
• Generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children

EEO & DIVERSITY

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission.

COMPANY CULTURE

Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our 100,000 students and 40,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom – it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. Our ideals stem from our origins as Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution, which allow us to continue to bring positive impact to humanity through our teaching, research, and engagement mission. And across the world is a community of Penn Staters – more than half a million strong – driven by that same spirit to serve our local and global communities. At Penn State, passion is met with collaboration in an environment that is rooted in shared pride for the accomplishments of our fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Penn Staters cheer each other on to build a culture committed to service and engagement. Our University values represent our core ethical aspirations for all our daily activities and actions as students, faculty, staff, and volunteers at Penn State. Our values are as follows; Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, and Community. We Are Penn State. One Community. Impacting Many.