Youth Advocate

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York's Hoop Haven program seeks a Youth Advocate for the Kennedy Center in Harlem. You will work with youth aged 12 to 17, promoting healthy life skills through team sports and academic support.

The role emphasizes health and wellness, engagement with diverse youth, and collaboration with a team of professionals to deliver structured activities, field trips, and community outreach in New York City.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• 2+ years' experience working with youth.
• Experience teaching or training groups.

Responsibilities

• Interact with students (ages 12 to 17), parents/guardians, educators and community on issues affecting Harlem youth; provide social and emotional support and referrals.
• Develop engaging team-building activities focusing on team sports to develop positive life and problem-solving skills.
• Connect students and families to Catholic Charities services and external resources as needed.
• Collaborate with Program Coordinator on activity/curriculum development and community outreach.
• Provide routine academic support in group and individual settings (homework help).
• Maintain attendance logs and program data using prescribed databases; document progress monthly.
• Assist in maintaining monthly calendar of program activities and workshops.
• Attend field trips and special events as required.
• Participate in staff meetings and case conferences.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Youth engagement

Teamwork

Outreach

Organization

Microsoft Office

Background checks

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Description

Job Description

Job Title:

Youth Advocate - Kennedy Center (Hoops Haven Youth Sports Programming)

Location:

New York, NY

FLSA Status:

Full Time, Non-Exempt

Classification:

Professional

Department:

Alianza Youth Services Division

Reports to:

Director (HH)

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Yes

No

Summary: As part of the Catholic Charities Hoop Haven Program, t he Youth Advocate will work with and support youth ages 12 to 17 at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Community Center in Harlem in the building and fostering healthy of p ositive life skills , with a primary focus on health and wellness . The Hoop Haven program was developed several years ago with a mission of engaging Harlem youth, with or without any sports related skill or acumen, and introducing the concept of team sports as a means of establishing healthy life habits and a team-centered mindset. Hoop Haven does not utilize try-outs as a means of student participation and accepts youth of all skill levels and backgrounds.

The Youth Advocate will work with a team of other professionals who support heal thy activities for youth and will actively promote positive academic and life skills through a combination of sports related group activities (predominantly basketball) and academic support.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for working with youth, knowledge of health and wellness as a means of supporting personal and academic growth, a working knowledge of basketball or other team sports , and a commitment to fostering the growth and development of youth in the Harlem community.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Regularly interact with students (ages 12 to17 ), parents /guardians , educators , and the community on a variety of issues and topics that affect Harlem youth, including healthy living, sports, exercise, community engagement and academics, as well as offering social and emotional support and referrals as needed.
• Work directly with students by developing engaging team building activities and education with a focus on team sports as a means to the development of positive life and problem solving skills , including de-escalation and anti-violence rubric .
• Link students and their families to other internal Catholic Charities services and external resources and referrals depending on need.
• Work closely with the Program Coordinator on activity and curriculum development, as well as marketing and outreach of the program to the community.
• Provide routine academic support as part of the program curriculum, both in group and individual settings (i.e. homework and other school related assistance).
• Maintain attendance logs and any other required documentation. Use Catholic Charities prescribed technology and databases to track and record program data and metr ics as assigned by the Program Coordinator .
• Maintain monthly progress notes on participants; collect and complete all necessary documentation and reports related to program activities.
• Assist in the maintenance of the monthly calendar of program activities and workshops available to participants.
• Attend student field trips and special events when necessary.
• Participate in staff meetings, case conferences and other meetings as assigned.

P osition Type and Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are generally 10:00AM to 6:00PM, Tuesday through Saturday . Additional evening and weekend hours will be required to meet program deadlines, goals, client needs, and attend special events.

Working conditions and physical demands required:

• When conducting home visits or field trips, individuals will use public transportation or traverse city streets, occasionally ascend/descend stairs, and be exposed to outside weather conditions.
• Remain in a stationary position while monitoring activities, providing instruction, or when at a work station.
• Use a computer at least 40% of the time.
• Ability and patience to work with youth , particularly in group settings.
• Be actively mobile for long periods, providing instruction.
• Travel when taking field trips, using public transportation, traverse city streets, ascend/descend stairs, and be exposed to outside weather conditions, while escorting youth.

Qualifications

Education and/or experience required:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Relevant work experience in an area of health and wellness .
• A minimum of 2 years' experience working with youth.
• Experience teaching or training individuals in group settings.
• Basketball knowledge preferred but not required. A general understanding of team sports as a means for positive youth development strongly preferred.

Skills, Licenses, and/or competencies required :

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate and effectively engage youth with diverse backgrounds .
• Ability to work well in a team environment.
• Excellent network-building and outreach skills.
• Must be organized and detail oriented and have the ability to work effectively under pressure in both team setting and individually.
• Excellent computer skills and experience (Interne t, Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point) .
• Must pass all necessary background checks and clearances as required by Catholic Charities Community Services.