Youth Program Specialist

Department: Our Club
Reports to: Youth Program Coordinator
Employment Type: In-Person, Full-Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt

Schedule: 9:00am-6:00pm Monday-Friday on school days, 7:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday on school out days

About Our House

Our House empowers homeless and near-homeless families and individuals to succeed in the workforce, in school, and in life through hard work, wise decision-making, and active participation in the community. The Our House team has defined a set of seven Guiding Principles that characterize our culture and that we intentionally seek to uphold: Hard Work, Wise Decision-Making, Community, Initiative, Integrity, Safety, and Heart.

About the Role

You will be responsible for providing a safe and enriching out-of-school time program for K-12th grade in accordance with Arkansas’ Minimum Licensing Standards. Our Club operates every day after school and all day during school-out-days (school breaks, summer break, teacher in-service days). Youth Program Specialists will implement a trauma-informed, two-generation approach to support youth and families in their journey out of homelessness.

What You’ll Do

• Provide direct service, supervision, and lesson planning for youth, ages K-12th grade, using a strengths-based, positive youth development framework
• Create an enriching, fun, and safe environment for youth and families in Our Club 
  • Ensure that best practices are used in the classroom, actively seek feedback from youth on program choices, and foster supportive staff and peer relationships 
  • Support youth who have special needs or struggle with emotional regulation 
  • Assist with the meal and snack service and complete required paperwork
  • Maintain clean and organized classroom and program spaces
• Support academic success of youth and help bridge the gap between school and home 
  • Help youth with homework and tutoring when needed and incorporate Arkansas Department of Education K-12 standards
  • Build relationships with feeder schools and track academic strengths and needs 
  • Support transportation needs, including helping families navigate school bus routes, or riding the Our House van for school pick-ups
  • Connect youth to academic supports like tutors with ARKids Read
  • Collaborate with the Mental Health team to deliver social and emotional learning activities that explore identity, emotional intelligence, and empathy
• Plan enrichment activities that engage youth and integrate a two-generation approach. 
  • Develop programming in areas of STEAM, Health & Wellness, Youth Voice, Literacy, Life Skills, or other topics of interest to the youth
  • Plan and execute field trips or special guest visits during out-of-school days that expose youth to new and exciting experiences
  • Plan family engagement events like Family Fun Night, Parenting Education, holiday celebrations and an annual Black History Program
• Regularly communicate with parents about youth needs, successes, and progress 
  • Communicate through the program communication app, Bloomz
  • Discuss youth’s development and behavior with supervisor and parents regularly 
• Provide youth and families wrap-around services by collaborating with the Stability Program, Mental Health Program, Early Childhood Program, and Housing Programs
• Maintain important program documents, including youth sign-in/sign-out sheet records, program bulletin boards, and monthly calendars and newsletters 
• Assist with data tracking, performance measurement, and complete required professional development for Our Club
  • Conduct literacy assessments, collect quarterly report cards, and complete Strengths Difficulties Questionnaire assessments to measure progress
  • Monitor attendance and input youth daily attendance into Our House Database
  • Attend at least 30 hours of professional development each year, including participating in Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA). 
  • Follow all grant requirements and Arkansas Minimum Licensing requirements
• Conduct other duties as assigned to fulfill Our House’s mission

What You’ll Bring

• Ability to work effectively with diverse staff, parents, and community members 
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to planning 
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people 
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-direction
• Some supervisory experience with youth and staff 
• Ability to develop relationships with the youth and nurture them through behavior and family challenges

Requirements

• High School diploma required; Bachelor’s degree preferred 
• A background or college courses in education, social work, or psychology preferred 
• At least 2 years of experience working with youth is preferred 
• Ability to swim is preferred
• Obtain CPR / First Aid certification within first 90 days of employment
• Must be able to lift 30 lbs
• Complete Youth Worker Certification within 6 months of hire
• Complete the Arkansas New Staff Orientation within 90 days of hire
• Must be able to pass criminal background checks, child and adult maltreatment registry checks, sex offender registry checks, and a pre-employment drug screen

Benefits & Perks

Visit our careers page for more information on benefits and perks!

Our House is a drug-free workplace. 

Our House is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. People of color and members of the LGBTQ community are encouraged to apply.