Bilingual Center Aide (English/Spanish)

Higher Achievement is a nationally acclaimed youth development organization focusing on high school placement opportunities for middle school scholars. We are seeking a Center Aide - Bilingual (English/Spanish) for the academic year at our Brookland Achievement Center at Brookland Middle School, in Washington, DC! If your passion is working with youth and making a difference through culture principals of respect, spirit, collaboration, and excellence, Higher Achievement is for you!

Bilingual staff (English/Spanish) required!

Paid Training provided! Higher Achievement invests in our staff. Attend a multi-day orientation and training preceding Afterschool Academy's start. Periodic trainings and professional development opportunities throughout the Academy are part of our professional development model. Hours are supportive of school curriculum, current college students encouraged to apply.

Job Details:

• Anticipated Start Date: August 27, 2024
• Supervisor: Learning Directors
• Position Status: Part- Time, Non Exempt
• Hours: 3-4 days per week, Monday-Thursday, approximately 3:30-6:30 pm. Additional 1-2 hours of planning time required. Specific hours dependent on center placement.
• Duration: Indefinite, work available during Afterschool Academy Year, which runs September/October through May/June, dependent on center placement. Please reach out to discuss summer hours.
• Center Location: Brookland (Ward 5) Center: Brookland Middle School: 1150 Michigan Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20018
• Remote Status: Onsite work required
• Compensation: $22 per hour
• To Apply: Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately with resume, to https://higherachievement.org/about/careers/ by July 17th for priority consideration!   The position will remain open until all spots are filled.

Program Model: Higher Achievement showers our scholars with academic opportunities through a proven year-round program model that includes afterschool programming from September-May or June (depending on center) and summer initiatives such as college trips and summer meetings with all Higher Achievement families.  Core programming that takes place within Afterschool Academy consists of learning blocks, mentoring, community meeting, electives and field trips.  

• Learning Blocks: Scholars receive academic support, including HW help, HS application prep, or supplemental work aligned to in-school content 

• Mentoring: In small groups of 3-4 scholars, scholars work with a Mentor as they complete our High School Readiness curriculum which focuses on community exploration, learning about high schools, goal setting, and high school application preparation 

• Community Meeting: Scholars engage in activities, challenges, and projects focused on relationship-building and SEL skills 

• Electives: Multiple times a week scholars have the opportunity to participate in enrichment opportunities that vary across sites. Examples of electives are art, yoga, chess, dance, sports, cooking and robotics 

• Field Trips: Field trips are exposure opportunities for scholars and they are offered 3x during the year: fall, spring, and summer (college trip). 

What you’ll do! Responsibilities

English/Spanish Fluency - Reading/Writing/Verbal

• Create a stronger sense of inclusion and community amongst our Latino families during day-to-day work, by incorporating Spanish language with Spanish speaking and ELL scholars and families
• Translation during large group settings (i.e. Back to HA Night), with large Spanish speaking populations via zoom, online and phone, as needed.
• Document translation as needed.

Instructional

• Effectively manage an intensive and structured classroom (Learning Block) of up to 15 scholars
  • Ensure that homework is completed by all scholars to a high degree of quality.
  • Assist scholars in preparing for upcoming quizzes, tests, and projects and coach them to develop strong study skills
• Support and guide any classroom volunteers to assist scholars with any homework and/or upcoming assignments. Classroom volunteers typically consist of high school students who are alumni or college students
• Answer questions and re-teach basic, necessary concepts to scholars
• Provide supplemental work or other academic activities for scholars who complete their homework or who have been identified as needing additional help
  • Other academic activities may consist of completing supplemental assignments or activities on an online platform, assisting scholars with their high school application, or creating opportunities for scholars to work in groups to complete a passion project
• Reinforce Higher Achievement's philosophies and positive work culture by holding scholars to high expectations and reinforcing the center behavior management and incentive systems
• Create a positive and supportive classroom environment where scholars feel comfortable asking for assistance
• Track scholar progress using the center's established tracking mechanisms
• Reinforce Higher Achievement culture principals of respect, spirit, collaboration and excellence

Stay Organized! Administrative

• Support center staff in completing various administrative tasks including greeting and checking-in scholars, setting up and serving dinner, data entry, making phone calls to parents and families, preparing materials for the day, and ensuring that host site space is left clean and in good condition
• Supervise scholars during transitions and other center activities, such as Community Meeting and recess
• Communicate with families regarding their child’s progress during Higher Achievement
• Uphold and enforce Higher Achievement's culture of high expectations and positive learning environment
• Attend scheduled center staff meetings

Get Creative! Elective Management

• Determine an engaging elective that you will facilitate multiple days a week
• Design the activities to be included our elective, outlining objectives and activities on a monthly basis
• Be prepared with a daily plan to facilitate activities to ensure engagement, safety and structure
• Communicate supply needs to Learning Director in a timely manner
• Provide supervision and behavior management support to scholars during activities
• When possible and appropriate, incorporate students' ideas for activities into elective

What you need! Requirements

• Commitment to the mission and work of Higher Achievement
• High school diploma or equivalent required; current college students encouraged to apply
• Experience with data entry and/or administrative tasks strongly preferred
• Experience working with youth required; experience working with middle school students in a classroom setting is strongly preferred
• Experience managing groups of up to 15 middle school students is strongly preferred
• Strong oral and written communication skills with ability to communicate professionally and effectively with staff, scholars, and families
• Comfortable with technology
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) required
• Background & Clearance Check: This position requires a criminal background check prior to hire to include state/local municipalities, school district clearances and grant required checks. All clearance checks are paid by Higher Achievement  
• Covid-19 Vaccinations: While Higher Achievement does not require proof, we are a proud supporter of the Covid-19 vaccination. You will be able to optionally confirm vaccination status and provide documentation of vaccination at the point of offer.

Core Competencies: Higher Achievement values our core competencies, and as such, we expect that competitive applications will be able to demonstrate strengths in these areas: Relationship Building; Candid Communications; Pursuit of Excellence; Growth Mindset; Solutions-Oriented

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: Work is regularly performed in a school setting. Employee may spend long periods of time sitting, standing, and walking, and climb stairs. Employee regularly lifts, carries, and positions objects weighting up to 20 pounds. Regular use of a computer and keyboard, telephone, and face-to-face communication in small and large group settings with youth and adults; ability to communicate clearly and professionally. Visual, auditory, and physical ability to respond quickly to incidents involving students and act in an emergency situation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

About Higher Achievement

Higher Achievement believes that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We’re passionate about providing opportunities to close the achievement gap for motivated students. We’re committed to students during the critical transition to middle school by providing year-round, multi-year support for students in the 5th – 8th grades. As students prepare to graduate from our program in the 8th grade, we support their transition to successfully advance to high school programs that keep students on track for continuous education. We’re proud to share that 95% of Higher Achievement scholars graduate from high school.

Founded in 1975 in Washington, DC, as a grassroots effort to create learning opportunities for children, Higher Achievement has impacted the lives of more than 10,000 young people and currently operates Achievement Centers in Washington, DC, Alexandria, VA, Baltimore, MD, and Richmond, VA. Higher Achievement’s award-winning model of rigorous academic mentoring, individualization of services, and comprehensive academic support is guided by leading research for effective out-of-school time programs. More information about Higher Achievement may be found at: http://www.higherachievement.org.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion  

Higher Achievement made a concrete commitment to racial equity, diversity and inclusion following the murder of George Floyd: Higher Achievement aims to be an anti-racist and inclusive organization where we aggressively work to improve equity and inclusion in all aspects of our organizational culture and operations, as they are pivotal to the success of our mission. These efforts are outlined in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Plan which is renewed yearly, with oversight by our Director of DEI. The DEI Plan's Strategic Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are 1) to foster an inclusive and identity-affirming culture that reflects our Core Values; 2) demonstrate a prioritization of learning and develop inclusive training and tools that support, inspire, and engage staff; and 3) bring a DEI focus to policies and procedures – from Center tours to staff recruitment and promotion, and beyond. We truly believe that to be an organization that intentionally and sustainably centers DEI, all staff members and partners must embed DEI into their daily work.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Higher Achievement is a proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an workplace where opportunities are available to all team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building a team that represents diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better we will be.             

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