Youth Service Manager @ The DREAM Program

The Youth Service Manager (YSM) plays an integral role in fulfilling our organization's mission of closing the opportunity gap through direct service and leadership as part of our Youth Service team. Additionally, the YSM is a member of DREAM's Employee & Member Support team. DREAM’s Employee & Member Support team, which strives to fulfill our organization's mission of closing the opportunity gap by supporting each other, our programs and our AmeriCorps members.

The Youth Service Manager has five primary areas of focus:

1) practice and promote diversity, equity and inclusion so the diverse population we serve is represented among our staff and volunteers, bringing knowledge of social and racial justice as it pertains to the opportunity gap for low income youth

2) to fulfill our mission by engaging each enrolled youth in each applicable element of our program model

3) to recruit and build a corps of volunteer mentors from college campuses

4) to support our team of AmeriCorps members and supervisors who engage in direct service with our youth, families and volunteers and

5) to manage and maintain DREAM’s relationships and general operations in their assigned region.

The DREAM Program is committed to dismantling systems of oppression that affect our youth and families. This organizational commitment means that members should join this space with an intention of learning, unlearning, and diving into ways that your involvement will directly contribute to DREAM’s mission of reducing the Opportunity Gap while also supporting the dismantling of other systemic inequities. We seek members who contribute to The DREAM Program’s diverse community, as having different perspectives, identities, and skills are what allow us to excel in our service. DREAM seeks members who are ready to engage in and foster an inclusive environment, and who strive to deliver culturally appropriate and relevant programming to the youth we serve. Incoming members and staff should understand that we serve marginalized communities, which means that it is imperative that diversity, equity, and inclusivity are infused into every aspect of our work as an organization.

Objectives:

  • Build a relationship with every volunteer mentor.

  • Express a passion for and an understanding of social and racial justice as it pertains to the opportunity gap for low income youth.

  • Assure each volunteer and AmeriCorps member is prepared, trained and provides a culturally appropriate experience to the youth and families served.

  • Build a relationship with every youth and their family.

  • Provide each youth with a 12-month DREAM experience by establishing and supporting each program DREAM offers in each community. Within the year round experience and each program offered, DREAM youth and families should experience: 1) agency over their DREAM experience, 2) high quality, dedicated relationships with mentors on a weekly basis through a combination of Village mentoring, Afterschool Enrichment and Summer Enrichment activities, 3)high levels of attendance and success in school, 4) a broader sense of the world, 5) a whole lot of fun!

The experience:

  • Managers should expect to work a schedule that fits the schedule of those they are serving and the programs they are operating. This means there will be some regularly scheduled hours and some hours that are responsive to volunteers, youth and family demands. Additionally, the schedule will be a mix of daytime, evenings, weekdays and weekends. Managers will have agency over their schedule as long as it serves those they are supporting well.

  • The experience is heavy with person-to person communication and support (whether that is actually in person or online)

  • The experience is broken up into a few main foci that impact the day-to-day: 1) recruiting, training and supporting volunteers (both AmeriCorps and mentors, 2) attending to youth, families and partners that rely upon DREAM for varying reasons, 3) operating the organization’s programs and activities with fidelity to its models.

  • Communication with mentors, parents and partners occurs every week (or more frequently as circumstances may direct).

  • Communication with DREAM’s broader community occurs monthly in multiple ways (reporting to our Board of Directors, building new partnerships in each community, and connecting with local organizations and resources that offer supplemental services to youth and families, for example).

  • Participate as a member of DREAM’s Employee & Member Support team by attending regular meetings and driving strategy and execution of initiatives.

  • Lead and follow up with weekly experience/support meetings for AmeriCorps members.

  • Regularly partner with the Employee & Member Support team to provide AmeriCorps members a successful and valuable experience.

  • Lead discussion regarding member professional/experience enrichment activities.

  • Support of programs transitions seasonally between school year demands and summertime demands. Each program focuses on out-of-school time activities - summer months include creating and delivering daily activities that fight the “summer slide” and engage youth in fun and structure on a daily basis while school year months focus on afterschool time activities and relationship.

Terms and benefits:

  • $46,000-$60,000/year, commensurate with experience

  • Access to DREAM’s benefit package, including:

  • Medical insurance (with options for dental/vision)

  • Retirement plan

  • Professional development opportunities and expectations

  • Professional association membership

  • Over 6 weeks of PTO and holidays (combined)

  • Employee Assistance Plan

  • DREAM gear/uniform provided

  • Reimbursements for work-related travel

  • Incredible, life-changing experiences!

Boston - Downtown