Friend / Professional Youth Mentor
Are you looking for the chance to be part of something big? Are you passionate about improving the odds for children? Friends of the Children-Portland is a nationally recognized youth development non-profit dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. We pair children facing barriers with professional mentors—whom we call “Friends”—from kindergarten through high school graduation. We’ve been recognized by the Portland Business Journal as the Most Admired Nonprofit in Oregon for the last 10 years.
POSITION OVERVIEW
We’re seeking committed youth development professionals to join our team! Our mentors (“Friends”) work to develop deep and sustained relationships with a roster of 8 youth, ages 4-18, spending weekly time providing direct and indirect service to each youth.
- Build strong relationships: Develop genuine rapport with youth through consistent, individualized weekly outings on-site, at home, or in the community that align with youth goals and interests.
- Promote school success: Provide direct support for academic achievement at each stage of development, including regular classroom visits, communication with teachers and school staff, connecting with academic resources, and incorporating learning into outings.
- Develop and pursue goals: Collaborate with youth to identify short- and long-term goals in the areas of Learning & Education, Community Involvement & Belonging, Social-Emotional & Life Skills, and Health & Well-Being.
- Act as a positive role model: Model responsible behavior, ethical conduct, appropriate boundaries and healthy practices of self-care.
- Provide enrichment: Plan activities and identify resources that include opportunities for cultural awareness, community service and holistic wellness. Help youth discover their “sparks” to build confidence and self-esteem.
- Engage in community building: Encourage positive prosocial development and decision-making that allows youth to foster connection with peers, adults and their communities.
- Partner with adults: Invest time building relationships with youth’s primary caregivers, family members, teachers, caseworkers, coaches, etc., to align on goals and needed resources.
- Navigate systems: Support youth and families when they encounter challenges in public systems (e.g., school, foster care, criminal justice) and advocate for them when needed.
- Commit to professional development: Actively engage in 1:1 supervision, team meetings, trainings, and organizational events to support personal growth and collaboration.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Professional mentors at FriendsPDX are full-time, salaried non-exempt employees. Due to the nature of their role, regular work hours are typically 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday during the school year with an option to switch to an earlier start time Monday-Friday during extended school breaks. Friends work with their supervisors to adjust their schedules to meet the needs of youth and families. Friends have a great deal of flexibility and autonomy to achieve their core responsibilities.
- Spend weekly time with each youth through 1:1 outings in the community, classroom visits and group enrichment activities, for a minimum of 12-16 hours each month.
- Develop annual goals with each youth and design outings to pursue those goals, while developing strengths and practicing soft skills.
- Conduct weekly/monthly school visits. Reinforce basic academic skills through tutoring and connecting youth to other academic resources as needed.
- Communicate and collaborate with caregivers and school staff at least 2x/month.
- Plan and coordinate activities for the FriendsPDX youth community, to foster positive peer engagement, 1-2x/year.
- Complete regular documentation in a timely fashion (e.g. daily interaction summaries of activities, monthly expense reports, quarterly and annual assessments).
- Manage administrative tasks (e.g., scheduling, data entry, email/calls/texts) efficiently.
- Attend and actively participate in all required meetings, 3-4x/month.
- Other responsibilities as assigned (e.g. supporting enrollment effort for new participants, engaging with donors and fundraising events).
ESSENTIAL SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Experience working with children and youth from diverse communities: understanding of positive youth development framework, social-emotional learning, strengths-based approaches, trauma-informed care, cultural responsiveness, etc.
- Experience collaborating with caregivers, families and other adults, such as teachers and counselors
- Creativity in planning activities to promote learning and foster community
- Ability to self-manage, adapt, practice resourcefulness and remain flexible
- Strong organizational, time management and communication skills
- Commitment to a high degree of professionalism and collaboration with colleagues
- Basic computer proficiency (e.g., email, calendaring, time reporting)
- Current driver’s license, good driving record and insured vehicle
- Comfort transporting children daily, with varying routes, schedules and duration of travel
- Must complete and maintain First Aid/CPR certification after hire
- Must pass a pre-employment drug test for common drugs of abuse (excluding cannabis) and criminal background check
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, with a minimum of one year of professional experience working with youth and families.
- Associate’s degree or 75% completion of credits toward a Bachelor’s degree accepted, with a minimum of 3 years’ professional experience working with youth and families.
- In the case that a candidate does not have a college degree, a minimum of 7 years’ professional experience working with children and families may substitute.
- Bilingual candidates strongly encouraged to apply.
This position is represented by FriendsPDX Union Network.
We are an equal opportunity employer and consider applicants without regard for race, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or other protected characteristics. We encourage persons with lived experiences in this field to apply, and all employment decisions are based exclusively upon individual qualifications for the position.