POSITION:                                     Summer Academy Mentor

REPORTS TO:                              Transition Program Specialist

STATUS:                                        Non-Exempt (Seasonal)

COMPENSATION:                         Hourly Rate

APPLICATION DEADLINE:           Open Until Filled

Founded in San Francisco in 1902, the LightHouse’s purpose is to promote the independence, equality and self-reliance of people who are blind or visually impaired. The LightHouse is currently in a period of growth, increasing our capacity to serve more low-vision and blind clients.

Role Overview:

The Summer Academy Mentor is a seasonal position with primary duties of assisting the Youth Transition Services Team to develop, facilitate and implement educational and enriching programs for youth that are blind or have low vision during the 2022 Youth Employment Services (YES) Summer Academy.

The YES 2022 Summer Academy is designed as a 4-week long immersive experience for blind and low vision transition-age youth between the ages of 16-26 to gain first-hand knowledge to build their confidence, identify their strengths and develop a sense of direction through interactive work-based learning experience and career exploration activities.

The Summer Academy Mentor must be youth-focused, flexible, and in possession of strong interpersonal, leadership and communication skills to relate to a diverse array of participants and collaborators. As a member of the LightHouse Youth Services Team, the Summer Academy Mentor will play a critical role in supporting the implementation of activities which meet the five (5) of the Pr-employment transition services including:

1. Job exploration counseling
2. Work-based learning experiences
3. Counseling on opportunities for exploration and enrollment in comprehensive transition or post-secondary educational programs
4. Workplace readiness training to develop soft and independent living skills
5. Critical instruction in self-advocacy refinement

Qualifications:

• Some college experience preferred, high school diploma or GED required
• At least one year of experience working with youth of all ages
• Competent computer skills with Microsoft Suite and working knowledge of accessible technologies and software
• Is youth-focused, flexible, and in possession of strong interpersonal, leadership and communication skills to relate to a diverse array of participants, their families, and collaborators
• Possess strong personal initiative. Curiosity about people, a sense of humor and a team-oriented style to support LightHouse services and the transformative effect we have on the lives of individuals who are blind or have low vision

Physical Demands:

The Summer Academy Mentor is expected to reside and work on program premises, at our LightHouse San Francisco headquarters, throughout The YES Summer Academy program and training dates (July 5 – 31, 2022) with 2-3 additional dates to be announced for staff training. Work schedules will typically range from 6-8 hours per day, 5-6 days per week. Please be aware that job duties or responsibilities may be modified if we are unable to host the Summer Academy face-to-face and the program shifts to a virtual model based on the most up-to-date epidemiological guidance.

Job Responsibilities:

• The Summer Academy Mentor will work in a team to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of transition programs, services and activities for Youth that are blind or have low vision
• The individual will assist in the facilitation of group discussions, provide individual guidance on student projects/work experiences, as well as support the evaluation of students’ assignments throughout the YES Summer Academy and training dates (July 5 – 31, 2022) to meet the intended program outcomes
• The Summer Academy Mentor will be expected to apply basic youth and blindness development principles in working with students through communication, soft skills development, respect for diversity and empowerment of youth
• The Summer Academy Mentor will participate enthusiastically in the development and implementation of program activities for students within the mission and learning outcomes of the program
• The individual is responsible for leading and assisting with the teaching of activities including but not limited to three (3) primary areas (travel and mobility, independent living skills and home management, and professionalism and assistive technology) as part of employment readiness
• The Summer Academy Mentor will serve as positive role model to students and others regarding general program procedures and practices including professionalism, safety, scheduling, attitudes, behaviors, and teamwork
• This person will provide support with program logistics including but not limited to scheduling appointments, maintaining student records, service reporting, technical support with instructional platforms, etc.
• The Summer Academy Mentor is responsible for contributing to verbal and written student evaluations and communication as requested
• The individual will participate as a member of the staff team to draft, deliver, and host social recreational activities and functions as assigned including evening and weekend shifts
• The Academy Mentor is to assure students are properly always supervised during both on-site and off-site programming activities
• This person is to attend and participate in weekly staff meetings to be prepared during programming sessions
• The Summer Academy Mentor will be sensitive and alert to students and staff needs and assist them with personal and/or health concerns, and discuss with supervisor when appropriate
• Other Duties: Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Compensation:

• Hourly rate

Working Conditions:

LightHouse is an equal opportunity employer. LightHouse policy and the law prohibit discrimination and harassment based on an individual’s race, ancestry, religion or religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, age (40 and over), sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin (including language use restrictions), marital status, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS), military or veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions, denial of Family and Medical Care leave, height and weight, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. Our policy and the law prohibit co-workers, third parties, supervisors, and managers from engaging in such conduct.

LightHouse personnel are employed on an at-will basis. Employment at-will means that the employment relationship may be terminated, with or without cause and with or without advance notice at any time by the employee or the Agency. We strive to maintain a scent-free environment and a drug-free workplace.

Submitting an Application:

For ease of accessibility, kindly submit your cover letter and résumé as Word attachments (no .PDFs please) and employment application (downloads in a Word document) to hr@lighthouse-sf.org, using the job title as your subject line. To fill out the application, please enable editing in the document. We will not consider videos or hyperlinks to online profiles in lieu of the requested format. Due to time constraints, we apologize for being unable to acknowledge all interest that may be shown in each position. No third-party solicitations, please. We sincerely appreciate your thoughtful consideration during this process.