Education & Family Engagement Youth Program Specialist

Job Overview: The vision of the IRC Washington’s Youth Programs is that youth from refugee and immigrant backgrounds will have the skills and resources necessary to achieve academic success and pursue a future of opportunity.

The Family Engagement Specialist will coordinate initiatives to increase newcomer families access to education at all levels, help families better understand, connect and engage with local school systems, increase access to school information and resources, and lead family outreach and referral initiatives. The Family Engagement Specialist supports the enrollment of school-aged refugee youth in local schools and IRC Education Access and Family Engagement programs. The Family Engagement Specialist promotes family engagement in children’s education by facilitating and strengthening communication between schools and refugee families. The Family Engagement Specialist will supervise volunteers and interns to lead programs for families in the community, including at temporary housing locations such as hotels, at school locations or in a virtual setting. They will report to the Education Access and Family Engagement Coordinator and work with the colleagues on the Youth Programs team to coordinate service delivery.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Design, Outreach and Implementation

·Act as the lead focal point for school information, updates, and resources related to COVID-19 instructional changes and school building closures.

·Receive and respond to referrals from Youth Program Staff and school partners for families who need additional assistance connecting to school or navigating instructional changes. Using interpretation services, conduct family outreach and provide systems navigation and support to improve family’s connection to school and student(s) engagement in school. Make referrals for additional wrap-around services as needed.

·Conduct education cultural orientations on topics appropriate to families and students who recently arrived in the United States.

·Support the design and implementation of the School Success Program which includes individualized case management and goal setting with students and families, school enrollment and systems navigation, group workshops for families on topics such as the American school system, third culture adjustment for adolescents, and supporting children’s success in school.

·Lead volunteers and interns implementing the School Success program.

·Connect with school districts to identify contact people, enrollment process, and feedback from school districts to improve IRC’s partnership with school districts and enrollment process.

Case Management:

·Support the enrollment of newly arrived school-aged youth, resettled by IRC in Seattle, into local schools, including facilitating school orientations and transporting families in IRC vehicles.

·Maintain a caseload of families/students in the School Success Program: conduct initial outreach, screening and enrollment of newly arrived families; create individualized service plan and goal setting tool; conduct regular check-in meetings with parents and students; provide systems navigation and advocate within education systems when necessary; lead group workshops for families and students, maintain regular case notes and contribute to the final report.

·Assist with recruitment, screening, and enrollment of newly arrived families into Youth and other IRC programs.

·Maintain regular communication with parents and refer, as needed, to community resources

·Identify new community resources and partners to assist IRC’s new students

Administrative and General Support:

·Assist with the collection and maintenance of family documents needed for school enrollment and assist with school application submission.

·Keep current/accurate case notes and documentation of program services and prepare required reports.

·Assist with data collection and tracking to meet funder requirements and for internal program monitoring and evaluation. Help complete necessary program reporting documentation.

·Attend Youth Education Team meetings and complete administrative duties, including but not limited to reporting, timesheets, and expense reports.

General

·Participate in all program meetings, staff development activities, and fully engage as a member of the IRC team.

·Comply with all policies, procedures, and protocols of the agency.

·Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education:

·Bachelor’s degree in social work, education, or related field. MSW a plus.

Work Experience:

·In-depth knowledge of local education systems preferred.

·Minimum of 1 year of experience in parent and family engagement in schools, case management, youth development, or parenting support.

·Experience working with refugee and/or immigrant populations; cross-cultural experience.

·Experience working with Multi-lingual Learners.

·Knowledge of virtual learning platforms and strong technology skills to utilize platforms such as Zoom or MS Teams, navigate common tech problems and support digital literacy.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

·Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and continual learning and growth.

·Ability to build strong relationships with families while also maintaining professional boundaries.

·Ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with external partners.

·Ability to learn quickly and work independently.

·Must be proactive and feel comfortable taking the lead.

·Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

·Reliable, professional, resourceful, team-oriented and sensitive to cultural differences.

·Flexible and adaptable – able to quickly problem solve and change plans and activities according to parent and student need or unexpected circumstances.

·Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to work well with people of diverse cultural backgrounds.

·Ability to maintain responsibility for multiple tasks in the context of a diverse, fast-paced work environment.

·Fluency in English, written and spoken.

·Fluent in predominant language of local client base desired (Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Somali, Swahili,

·Kinyarwanda, Ukrainian etc.).

·Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Zoom, or willingness to learn.

·Must have reliable transportation and maintain valid driver’s license and insurance coverage for vehicle. 

Working Environment:

·Hybrid: In-person and virtual/ remote work, in-person programming at schools, and other community locations in South King County.

·Standard office setting at IRC’s office in SeaTac and remote within the King County vicinity; Occasional evening or weekend activities as needed.

·Need access to reliable high-speed internet if opting to work hybrid from remote office.

·Need access to reliable transportation to travel and work off-site at programs (i.e. schools, apartment complexes, etc.).

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Education Access and Family Engagement Program Coordinator
Position directly supervises: Volunteers and InternsOther Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Resettlement , Volunteer and Development Team, Youth Program, New Roots Program, Health Empowerment Program, Survivor Services Program, Economic Empowerment Program, Immigration Program, and other IRC departments

External: Families, School Districts (Teachers, Admin, etc.), Colleges and Universities, Community Based Organizations

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires candidates who are selected for interview to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for this position.

IRC- leading the way from harm to home

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law

Please Apply at http://www.rescue.org/careers