Job Description

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
About Us and Our Philosophy
Breakthrough Greater Boston (BTGB) is a transformative college access and teacher training program. BTGB offers six years of academic enrichment and college preparation to middle school and high school students with high potential but limited opportunities. Simultaneously, BTGB recruits, trains and inspires a diverse cohort of high achieving college students to become the next generation of urban teachers. Leveraging a Students Teaching Students model, BTGB provides engaging, tuition-free academic programming during the summer and after school. Our students gain the skills and motivation to succeed in rigorous high school courses and, ultimately, in college. Meanwhile, our teachers gain hands-on experience, research-based training and coaching from professional educators.

Over the past eight years, 97% of our graduating students have matriculated to college, and 82% of them have persisted through their undergraduate years. On average, more than 70% of our graduating teachers have gone on to pursue careers in education. After two decades of success at our original Cambridge site, BTGB embarked upon a significant program expansion and opened a second site in Boston in the summer of 2013 and a third site in Somerville in 2018. As an independent 501c3 nonprofit, Breakthrough Greater Boston is part of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a national educational movement working to improve educational outcomes for youth across 25 U.S. cities.

With a deep commitment to our mission, BTGB operates with the highest standards of integrity and best practices, while also enjoying the ability to be innovative and flexible to meet the evolving needs of our students, families and teachers. Our team is diverse, high-performing and dedicated. We continue to build an organizational culture that emphasizes our core values for every member of our community:

• Spirit: We cherish and embody the youthful energy and spirit of our students and teachers
• Continual Learning: Everyone in our community has something to learn and something to teach
• Team Together: We all chip in to accomplish whatever is needed for our teammates and the broader organization
• Student Centered: Our students are our first priority and our decisions center around what benefits our students
• Equity and Opportunity: We value diversity of identity, background and thought. We treat everyone with dignity and respect
• Excellence in Everything: We maintain high expectations for ourselves

Breakthrough Greater Boston encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply for this position, and we do not discriminate on any basis prohibited by applicable law. We celebrate the diversity of our world and our community, and we seek to build a team that reflects that diversity in every way. We welcome and encourage all qualified applicants who share that same vision, as we wish to engage all those who can contribute to our work and this mission.

THE OPPORTUNITY
Breakthrough Greater Boston is currently seeking a highly motivated and talented Director of College Access Programs (DCAP) for our Cambridge campus to support students during years 5 and 6 of their 6-year experience within the BTGB community. The DCAP helps ensure that BTGB’s 11th and 12th grade students at our Cambridge campus are fully supported as they apply and matriculate to college by offering intentional programming, individualized resources, and advocacy. The DCAP also plays a lead role in designing, overseeing, and evaluating post-secondary planning offerings across the organization. The DCAP works closely with other members of the Program Team and reports directly to the Senior Director of High School Programs.

POSITION OUTCOMES
A successful Director of College Access Programs will:
• Develop and maintain meaningful relationships with 11th-12th grade students at BTGB’s Cambridge campus, supporting their academic and social emotional growth while supporting their post-secondary planning
• Maintain positive, regular communication with students’ families and other important adults, nurturing trusting relationships and collaboratively ensuring students’ success
• Oversee development of innovative, responsive college access programming across the organization
• Collaborate with other Program Team members to create a seamless layer of support for students and families during Breakthrough’s six-year program

YOUR CONTRIBUTION
In this role you will be responsible for a combination of direct service and program oversight responsibilities including:

Student and Family Support
• Directly support students at our Cambridge campus through existing 11th and 12th grade school year programming, including course counseling, test prep, college visits, and the College Access Coach program
• Champion students by nurturing individual student strengths and providing holistic advocacy, interventions, and resources as needed
• Provide students with connections to supplemental career and enrichment opportunities during the summer and school year
• Maintain regular communication with students’ families, including annual family check-ins, relevant family workshops, and individualized support with college and financial aid processes as needed

Program Management
• Create new programming as appropriate to further our vision of every Breakthrough student having the skills and knowledge needed to attend – and be successful in – college; collaborate with team members at other campuses to ensure thoughtful, site-specific implementation of this programming
• Recruit and supervise a team of dedicated volunteer College Access Coaches to work one-on-one with juniors and seniors across all campuses on various components of the college application process
• Plan and lead the 10-day College Prep Institute for rising 12th grade students
• Support students in our College Transition Program through summer workshops, panels, and other modes of outreach as appropriate
• Ensure accurate and effective data collection to inform programmatic decision making and advance students’ eventual success
• Collaborate with Senior Director of High School Programs on components of Breakthrough’s College Success Program pilot and any subsequent permanent programming

Partnership Management
• In collaboration with other Program Directors, maintain positive, frequent communication with school staff members, representatives from local community-based organizations, and target colleges
• Oversee collection and analysis of 11th and 12th grade student academic records including report cards, progress reports and Individualized Education Plans
• Conduct semesterly guidance counselor check-ins to further inform individual supports for students and identify additional enrichment opportunities

YOUR BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS
As the incoming Director of College Access Programs, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:
• Passion for Breakthrough Greater Boston’s mission
• At least three years of related work experience with underserved students (preferably in grades 10 – 12) or in college admissions
• Knowledgeable about college admissions and financial aid processes
• Team player who demonstrates a positive attitude, energy and dedication to collaboration
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with students, families and educators, including a great sense of humor
• High level of comfort with organizational growth and programmatic change
• Desire to become part of Breakthrough’s three-city community and to immerse oneself in the Cambridge Campus
• Commitment to the use of data to inform practice with young people; strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Flexible schedule that allows for the ability to meet with students and families, including Saturdays and evenings
• Candidates of color and those from low-income backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply as are those with fluency in Amharic, Bengali, Haitian Creole, Somali, and/or Spanish
• Familiarity with Cambridge Public Schools a plus
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required

How to Apply

Job Types: Full-Time.

471 total views, 0 today

Apply for this Job