College Access Coordinator

Mission Graduates is a nonprofit organization that empowers youth and their families on the path to higher education, equipping them for fulfilling careers that will strengthen future generations. We work towards fulfilling our mission through a wide range of after-school support and services that serve over 5,000 children, youth, and families each year.  Our vision is to transform the culture of our neighborhoods so that college becomes the expectation for families, rather than the exception.  Program Summary: College Connect (CC) is a family-based college access and success program that works with 25 4-year college-bound high school juniors living or attending school in the Mission and Excelsior Districts of San Francisco who will be the first in their family to attend college. CC supports students in getting into and successfully completing a college degree. College success programming provides support through one-on-one coaching, near-peer mentorship, professional development series, and social gatherings to build community. Support is provided through college until graduation to help students navigate higher education systems.  Position Overview: The College Access Coordinator (CAC) works directly with students, parents, and volunteers to help students apply to and gain admission to college. The CAC ensures students complete financial aid applications and shares scholarship opportunities with them. They also set the program calendar for the school year, build agendas accordingly, and invite workshop speakers, such as college representatives, to engage with students. The CAC prepares and supports volunteers who help students with personal insight questions and scholarship essays, and collects and organizes student data for grant reporting purposes. In addition, the CAC collaborates with other high school program coordinators across MG's sites on annual activities such as the So Cal College Tour, Writing Partners Workshops, and Mi Pasaje, and supervises an AmeriCorps Member who supports program delivery through the school year and into summer programming. As the face of the program, the CAC regularly interacts with college representatives, school counselors, and other stakeholders, and is expected to represent the program professionally. Key Responsibilities & Primary Duties

Program Coordination & Administration (40%)

• Coordinate and/or lead monthly high school senior and junior meetings and parent workshops with the support of the AmeriCorps Member.

• Work with John O'Connell High School (JOC) staff to coordinate and implement the yearly So Cal College Tour during Spring Break.

• Work with John O'Connell High School (JOC) and MHS staff to coordinate and implement the yearly Writing Partner workshops.

• Coordinate workshops and meet with families one-on-one to ensure that all students complete the FAFSA or CADAA.

• Coordinate 2-3 career exploration activities with the College Success Coordinator.

• In collaboration with the College Success Coordinator and Americorps, keep social media sites up to date with current program happenings (reels, pictures, etc.).

• Oversee maintenance of all program records, including participant files and program curriculum, using Salesforce, Google Docs files, Excel, and Word.

• Collect student data for grants and board reports (scholarships received, schools applied to, acceptances, etc.)

• Support tracking of program outcomes by implementing program surveys in collaboration with the Director of Program Impact.

• Coordinate AmeriCorps members’ projects and workload with the support of the College Connect Director.

College Counseling (35%)

• Develop or revise the College Access and Success curriculum to integrate education equity and social justice concepts for student and parent meetings as needed.

• Provide individual college counseling to CC high school students and their parents regarding college exploration and application, financial aid, and admissions decisions.

• Coordinate skill-building meetings for students, and financial aid and college admissions workshops for CC families.

• Oversee ACT prep, including administration of practice tests on weekends, and support the ACT Instructor with classroom behavior during weekly ACT prep classes during the Spring.

• Coordinate and facilitate a 6-week summer program for College Connect high school juniors with the support of the AmeriCorps Member.

• Regular communication with participants’ caregivers, teachers, counselors, and other adults in their lives who can support high school students to stay on-task.

• Regular communication with high school students for program retention via Mission Graduates email and the Zoom platform for text and phone calls.

• Identify scholarships, fly-in programs, and other College Access and Success opportunities for students.

Supervise Volunteers & Interns (15%)

• Work with the Volunteer Manager to recruit volunteer Writing Partners, Math Tutors, and College Research Coaches.

• Contribute to a positive work environment by being professional and cordial to colleagues and other stakeholders.

• Supervise, provide guidance, and support volunteers, mentors, and interns in collaboration with and support from the Volunteer Manager as needed.

• Coordinate volunteer and student meeting schedules.

• Create a work plan for AmeriCorps and provide guidance and support.

• Meet weekly with AmeriCorp to ensure they are supported and on task.

Collaboration, Networking & Professional Development (5%)

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with college admissions staff at colleges nationwide.

• Attend the annual WACAC conference when the budget allows.

• Attend annual counselor trainings (EdFund, CSU, UC, Share Learn Connect) and other local workshops/trainings hosted by local partners.

• Act as primary liaison and collaborate closely with counselors and teachers at partner high schools.

• Collaborate closely with community stakeholders, including parents/guardians, community-based organizations, and local college representatives.

Outreach & Recruitment (5%)

• Create marketing materials as needed using Canva.

• Knowledgeable about Mission Graduates’ history and programs when implementing community outreach.

• Refine the program admissions standards, update outreach materials, convene interview panels, and participate in the annual selection process in collaboration with the College Connect Director.

• Collaborate with high schools and community organizations to give presentations and identify qualified applicants.

• Track applicant information in the selection matrix.

• Coordinate interviews and the selection process in coordination with other College Connect staff.

***Any other duties needed to help drive our Vision, fulfill our Mission, and abide by our Organization's Values.

Required Qualifications

• 1-2 years of experience working with diverse youth in community and public school settings, focusing on college access programming.

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with the best practices in youth development program planning, curriculum development, methods of teaching, and evaluation.

• Demonstrate effectiveness in program development and implementation.

• Advanced knowledge of the college application process and financial aid system.

• Familiarity with college access challenges that are specific to first-generation college students.

• Familiarity and experience working in or with schools and with community-based organizations.

• Understand the varied college persistence, socio-emotional, and career development needs of first-generation college students.

• Knowledge of college admissions, transfer process, financial aid landscape, and career development, preferably in the California context.

• Familiarity and experience working with undocumented youth.

• Bilingual Spanish/English required.

• BA or BS required.

• Current CPR certification (or attained within 2 months of employment).

• TB test clearance is mandatory before hiring.

• Experience working in communities of color with low-income populations.

• Some weekends and evenings required

Mission Graduates Is an Equal Opportunity Employer Mission Graduates provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants in all of our employment practices, including selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, termination, leaves of absence, training, and compensation, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, uniformed service member/veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition or disability, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.