Healthy Community Initiative

20-40 hours per week, mainly during the traditional school day with some evening hours

Now in its 26^th year, the Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) is a community-based organization whose mission is to cultivate a collaborative community that supports, values and empowers youth. HCI works with community partners to identify needs/opportunities, foster collaboration and support community-driven efforts that benefit local youth and families. By offering its assistance, HCI strives to build the capacity of the community to more effectively serve its young people.

One of HCI’s flagship initiatives, Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH) works to increase the high school graduation and postsecondary attendance/completion rates of Northfield youth who are low-income, students of color, and/or potential first-generation college attendees. Completing its 14^th year, the program works with more than 400 youth in grades 6-12, plus 125+ alumni.

HCI seeks a bilingual individual to provide support to Somali and other East African youth at the Northfield Middle School, Northfield High School and Northfield Area Learning Center.

Tasks:

• Provide one-on-one and small group academic support to TORCH students
• Build and foster strong relationships with Somali students in grades 6-12 who are identified as needing additional support to finish high school
• Connect with Somali students’ families and serve as a link between TORCH, families and the local education system; complete home visits and neighborhood-based outreach as needed to connect with families
• Assist students with the completion of paperwork necessary to successfully enroll in postsecondary programs, register for workforce development programs, and complete financial aid applications
• Meet regularly with the TORCH team to review data and identify youth to serve; track student progress; determine which interventions to connect to individual students or groups of students
• Provide attendance and behavior coaching for students targeted for needing assistance as determined through the multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) approach; promote positive behavior expectations
• Maintain program records, complete ongoing youth assessments and track data in CitySpan system
• Assist with securing summer enrichment opportunities for students

Required qualities:

• Bilingual (English-Somali)
• 2-5 years of related experience supporting diverse middle and/or high school youth
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) and Google Suite
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with students and staff
• Highly organized with superior attention to detail
• Excellent ability to multi-task and troubleshoot issues
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and as a member of a team
• Capable of completing work on time in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive attitude
• Experience working with diverse families
• Willingness to maintain the standards, carry out the purpose, and adhere to the policies of the Healthy Community Initiative
• Reliable transportation with the ability to travel between Faribault and Northfield
• Maintenance of a cell phone is an expectation of employment

To apply, please submit a cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three professional references to Sandy Malecha, HCI Senior Director, sandy@healthycommunityinitiative.org. Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.