IRCO - Lead High School Mentor presso IRCO

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to serve immigrants, refugees, and the broader community in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to welcome, serve and empower refugees, immigrants and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential. Find out more at www.irco.org.  

POSITION:                                    Lead High School Mentor

JOB CLASS/GRADE:                    Specialist 1 / Grade 8

WAGE:                                           Starting at $31,590 per year based on experience 

FLSA; EEO; WC:                           Non-Exempt; Professionals; 8864

LOCATIONS:                                IRCO PIAFC, 8040 NE Sandy Blvd Portland OR 97213 and Tigard High School

                                                       (Tigard Tualatin school district)

FTE; FT/PT; STATUS:                   0.65 FTE; Part-Time with Benefits; Regular 

NUMBER OF POSITIONS:         (1)

APPLY AT:                                    www.irco.org 

STATUS:                                        Part-Time with Benefits

PROGRAM(S):                             Pacific Islander Engagement (PIE) program

SECTOR:                                       School Linked 

REQUIREMENTS:

Must pass criminal background check through Oregon Department of Education and Tigard Tualatin School District

Must possess a valid Oregon or Washington State Driver’s License or ability to get to and from work in a timely manner. Must have verification of current auto insurance and have full use of automobile during work hours.

Bilingual in English and Pacific Islander language or language commonly spoken by program participants strongly preferred

This job announcement is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed in this job. This is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required.

Program Summary
The Pacific Islander Engagement (PIE) program collaborates with school staff to develop appropriate outreach and engagement strategies to support the academic/school success of Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (NHPI) language speakers and their families.

Position Summary
The Lead High School Mentor will collaborate with the district and school staff to consult on community-aware engagement strategies when working with NHPI-language speakers and their families. The goal is to promote community awareness and deepen understanding of district and school staff to be able to work more effectively and improve community engagement with NHPI language speakers.

Essential Functions

Program Operations and Student Support:

• Participate at school Attendance team meetings or other Student Intervention team meetings (e.g. Behavioral Support, grade level meetings to track student academic progress) if/when student intervention plans are discussed.
• Coordinate community-aware outreach & engagement process can be jointly facilitated between the school and IRCO to support the student/their family
• Provide monthly consultations for district and school staff on best practices related to school-to-home/home-to-school communication when engaging Pacific Islander speaking families
• Initiate communication with families by inviting caregivers to school meetings and conferences, to conduct home visits, to ask questions appropriately when meeting with families to learn about their household dynamics or community traditions and context 
• Conduct family support activities such as home visits, phone outreach and meeting at school or other locations to update parents on their children's educational progress 
• Provide a workshop (e.g. during staff professional development day) for staff at Tigard High School or staff across the school district to share best engagement practices when working with NHPI speakers and their families
• Work with Youth programs supervisor to build and develop mentorship program for high school students
• Recruit and coach 4-6 Pacific Islander High School Speakers from Tigard High School to participate in a mentorship program
• Provide ongoing technical assistance/coaching to the student mentors throughout the course of the school year so that the student mentors can grow their mentoring skills in areas related to appropriate language and conduct to use when mentoring students, establishing boundaries in mentoring relationships, classroom management, conflict management/de-escalation, or other topics
• Support students transport to elementary school for mentorship program
• Collaborate with afterschool program site coordinator to support high school students and staff for afterschool program

Compliance and Data Support:

• Develop a tracking system to accurately account for the number of hours each mentor 
• Organize, file and/or archive participant progress notes and records (e.g., student academic lesson plans/family workshop lessons plans, participant contact hours) using funder and IRCO data systems like SharePoint, CRM and other methods employed by the program 
• Collect data and prepare draft program reports to Youth program supervisor

Collaboration and Alignment:

• Provide informal quarterly program updates to school or school district staff 
• Build positive relationships with students, families, school staff, and community partners
• Attend training and staff meetings as required by the program and grant

Secondary Functions

• Ability to meet multiple, including conflicting deadlines
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Ability to work flexible hours to meet the availability of clients
• Ability to develop a community aware approach and respectful relationships with students, their families and all community members we serve
• Ability to use good judgment when working with youth in a school setting 
• Actively work to disrupt illegal or unlawful treatment based on race and systematic illegal denial of fair treatment through respectful engagement practices and implementation 
• Effectively work with individuals of multi-backgrounds
• Utilize bilingual skills to support a community-aware approach in communication to students, families and clients in their preferred language, when possible

Education & Experience

MINIMUM JOB SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate’s degree or equivalent in social services, or related field
• Minimum 2 years of work experience working with youths and families, school districts
• Understanding of US school systems and standard school expectations regarding attendance, classroom management, family engagement, and safety
• Able to pass a comprehensive background check
• Must possess a valid Oregon or Washington State Driver’s License or ability to get to and from work in a timely manner. Must have verification of current auto insurance, and have full use of automobile during work hours.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of training and experience
• Bilingual in English and Pacific Islander language or language commonly spoken by program participants strongly preferred. Ability to communicate clearly about sensitive information and explain school systems in both English and a second language commonly spoken by program participants.
• Experience in school, youth development, or community programs
• Knowledge of equity-focused, trauma-informed, and respectful engagment practices
• Candidates with understanding of multi-background communities are strongly encouraged to apply
• Experience creating lesson plans or curriculum for youth afterschool/out-of-school time groups that promote Positive Youth Development 
• Strong communication skills in a multilingual, multi-background organization
• Strong ability to work with multi-background staff in a team setting
• Experience tracking program spending through expense logs for program activities like afterschool group activities, field trips, client assistance 
• Ability to use initiative and judgment in completing tasks and responsibilities 
• Ability to courteously meet and deal effectively with school staff, program participants, other employees, agency representatives, vendors, contractors, the public, and others 
• Ability to function in a positive manner in a demanding work environment, to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility, to respond to priorities and schedules that change frequently, and to meet commitments
• Experience organizing and chaperoning field trips and other enrichment activities with youth 
• Experience operating a 14-passenger van a plus

Physical, Mental, & Environmental Requirements

• Work is performed in person, at schools or other assigned IRCO locations. Not a remote or hybrid work position.
• Work for the most part is performed indoors with some outdoor activity. Employee may occasionally be exposed to inclement weather during supervision and field trips. Employees must have the physical ability to lift up to twenty-five pounds, reach, grasp, kneel, squat, walk, and stand. Employees may be exposed to occasional loud noises during supervision.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Positions at this level are not responsible for any supervisory functions, or responsibilities, but may occasionally be asked to orient and/or train new employees or volunteers.

What We Offer

IRCO is a very employee-friendly workplace and offers great benefit package to our staff:

• Many flexible working arrangements and schedule
• Amazing opportunity to work with people who come from all over the world
• Work that helps your community 
• 3 to 6 weeks of PTO per year 
• 401k match of over 100% on first 5%, immediate vesting 
• 3% match for student loans or college savings 
• 12 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
• Medical & Dental insurance options with 90% coverage for employee AND Families, no deductibles
• Employer Paid Life, Short term, and Long-term Disability Insurance
• Flexible spending account

Required Engagement 

Engage fully in recommended professional development, as well as other assigned or required training activities. This engagement can also include participation in optional activities that embrace IRCO’s mission, vision, and values-based initiatives. 

How To Apply

1. Complete the IRCO application in our Careers Portal: IRCO Application for Employment.  
2. Upload your resume and cover letter addressing your qualifications for this position IRCO Careers.  
3. For questions about this position, please email [email protected]

Please note that physical applications are accessible from IRCO’s main office, 10301 NE Glisan, Portland, OR 97220. Due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to contact applicants or return calls regarding applications. Complete applications should include a cover letter, resume, and IRCO application. 

IRCO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any characteristics protected by State and Federal law. We will make reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws.