Academic Coach - Rohingya
Position Title: Academic Coach
Target Language: Rohingya
Supervisor: RSIP Program Manager
Salary: $20-$22/hour, full-time, hourly, non-exempt
Organizational Description:
Journey's End Refugee Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ the best-qualified personnel without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other reason prohibited by law.
Journey’s End Refugee Services, Inc. is a refugee resettlement and immigration services provider for the Western New York Region. Journey’s End works to assist newly arriving refugees to find gainful employment and avoid dependency on social services
Project Description:
The Refugee School Impact Program (RSIP) is a partnership between Journey’s End Refugee
Services and the Buffalo Public Schools Multilingual Department and the Buffalo Public Schools Refugee Immigrant Student Welcome Program. The partnership aims to support children and families within the district in adjusting to the local school system and achieving their academic goals. These goals are primarily attained through the role that the Academic Coaches play as a bridge between parents and schools.
Job Description:
The Academic Coach serves as a liaison between the Buffalo Public Schools and refugee and immigrant families. The coaches are responsible for cultural orientation, classroom academic support, parent informational sessions, school orientation, native language support, and other communities/Programs outreach efforts. The position’s schedule primarily follows school hours; however, some weekend and evening hours are required for parent training, crisis management or family orientations.
The Academic Coach must exemplify Journey’s End’s core values in their work. These values include intercultural responsiveness, integrity, person-centered, empowerment, and exemplary service.
Primary Responsibilities:
· Assist refugee and immigrant students by providing native language support (including sight translating documents and interpreting) in Buffalo Public School classrooms.
· Serve as the bridge between refugee and immigrant families and the schools providing a wide range of support services to reduce barriers to educational success - including facilitating enrollment, individual or group orientation, problem solving, crisis management, immunization verification, transportation, access to remote schooling, advocacy, homework assistance, and more.
· Conduct home visits with each student and their family to facilitate intake, establish relationships with families, assess student needs, and provide an overview of available program services
· Assist in planning, recruitment, and implementation of mini-academies, summer school, student and parent orientations, and summer camp programs.
- Collaborate with school social workers to address student and family needs that require additional support, including social-emotional concerns, family crises, safety concerns, and referrals to appropriate school or community resources.
· Interpret for parent meetings, parent/teacher conferences, trainings, school orientations, open houses, parent nights, and communicating notifications through phone alert system.
· Interpret and provide support to District Committees in regard to parent concerns.
· Help parents understand the purpose and availability of educational services.
· Help parents with school registration and provide guidance in school selection process, special school applications, and the school transfer process.
· Document all services provided in case files and ensure student program enrollment of paperwork is collected.
· Maintain professional boundaries and exercise sound judgment when representing Journey’s End in community, civic, or professional activities
· Other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
· Must be fluent and literate in English and Rohingya (Read, write and type)
· Experience working with the refugee population or in a diverse classroom environment.
· Basic computer skills, including the ability to use email, word processing software, spreadsheets, and online platforms to complete job-related tasks
· Possess the ability to be flexible, creative, and willing to collaborate with other teachers.
· Demonstrated ability to act in the best interests of the agency’s mission while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and managing potential conflicts of interest
Journey’s End is committed to the purpose of providing refugees with the resources and support they need to become successful, active, and contributing members of the Western New York Community. The ideal candidate must be self-directed and able to work in a team environment.