Life Coach - Bilingual - South Bend - FT

Description

The Excel Center – Northern Indiana is a high-quality, free, public high school for adult learners 18 and older. We provide coursework toward completing the required credits for students to earn an Indiana Core 40 diploma (not a TASC/GED/HSE program). Our students benefit from a structured learning environment with direct/ face-to-face instruction, an accelerated format, small classes and individualized attention that meets the unique needs of adult learners. All students are assigned a life coach providing academic and personal counseling to support students pursuing their goals. Our staff have a significant impact on the lives of students seeking a second chance to change their lives. The Excel Center also requires students to earn industry-recognized certificates and/or dual credit college courses. We are seeking a dynamic and innovative team to assist in this endeavor.

Summary

Life Coaches are integral staff members in The Excel Center. Their primary role is to promote continued student engagement in the Excel Center and to serve as a student advocate and counselor. Each life coach is responsible for a caseload of students, typically ranging from 65-80 students. To support student learning and productivity, life coaches build relationships with students and provide resources to remove barriers from their educational progress. Effective life coaches understand how to triage their caseloads by managing their core responsibilities while also being responsive to student crises as they arise. Life coaches report to the Lead Life Coach.

This role demonstrates behaviors consistent with our Mission, Vision, and Values, on behalf of Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc.

Duties

The core responsibilities of life coaches fall under the following primary umbrellas:

Building Relationships with Students

• Provides support, work closely, and maintains open communication with leadership, staff, teachers and students to support student success.
• Attend all team and professional development meetings and special events including scheduled open houses, testing sessions, recruitment events, fairs, and orientations.
• Becomes part of a reliable alliance to ensure student engagement.

Academic Counseling and Tracking Student Data

• Manages and monitors students’ information to ensure academic progress.
• Assist in developing the overall class schedule each term.
• Develop individual student class schedules.
• Direct students toward the path that leads to graduation, using appropriate resources such as credit tracking form
• Maintains confidential information; tracks student data in student information system and/or Excel.

Guide Students in Overcoming Obstacles and Problem Solving

• Initiate and maintain contact with key community partners (community agencies, educational institutions, and employers) to extend the support services provided to students.

• Identify and connect students to community resources to remove barriers and support academic and/or personal goals.
• Distribute and track public transportation passes.

Additional duties

• Execute recruitment strategies to attract prospective students through outreach and events.
• Must be accessible and present for school events (e.g. Open Houses, Recruitment events, fairs, iExcel orientation, etc.).
• Participate in administrative leadership meetings.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required.

Qualifications

• Flexible availability for daytime and evening classes.
• Two years of experience in social work, counseling, advising, academic guidance or related field.
• Experience working with high school age students in a non-traditional setting; diverse, inner-city populations and/or in adult education setting highly preferred.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong meeting facilitation skills.
• Bi-lingual in English and Spanish highly preferred.
• Has working knowledge of computer programs to perform clerical tasks: Google Applications, student information systems, Microsoft applications, Excel, Word and web browsers.
• Demonstrated ability to develop relationships at all levels and to relate to a diverse population
• Awareness of community resources.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment; energetic self-starter; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed and work with a team; able to embrace change positively.
• Excellent analytic, critical thinking, organizational and strategic planning skills.
• Ability to gather and analyze data for informed decision making.
• Possess the essential mindset that all students can succeed.
• Drive to improve the outcomes and lives of students in and out of the classroom.
• Exhibit resilience to persevere and create opportunities for students out of challenges and lessons learned.
• Outstanding role model for success and professionalism.
• Requires occasional local travel/transporting individuals.
• Current driver’s license and adequate automobile insurance required.
• Must be able to successfully pass a background check and drug screen.