Refugee Youth Mentorship Program Coordinator

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

The mission of Mother Africa is to support African women refugees and immigrants and their families to reach their highest potential. We have been working in the South King County area since 2012 and have a strong record of community-led projects and programs.

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM:

Mother Africa is partnering with World Relief on the Refugee Youth Mentorship Program.

Refugee youth who arrive in the U.S. with limited or interrupted schooling abroad are at a disproportionate risk for discontinuing education and perpetual lateral movement in low wage jobs, even after resettlement. Numerous barriers, including lack of knowledge of career pathways, lack of skills to access these pathways, loneliness and the stress of learning a new cultural system leave many refugee youth unable to successfully navigate important transition points in their educational and career development. It is estimated that the human potential lost as a result of this educational achievement gap, such as those experienced by young refugees and asylees, is the economic equivalent of a permanent national recession.

World Relief and Mother Africa proposes a consortium approach to refugee youth mentorship and seeks to address this gap by facilitating one-on-one mentoring relationships through which young adults ages 18-24 can:

• Identify career, educational and personal goals
• Be supported in taking concrete, measurable steps towards attaining these goals
• Build skills in all life domains, including finances, communication and relationship building

The consortium’s mentoring program will equip mentees with a strong understanding of goal-setting, provide them with training to increase life skills, expose them to strong career pathways, and teach them to navigate grant, school, and employment application processes. The model will empower refugee youth to achieve short-term steps and long-term competency, while providing them with a key mentor relationship to encourage these gains. In our current political climate, fostering safe and trusting relationships with adult mentors who are specifically interested in their well-being and success is critical to immigrant and refugee youth being able to feel welcome and participate as full members of their new environment.

Program Coordinator must possess high levels of cultural competency and/or sensitivity for African and Middle Eastern communities to ensure the program’s goals providing culturally responsive mentorship and support to refugee youth.

Key Activities of the Program:

This Refugee Youth Mentorship program will focus on serving refugees, approved asylees and SIVs ages 18 to 24 who have been in the US for less than 5 years. Mother Africa will specialize in recruiting and supporting young adults from African and Middle Eastern countries, including but not limited to: Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan.

Mentee support: initial assessments, goal setting, bi-weekly check ins with Program Coordinator. Meetings 1-2 times per month 1:1 with assigned mentor.

Workshops: Quarterly workshops with World Relief, mentees and mentors coming together for training.

PCs will check in with mentees throughout the course of the program to ensure that they have the support they need to overcome any barriers they may be facing, ensuring that they can remain engaged in the program. These service plans will be shared with mentors and be revisited halfway through the program to ensure each mentee is progressing toward stated goals, along with a final exit interview/assessment.

JOB DUTIES:

The Program Coordinator will play a key role in recruiting and supporting the refugee youth throughout the term of their involvement with the program. This may include providing the following:

• Outreach to African and Middle Eastern refugee youth to share this opportunity with them
• Enroll 15 eligible refugee youth into the program
• Conduct initial assessments for the youth and support them with goal setting
• Work closely with the program leads at both partner agencies to ensure a good mentor match for our 25 mentees
• Make referrals to services as needed
• Check in with each mentee bi-weekly to see how their progress with their mentor is going
• Plan quarterly engagement events to bring the families of the mentees together with the mentors, including organizing logistics like interpretation, babysitting, refreshments and transportation
• Keep accurate records on mentees case notes
• Work on monthly and quarterly program reports for funder
• Participate in all staff training sessions; attend agency/staff meetings and events
• Other tasks as needed

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS:

• Proven ability to relate effectively and respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds and to promote a culturally diverse environment
• Experience working in a Social Work setting or related field or equivalent education and experience.
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to complete tasks in a timely manner with minimal supervision;
• Sensitivity to the needs of agency clients and ability to maintain confidentiality;

Ability to thrive in an ever-changing environment, being flexible to changing conditions

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed care.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Ability to update and maintain complex client records.
• Knowledge of human service delivery systems and systems advocacy, and solid understanding of King County available services and resources;
• Reliable transportation and valid Washington State Driver’s License.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Experience in Social work or volunteering with a social service agency, preferably working with African refugee and immigrants. Second language proficiency in Swahili, French Arabic or Dari.

TERM:

This is a 1 year contract position with potential for renewal, pending contract extension from our funders.

HOW TO APPLY:

Email a resume, 3 references and a cover letter explaining why you feel you would be a great fit for this position to Title the email ‘Refugee Youth Mentorship Program Coordinator Application’

If you have questions about this position, please contact our Executive Director, Risho Sapano at 253-249-8811.

Mother Africa is an equal opportunity employer.

We encourage African candidates to apply.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $23.78 - $33.29 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Loan forgiveness
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Application Question(s):

• What experience do you have working with Refugee Youth?
• Any Experience working with African or Middle Eastern Communities

Language:

• Arabic (Preferred)
• Dari (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Kent, WA 98032: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Kent, WA 98032

Salary : $24 - $33