YES Appalachia College Program Associate

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:

Young Eisner Scholars (YES Scholars) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with over two decades of education

development experience in low-income communities in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and rural Appalachian

North Carolina, working to improve college acceptance and completion rates and expand access to higher education for historically marginalized students. YES identifies high-performing students from under-resourced communities and provides them with the long-term support, resources, and educational access required for success through high school, college, and career. Through a social-emotional focus, involvement with family and community, and a commitment to each student’s individual path, YES provides long-term holistic support services that meet Scholars’ needs and build cultural capital through experiential education opportunities. YES-Appalachia selects students in 6th grade from Ashe and Watauga Counties, and supports them through high school, college, career entry, and beyond.

SUMMARY:

The College Associate will provide program and administrative support to college students and alums in the

Appalachia branch, as well as scholars from other branches enrolled in schools in the surrounding area. This

position is a part of the YES Appalachia branch, but involves working closely with the National Director of College to Career Programs to advocate for and support first-generation, low-income and/or otherwise marginalized students and families. The Associate must be familiar with and/or willing to learn more about best practices for college success; specifically, time management skills, study prep, job readiness, resume building, responding to mental & physical health crises, financial aid appeals, scholarship applications, and the general navigation of college and institutional bureaucracy. The associate must be willing and able to act as a student’s advocate with institutions in all these areas, whether through personal intervention or by finding and directing scholars to the necessary resources. The associate’s role is to provide advising and programmatic support to scholars, with the ultimate goal of helping them build skill sets for success and independent functioning in the arenas of college and career, while supporting their emotional and mental health along the way.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Appalachia College Scholar Support:

● Responsible for all direct outreach and resource allocation for Appalachia Scholars, including regular in

person or virtual (Zoom, etc) check-ins, individualized scholar support plans, monthly newsletters, reminders

for deadlines, opportunities, and scholarships, etc.

● Act as the primary point of on-the-ground support for YES Scholars from other branches in school or

working in Appalachia (coordinate with NCCPD & Director of home branch for those scholars).

● Coordinate with the NCCPD to provide crisis prevention and support to scholars, including but not limited

to connecting scholars with mental health resources, helping students interface with their school

administration, and coordinating logistical details of emergency travel.

● Act as a strong advocate for scholars and families to the financial aid offices of college institutions and other

institutions as the need arises.

● Guide YES Appalachia Scholars through the financial aid process each year (FAFSA/CSS/NC Lottery

Grant/School aid), including providing clarity to scholars and families, sending application reminders and

offering assistance, and providing writing support for the appeals process when necessary.

● Guide Appalachia Scholars through the process of career exploration, and provide resources & advice once

they have chosen a specific path (conducting research on that field as necessary).

● Coordinate with YES Appalachia Director on implementing national college programming in the Appalachia

branch.

● Maintain accurate and regularly updated database records and scholar files, including demographics, contact

information, and interaction notes throughout their time in college, ensuring all contents are up to date and

complete, following up with scholars as necessary.

● Conduct research and support for scholar needs as they arise and in response to overall trends in the field.

● Regularly collect & analyze data to provide overview and insights into trends in scholar development and

program outcomes, for program development, social media, and grant report purposes.

Appalachia Branch Programming Support:

● Attend weekly meetings with the Appalachia staff in order to understand and help execute the regional

programming goals.

● Along with the Appalachia Director, plan and execute college-specific events, including high school to

college transition workshops, college dinners, career panels, job shadows, etc.

● Along with the Appalachia team, help plan and execute community-building events for all scholars and

families, graduation celebrations, peer networking events, etc.

National YES Programming:

● Coordinate with the NCCPD frequently to understand and assist in furthering national goals within the

Appalachia branch.

● Assist the NCCPD in creating communications, visual materials, and statistics related to development,

programming, and social media.

● Perform other responsibilities as requested, and as opportunities arise, working with the NCCPD and other

YES staff.

● Participate in monthly meetings with national external YES staff to discuss long-term goals.

QUALIFICATIONS:

● 1-3 years of direct college access & success experience

● 1-3 years of experience working with college age students and young people

● Strong organizational and time management skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks;

ability to work to deadlines and adapt to urgent needs of scholars if necessary

● Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with people of all types and backgrounds

● Organized, self-motivated, excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, ability to

work well independently and as a part of a team.

● Ability to work flexible hours with strong attention to detail and organization

● Able and joyfully willing to travel and able to rent a car

● Bachelor’s Degree

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

● First generation college student

● Spanish language proficiency

● Experience working with students and families from marginalized backgrounds

● Strong knowledge of current college financial aid processes (incl. FAFSA), and familiarity with current

on-campus college experience preferred

● Experience in or motivated willingness to learn about requirements for the wide range of professional fields

our scholars enter

● Insightful thinker and problem solver who actively identifies and anticipates needs with an eye towards root

solutions