Company: City Kids Wilderness Project
Title: Alumni Support and College Success Manager
Salary: $45,000-$55,000, Full-time
Location: Washington, D.C.

Reports to: Director of Programs

Commitment: As a multi-year youth development program, staff stability and commitment make a critical difference in the success of the program. We ask all applicants to consider this critical component of the job when applying.

Location: Washington, DC. Potential travel required to Jackson, WY and individual alumni locations.

Target Start Date: February, 2021

Organization Overview:

City Kids Wilderness Project (CKWP) is a nonprofit program founded (1996) on the belief that providing enriching life experiences for DC youth can enhance their lives, the lives of their families, and the greater community. We aim to provide extraordinary wilderness and community-based experiences that will inspire young people of Washington, DC to dream, broaden their horizons, and ultimately succeed in building a healthy, happy, and productive life. Our goals include that our youth graduate from high school or earn their GED, that they enroll in a postsecondary education program or obtain a job, and that they are involved and connected members of their community. Programs take place throughout the year in and around Washington, D.C. and during the summer at our ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Youth enroll as sixth graders and continue their engagement with City Kids through middle school, high school and beyond. Intensive coaching for alumni is provided for 2 years post-high school and additional support is available to any alumni in need.

Position and Alumni Program Summary: City Kids seeks a program design and implementation leader to lead our new Alumni Services & College Success Program (“Alumni Program”). The Alumni Program focuses on providing post-secondary academic and career coaching and support for young alumni of the City Kids 6th – 12th grade program, beginning with their transition out of high school. Currently in its second year, this program builds upon previous alumni support conducted across the organization and significantly expands the organization’s strategic investment in supporting young alumni as they pursue their goals post-high school.

The Alumni Services & College Success Program aims to increase the likelihood that alumni will enroll, persist, and graduate from college and other high-quality certificate and professional training programs. Additionally, the program aims to support alumni beyond educational or career goals, including financial stability, mental health, and finding community after highschool. This program is based on a caseload management, direct service approach, providing individual coaching for students as they transition from high school to post-secondary opportunities. This is a tremendous opportunity for an entrepreneurial and highly organized leader to maximize program impact for youth beyond the high school years.

Key Responsibilities

This position includes a mix of direct alumni outreach and support, building relationships with current City Kids seniors, program design and planning, and partnership development. We aim to learn from our work in the early years of the program with the intention of evolving the program to maximize and deepen its impact on alumni over time.

Direct Outreach & Program Implementation:

Individual Alumni Outreach and Support for “Recent Alumni”: Direct outreach and support for individuals is focused on first- and second-year alumni. Support is conducted with a case management style, which includes regular calls and coaching sessions. Alumni have the choice to opt in to varying levels of direct support. While most recent alumni include a college degree as their primary goal, alumni services support alumni with alternative post-secondary plans. Coaching sessions address career and college achievement, and may include additional support and referrals to address financial sustainability, mental health, family issues, and provide networking opportunities. If enrolled in college, alumni are tracked on progress according to college success benchmarks. As needed, provide support and resources if a youth is off track from their intended goals, and support re-enrollment if a youth needs to disengage from school for personal / family / financial reasons. Sample services offered can include assistance in the following: exploring education and career opportunities, applying for scholarships, school transfer/enrollment assistance, resume and cover letter writing, networking, practice interviews, FAFSA and financial aid support.

General Alumni Support for “All Alumni”: Respond to requests for assistance from any City Kids alumni beyond recent graduates. This direct support includes providing support on any of the above mentioned topics and providing warm referrals to meet alumni requests for support.

Alumni Reunions & City Kids Community: Encourage and maintain community among City Kids alumni through regular communication, social media, and hosting events for individual alumni cohorts and all alumni events. Examples include reunion dinners, outdoor adventure activities, and virtual meetups. Lead the effort to connect alumni to volunteer, staff, or donor opportunities to maintain a relationship with the City Kids organization.

Alumni Board: Refine the design of, and then subsequently launch in 2021, the City Kids Alumni Board that incorporates feedback from staff and alumni to structure alumni board development. Launch a pilot alumni board during the 2021 calendar year.

12th Grade College Transition Support: In coordination with the City Kids high school Job Experience Trainee “JET” Program, plan the annual transition for high school seniors from high school programming to Alumni services. This includes leading workshops for City Kids high school seniors throughout their senior year, accepting referrals for high school seniors who need 1:1 intensive coaching in advance of high school graduation, and participating in post-secondary goal check-ins with all seniors during the spring of their senior year. Support the high school SYEP program during the summer, including leading workshops and day activities. Plan an annual “Alumni Induction” ceremony in coordination with the annual JET Program graduation.

Program Development & Evaluation

Program Design and Development: Lead and facilitate continued program development. Conduct continued research on program best practices and use to build upon current plans. Design and implement plans based on program goals and vision, alumni input and feedback, and staff capacity to support and implement plans.
Partnership Development: Build out new and strengthen current partnerships focused on college access and high-quality certificate and training programs in order to connect youth to high-quality post-secondary educational and career opportunities.
Data & Evaluation: Build out initial evaluation and outcomes tracking for expanded Alumni Program. Track alumni outreach and maintain Salesforce data, including tracking alumni correspondence (type, frequency, outcome, and follow-up.) Report out on key metrics including enrollment in educational program, and job and internship placements. Conduct an annual alumni survey to track alumni data and on-going feedback about the program. Collect biannual data from the National Student Clearinghouse on college retention and success for City Kids alumni.

Fundraising & Budget Support

Grant Writing: Support required grant management activities including grant writing, reporting, and expenditure reporting for current and future funding for Alumni programs.
Budgeting: Assist with annual program budgeting. Track and spend funds according to budgeted expenses, with attention to cost and the ability to negotiate discounts and in-kind donations is critical.
Events: Assist with fundraising efforts including donor/funder site-visits and fundraising events.

Organization Contributions

Contribute and participate in the City Kids staff team, including weekly meetings, training, retreats, team-building, and culture building.
Participate in organization efforts towards Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice, strategic planning, and risk management.
Commitment

Requires occasional work on weekends and evenings
For qualified individuals, occasional on-call duty for other programs.
Potential for weekend overnight outdoor adventure trips or alumni retreats

All other duties as assigned by the Director of Programs. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Qualifications:

Job Skills & Knowledge
2+ years of experience supporting high school graduates and first generation college students
Knowledge of college retention and career readiness strategies
Case management experience
Experience in developing and leading college preparation and professional development workshops and trainings
DC-based postsecondary support, resource familiarity, and network a plus.
General Qualifications
A personal commitment to and deep understanding of City Kids mission.
Self-directed, highly organized with strong program design and operations skills.
Flexibility, creativity and the ability to thrive in an evolving environment.
An engaging and dynamic manner that demonstrates warmth and good humor when working with others. Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic & a roll-up-my-sleeves attitude.
Cultural competency, the ability to work in a diverse community and a commitment to anti-racism, social justice, equity & inclusion.
A valid, clean driver’s license (must have had a driver’s license for at least 2 years)
Pre-employment background checks will be conducted.
Knowledge of the outdoor adventure industry a plus

Salary & Benefits: Salary commensurate with experience and position responsibilities ($45,000-$55,000), 20 days PTO in first year, employer paid medical, dental, and vision plan, paid holidays, and on-going professional development opportunities.

To Apply: Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications including a cover letter and resume should be sent to the Director of Programs, Colleen McHugh: hiring@citykidsdc.org. Please write the name of the job you are applying to in the subject line. For more information about the City Kids Wilderness Project, please refer to our website at www.citykidsdc.org.