ABOUT BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS, INC.

For more 50 years, Bridge Over Troubled Waters has provided a comprehensive continuum of care for runaway, homeless, and high risk youth in Boston, and has been a national model in providing innovative youth services. Our mission is to transform the lives of youth through safe, supportive and encouraging relationships, counseling, housing, and skill-building, to guide them towards self-sufficiency and achieving their goals.

Bridge is committed to building a diverse workplace and strongly encourages people of color and other ethnic backgrounds to apply!

THE OPPORTUNITY:

Bridge’s HiSET Instructors will be responsible for providing instruction and contributing to curriculum development in language arts, math, science, and other required content for youth and young adult participants in the Bridge Education and Career Development Program. As a member of a highly collaborative program environment, the HiSET Instructors will work closely with youth, job/career counselors, case managers, and other agency colleagues to assist youth in achieving their educational goals. Communication, information sharing, and mutual support among each youth’s support team will be essential to give participants the best opportunities to succeed in education, vocational training, college, and employment, key requirements for on-going stability. This position involves working with youth and young adults in groups as well as individually, and it involves working closely with employers, training programs and colleges. The HiSET Instructors will report to the Education and Career Development Manager.

We are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic, client-centered, compassionate, competent, and flexible to meet the needs of our high-risk and challenging population of young people. Professional background and experience are important, yet personal experience and characteristics, dedication, understanding, and empathy, too, are important, as well as ability to maintain standards and authority.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for instruction for a multi-level group of out-of-school youth and young adults in language arts, math, science, and other content to improve basic academic skills and prepare them to earn the MA HiSET diploma.
• Contribute to curriculum development and enhancement to combine basic skill-building with real-life content, responsiveness to student diversity, job-related skills, and other elements to promote student interest and success.
• Assist students to develop, evaluate, and as needed, revise educational plans; assess student progress and provide feedback.
• Develop individualized instructional timelines, schedules, and learning approaches for students.
• Provide education-related case management for students to provide guidance, information, referrals, and other resources needed for them to reach educational goals.
• Participate in recruiting Bridge youth and young adults to take part in the Education/Career Development Program.
• Encourage, motivate, and develop incentives to maintain student commitment to educational goals and commitment to program participation.
• Maintain accurate and timely data and student records.
• Develop and maintain relationships with colleges, universities, and vocational training programs to coordinate student curricula with continuing education goals; plan field trips to higher education and training programs, and advise students on admission requirements, financial aid and other needs for continuing education.
• Collaborate with Bridge Career Counselors to prepare program participants for applications, interviews, and other steps to choosing and succeeding in continuing education.
• Connect youth with relevant education, vocational training programs, college visiting sessions; work closely with colleges and universities to stay up-to-date with entry requirements, tuition rates, financial aid programs, support services, and other higher education opportunities.
• Establish and maintain clear communication and cooperative working relationships with program participants, career development staff, other Bridge colleagues, educational collaboratives and organizations, and secondary education institutions; work closely with other internal and external team members to support youth in achieving education and career goals.
• Participate in staff development activities, staff meetings, trainings, and other program-related activities as assigned.
• Perform other related duties for the purpose of ensuring an effective educational environment and collaborative team.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in education, teaching, or related field; strong language arts and math skills
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in a teaching/educational environment.
• A minimum of 1 year working with youth and young adults, individuals or families experiencing homelessness, or other high-needs populations.
• Knowledge of content, curriculum, teaching methods and materials, educational technology, and other resources for instructing learners in obtaining the HiSET.
• Empathy, compassion, tolerance, and flexibility in working with high-risk populations
• Excellent communication, organization, and computer skills, both verbal and written, and ability to work as part of a team
• Available for working flexible hours, including evenings and weekends if needed
• Possession of a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Ability to interact with people from culturally diverse backgrounds and display strong customer relation skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently and exercise sound judgment in making decisions and act accordingly.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Bridge endorses and incorporates the cultural responsiveness approach of Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary promotes the Department’s three outcomes student learning:

• Academic achievement: Educators hold high, transparent expectations for all students, and support the development of students' academic skills and identities as learners.
• Cultural competence: Educators understand culture's role in education, their students' cultures, and their own identity and biases to 1) affirm students' backgrounds and identities and 2) foster their ability to understand and honor others' cultures.
• Sociopolitical awareness: Educators and students partner to identify, acknowledge, analyze, and consider options for solving systemic inequities in their communities and the world.
• Performance measures are based on student achievement of ISS goals and outcomes, along with written program goals and objectives, which correspond to MA curriculum frameworks, teaching guides, and AEI policies and principles.
• Participant access, attainment of academic skills, numbers of students who obtain their HiSET and move forward in continuing education or training, and/or stable employment, are all part of performance measurement.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Bridge Over Troubled Waters is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers a competitive salary and benefits package including medical, dental and vision plans, paid time off and a retirement savings plan. 

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT

Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ duty is to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of recognized hazards.  As such we have adopted a MANDATORY COVID 19 VACCINATION POLICY for our employees. This policy is intended to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees as well as their families, our clients, and visitors who spend time in our facilities from COVID 19’s infectious conditions. This policy complies with all State and Local Laws and is based upon guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health and licensing authorities, as applicable. Employees who have underlying medical conditions that contraindicates administration of all available COVID-19 vaccines, are pregnant, or object to receiving any of the COVID-19 vaccines available based on sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance may request a vaccine exemption through Human Resources.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc.  is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status.