Youth Development Counselor - Oak Forest Elementary

Position Summary:

A dedicated and responsible youth development professional to assist with providing quality care in before and after-school site and camp setting by teaching values, ensuring safety, and facilitating structured play and educational activities with the children, in accordance with state childcare licensing requirements and YMCA policy. Assist with providing a quality experience to children and parents that focuses on youth development, including the YMCA core values: honesty, respect, responsibility, caring, and faith. Responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of children and leading age-appropriate activities and appropriately monitoring children's behavior in care.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Supervision and Safety: Ensure the safety and security of all children in the program at all times. Monitor the children's activities to ensure they engage in safe and age-appropriate behaviors. Conduct regular headcounts and maintain accurate attendance records. Respond appropriately and promptly to emergencies and incidents, following established YMCA policies.
2. Behavior Management: Implement positive behavior management techniques to promote a respectful and inclusive environment. Address behavioral issues in a calm and constructive manner, following established guidelines.
3. Activity Implementation: Implement a variety of age-appropriate activities, including structured and unstructured activities as outlined in YMCA approved curriculum. Encourage and facilitate positive social interactions among children. Adapt activities to meet the diverse needs and interests of all children.
4. Policy Adherence: Follow all organizational policies and procedures, including those related to health and safety, child protection, and confidentiality. Maintain a clean and organized environment, adhering to sanitation and safety standards. Report any concerns or issues to the Site Lead or Program Director in a timely manner.
5. Daily Operations. Maintains the program site and camp environment by adhering to YMCA of Greater Houston program standards and childcare licensing minimum standards.
6. Leadership: Supervises children under the direction of the Site Lead. Makes sound decisions in alignment with YMCA and state standards. Acts as a role model to the children by exemplifying the YMCA's five core values.
7. Relationship Building: Maintains positive relations with children, parents, school personnel, directors and other staff. Attends and participates in staff meetings, and staff trainings.
8. Child Abuse Prevention: Reports suspicious and inappropriate behaviors and policy violations. Follows mandated abuse and incident reporting requirements. Ensures youth are properly signed in and signed out, ensures only authorized adults are allowed in the facility, etc. Adheres to policies related to boundaries with each child. Ensures unused rooms and closets remain locked; routinely monitors high-risk locations (bathrooms), etc.

YMCA COMPETENCIES

Collaboration: Creates sustainable relationships within the Y and with other organizations in service to the community

Communication & Influence: Listens and expresses self effectively and in a way that engages, inspires, and builds commitment to the Y's cause

Developing Self & Others: Develops self and supports others (e.g., staff, volunteers, members, program participants), both formally and informally, to achieve their highest potential

Functional Expertise: Executes superior technical skills for the role

Inclusion: Values all people for their unique talents, and takes an active role in promoting practices that support diversity, inclusion, and global work, as well as cultural competence

Program/Project Management: Ensures program or project goals are met and intended impact occurs

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. At least 18 years of age.
2. High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
3. At least 6 months working with youth at a licensed facility, church, school or equivalent.
4. CPR, First Aid, AED certifications and Child Abuse prevention trainings.
5. Ability to plan, organize, and implement age-appropriate/developmentally appropriate program activities
6. Previous experience with diverse populations.
7. Current record of tuberculosis examination and/or current local health department regulations, examinations, and/or immunization as required by the local or State Department of Health.
8. Pass a local/state background and FBI fingerprinting check.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

High school diploma or general education degree (GED) with demonstrated interested in the welfare of children; prior childcare or baby-sitting experience is preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add and subtract two digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's. Ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out simple one- or two-step instructions. Ability to deal with standardized situations with only occasional or no variables.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the essential and marginal functions the employee may be required to maintain physical condition necessary for adequate physical performance including light to moderate lifting (up to 25 lbs with occasional lifting of up to 50 lbs.); bending, stooping, kneeling, crawling, climbing; standing, walking, pushing, pulling, reaching, balancing, and crouching; use of hands and fingers, handle or feel; reach; speak and hear, use close and distant vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perceptions, and ability to adjust focus; must utilize auditory, sensory abilities constantly on the job site.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work is performed in a primarily indoor environment during the AfterSchool; some exposure to outdoor environment occur; this may include exposure to weather conditions such as heat or cold during summer or winter events. Exposure to noise, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, sweat, spills and messes within the facility.

Some physical requirements of a day camp position could be endurance including prolonged standing, some bending, stooping, walking long distances, hiking, getting into the pool, climbing, and stretching; requires eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity to manipulate outdoor equipment and camp activities; requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare, and communicate appropriate camper activities/programs and the ability to lift up to 50 lbs; willing to work in a camp setting and work irregular hours with limited or simple equipment and facilities; and with daily exposure to the sun, heat, and animals such as bugs, etc.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

WORK SCHEDULE

Before/After School: Part-time, typically Monday-Friday, afternoon shift 2:30 pm - 6:30 pm (start and end time may vary). Program runs concurrently with ISD calendar.

Camp: Typically Monday-Friday, 6:30 am - 6:30 pm with a morning, afternoon and evening shift option (start and end time may vary). Camps run concurrently with ISD calendar breaks.

Must be available to attend and participate in family nights, program activities, staff meetings, and staff trainings. Details will be provided in advance.

TRAVEL

Travel is primarily to an assigned site / camp; however, there are occasions when travel to other locations.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.