Before and After School Age Assistant -West Hartford Schools (Seasonal)

What You'll Do

Job Overview:

The School Age Assistant will provide a nurturing environment for children in the YWCA Hartford Region’s Kidslink program, delivering age-appropriate activities and promoting physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Delivery

• Develops and delivers engaging programs, including homework help and activities that foster children’s growth and development;
• Identifies children needing extra support and implements tailored instruction;
• Ensures the School Age Lead Assistant is informed of any program-related issues that may impact quality, licensing, child safety, health, or parent satisfaction within 24 hours;
• Maintains facility equipment and materials in compliance with State licensing requirements;

Coaching and Mentoring

• Establishes effective communication with parents to resolve issues or concerns;
• Maintains a professional demeanor and adheres to the program’s mission and values to set an example for staff members;
• Builts positive relationships with parents, students, staff, and school personnel;
• Collaborates with staff, school, and family to support children with additional needs;

Compliance and Reporting

• Follows defined State and YWCA Hartford Region protocols for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect;
• Reports and documents work-related injuries to Supervisor and HR immediately;
• Responds to medical situations and initiates appropriate intervention to ensure child health and safety;
• Secures and dispenses prescription medication per defined procedures and physician directives;
• Tracks daily attendance and maintains ratios;
• Utilizes the YWCA Hartford Region’s Positive Guidance Policy;
• Attends Sanctuary Training, seminars, and professional development activities to stay current with trends and best practices;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education:

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required; and
• Must be current with all required training or have the ability to complete training as assigned.

Experience:

• Minimum of one (1) year of work experience in an educational setting with children K-5th grade required;
• Ability to lead others and work as a team; and
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of best practices.

License or Certifications:

• CPR/First Aid Certified or the ability to obtain certification within the first two months of employment; and
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Schedule:

• This is an hourly position non-exempt position. The work schedule will be Monday-Friday, 6:45 am to 8:30 am and 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm. Due to the nature of the work, evening hours will be required;

Travel:

• Depending on enrollment and staffing needs, employees may be asked to provide support to other Kidslink programs occasionally.

Key Competencies:

• Develops and maintains professional relationships with stakeholders, i.e., staff, volunteers, interns, board members, etc.;
• Effective in understanding others’ perspectives;
• Engages in or commits to personal and professional growth;
• Examines one’s own assumptions and attitudes;
• Maintains productive work relationships, considering multiple perspectives;
• Aware of life experiences and their relevance in the workplace;
• Experienced in resolving conflicts effectively; and
• Promotes a respectful work environment for concerns to be addressed effectively.

Skills:

• Approachability: edListens; allows time for interactions, creates a supportive communication environment;
• Assertiveness: Communicates directly and honestly, showing respect for others;
• Collaboration and Delegation: Enlists active participation from others, matching assignments to skills and ability of the staff member or to develop individual skill sets. Enlists the help of others to balance the workload and manage time;
• Composure: Responds to information in a self-controlled manner;
• Conflict Management: Identifies sources of conflict and methods of management, and chooses appropriate techniques to resolve issues;
• Customer Focus: Builds effective relationships with customers, identifies customer expectations, tries to see issues from their point of view; offers practical solutions to concerns;
• Emotional Intelligence: Recognizes and values the differences and uniqueness of others. Empathetically and respectfully accepts these differences and works cooperatively and sincerely to optimize the contributions of all individuals;
• Ethics and Integrity: Makes decisions and conducts oneself in a manner consistent with the organization's mission. Treats all individuals in the work environment with respect; Demonstrates high personal standards of acceptance and openness to others; 
• Influencing: Presents information, ideas, and suggestions in a way that causes others to feel included and involved;
• Leading: Takes charge of a situation and inspires others to take action toward the accomplishment of a goal;
• Motivating Others: Recognizes others’ internal motivators and adapts approach to best connect with each individual;
• Organizing: Puts issues, work tasks, and paperwork in a logical order;
• Patience: Behaves in a manner that encourages and allows for interactive behavior from those less skilled, knowledgeable, or experienced;
• Performance Management: Appropriately uses the concepts of both positive motivation and consequences to improve performance to a preferred level;
• Personal Accountability: Accepts responsibility for own actions and embraces experiences as learning opportunities;
• Results-oriented: Directs behavior to emphasize the achievement of organization goals and core values;
• Self-Development: Accepts responsibility for own continued education, learning, and growth;
• Team Building: Recognizes and builds on the strengths of others and looks for ways to build positive relationships within the work team; and
• Technical Skills: Possesses the knowledge and abilities necessary to perform required job elements to establish standards. 

Benefits