portal resources jobs companies n northwest education access (formerly seattle education access) education advocate | 3 positions - seattle, bellevue, tacoma

Education Advocate | 3 Positions - Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma


JOB TITLE: Education Advocate

SALARY: $50,000 + benefits

SCHEDULE: Full time (with some evening and weekend commitments); 40 hours/week

JOB LOCATION/PARTNER SITES: 3 positions available for various locations around King and Pierce Counties, primarily in (1) Seattle, (2) Bellevue and Kirkland and (3) Tacoma and Federal Way. Travel to other regions, such as Beacon Hill for team meetings, is sometimes required. Education Advocates will have the flexibility of working remotely while prioritizing at least 40% of time working in person, this will vary among regions and partner site commitments. (NWEA will adapt remote work based on WA State and CDC recommendations)


ABOUT NORTHWEST EDUCATION ACCESS (formerly known as Seattle Education Access) 

Northwest Education Access (NWEA) works throughout the greater Puget Sound region on Coast Salish land. We provide comprehensive and individualized support to help low-income young people, ages 16-29, build their own path to higher education and beyond. NWEA focuses specifically on supporting alternative routes to high school completion and the transition into post-secondary pathways. The young people we serve navigate complex education barriers that are compounded by inequitable access to basic needs like housing, mental health services, and childcare. They do this while experiencing institutional racism and surviving generational and historical trauma. Many of the young people we serve are considered ‘Opportunity Youth,’ meaning they are typically disconnected from school and/or work. Despite a range of backgrounds, our students all share a strong motivation to complete their education and demonstrate resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. 


The NWEA program model is based on having a team of Education Advocates located at partner sites throughout the community. Partner sites include community or technical colleges, Open Doors programs, youth-serving homeless shelters, and other service providers working with low-income youth. 


POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Education Advocate (EA) is part of an innovative and mission-driven cohort of EAs providing individualized navigation support to students. Education Advocates assist young people in creating a tailored post-secondary education plan based on their interests and goals. Students are placed in the driver’s seat and Education Advocates are available to students as support for system navigation and coaching. The mission of the EA role is to create a strong long-term relationship with students that will last throughout their educational journey in a way that centers student choice; this could look like transitioning from a GED program to an apprenticeship or pathway to a Master’s degree. Building trusting relationships with students entails celebrating triumphs, supporting through educational disruptions without judgement, navigating complex systems, and whole-heartedly believing that students are an expert in their own lived experience and decisions. EAs demonstrate loyalty to each student and not to a particular college, school, or organization. 


Flexibility is a cornerstone to the effectiveness of this work. EAs work off-site at partner locations and are typically embedded in one or two primary sites, although we will travel to meet students at community locations that work best for them. EAs are trusted to develop their own schedules in response to student need. Aspects of this work that fall outside of student and partner meetings may be done remotely from home. This position will require a significant amount of travel and use of a personal vehicle is required. EAs should have an ability to work with a high degree of independence as they move to and around their primary sites to meet with students, partners, and NWEA team members.   


CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Direct Student Service:

  • Build authentic relationships with students through individual meetings, ongoing communication, and occasional small-group workshops;
  • Support students in career and program exploration to find the program that fits their individual interests and needs;
  • Support student development with college-readiness skills, such as time management, self-advocacy, and communication strategies;  
  • Utilize motivational interviewing skills to help young people identify their goals and next steps; 
  • Provide navigation through various sources of financial aid, including FAFSA, WASFA, scholarships, and campus-based funding; 
  • Refer students to NWEA tutors and volunteers for additional academic supports;
  • Connect students to on-campus and community resources that support thriving and educational engagement; 
  • Support students through NWEA scholarship process, including distribution of funds received; 
  • Regularly meet with students based on their needs to support progress on their educational pathway.

Organizational Participation:

  • Participate in regular team meetings with NWEA colleagues;
  • Complete quarterly data reports in Salesforce, including case notes; 
  • Engage in bi-weekly supervision meetings with Program Director; 
  • Collaborate in various project teams with smaller groups of EAs focusing on particular interest areas for program development and innovation; 
  • Share best practices and tools with EA cohort; 
  • Contribute to an organizational culture of celebration, appreciation, creative innovation, high performance, and trust. 

Partnership Engagement:

  • Deepen and strengthen relationships at partnership sites where NWEA students are served; 
  • Represent NWEA to primary partner sites; this may include attending partner team meetings or participating in collaborative team projects with partners; 
  • Collaborate in regional, system, and/or collective impact networks or meetings; 
  • Develop expertise in resources available to students at partner sites and in their region in order to best serve students; 
  • Support Program Directors in identifying new partnership opportunities and evolutions;
  • Proactively identify and communicate emerging issues at partner sites to Program Directors; 
  • Share regular updates on student outcomes and progress with partners; 
  • Conduct adequate outreach and messaging to partners for appropriate flow of student referrals. 

QUALIFICATIONS

  1. A strong belief that every young person has the capacity to achieve their goals and is an expert in choosing their path; 
  2. An ability to articulate how institutionalized racism impacts a student’s educational process and pathway;
  3. Experience successfully providing one on one support for young people, including managing relationships and tracking progress; 
  4. A demonstrated ability to proactively problem-solve with a high level of resourcefulness and independence; 
  5. A proven track record of thinking critically about challenges and mapping out action steps; 
  6. A demonstrated ability to cultivate and build authentic relationships with students, colleagues, and partners;  
  7. A Bachelor’s degree or an Associate’s level degree with relevant professional experience serving young people in human and/or educational services;
  8. Valid Washington State Driver’s license and access to a reliable insured vehicle;
  9. A personal cell phone that can be used for work.

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