Activity Instructor - Good Shepherd Services

Good Shepherd Services is a leading multi-service agency with more than 85 programs that serve over 30,000 youth and families each year – and builds on their strengths to help them gain skills for success.  At Good Shepherd we respect the dignity and worth of every person and reject intolerance, inequity and injustice in whatever form it may take. Voted one of the top 100 places to work in NYC by Crain’s New York, Good Shepherd Services offers a fantastic work environment, a collaborative team dedicated to fulfilling our mission, and an amazing array of benefits. Join our team and help make a difference! 

Title:                  Activity Specialist (Instructor) 

Reports To:     After School Coordinator, Bushwick Leaders High School 

Location:         797 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11221 

Hours:              20 hrs per week; Non Exempt, 10 Months 

Schedule:       Monday - Friday, 2pm - 6pm

Salary:              $19/hr - $25/hr  

Job Summary:The Activity Specialist teaches and facilitates a youth centered class tailored to their specific expertise. Candidates with the following expertise are encouraged to apply: 

• Dance (All Styles) 

• Theater/Acting 

• Music & Lyricists 

• Spoken Word and Poetry 

• Graphic Design  

• Podcasting 

• Art/Animation/Painting 

• Chess/Strategy Based Games 

• Photography/Videography 

• Robotics 

• Coding/Computer Programming 

• Audio/Sound Engineering 

• Fashion and Cosmetology 

• Boxing 

• Martial Arts 

• Cooking/Culinary 

• Anything Interesting that isn't mentioned on this list! 

Major Duties: 

• Prepare and develop age, and skill-appropriate curriculum, lesson plans, activities, and special projects that fuse the arts and academic competencies to be reviewed by supervisors before being taught. 

• Work with program participants to develop their artistic, educational, and leadership potential. 

• Responsible for maintaining a minimum of at least 15 students in activity per day.  

• Pre-planning of activity; activities are to provide students with structure, purposeful use of activity and self, including beginning and ending rituals.  

• Facilitate a variety of scaffolded activities based on students’ interest. Activities should promote teamwork, opportunity for mastery, and emotional and professional growth. 

• Facilitate purposeful activities in community hour and participate in other staff lead activities as part of the staff team. 

• Foster a youth development, strength’s-based environment, fostering a sense of belonging, safety, and community to participants.  

• Engage and facilitate group conversations, tracking and supporting students’ academic success.  

• Collaborate with the Good Shepherd Services Day Program. 

• Attend and participate in staff meetings. 

• Participate in all after school events including Field trips as needed. 

• Engage in program evaluation and continuous improvement discussions to strengthen operations and execute a high-quality program. 

• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications: 

• Mustbe at least 18 years old.  

• High School Diploma or GED required. 

• Experience and/or training relevant to the position required. 

• Candidates with some college,experience with adolescents and teaching/coachingyouth are encouraged to apply. 

• Flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm for young people 

• Excellent planning, organization and time management skills 

• Ability to engage youth, while setting structure and limits in a group setting. 

• Energetic, motivated self-starter and a team player 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

• Must have a commitment to work from a strength-based, youth and family development and trauma-informed perspective. 

Good Shepherd Services is an equal opportunity employer that is proudly committed to becoming an anti-racist and multicultural organization that stands up for justice and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse backgrounds, for administrative support and direct service and leadership roles, who will join us on that journey, uphold our values and approach, and believe in our mission. Additionally, we aim to have a racially representative leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.

Good Shepherd Services is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, participants, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of our activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and termination of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services.

We are committed to providing a workplace that is accessible and accommodating to employees with disabilities. As part of our commitment to providing a barrier-free recruitment and selection process, we will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for candidates with disabilities. If you require any accommodations to participate in the hiring process, please inform us of your needs in advance. We value diversity and inclusivity in our workplace and encourage applicants of all abilities to apply.