Trainer, Posse New York

About The Posse Foundation:

The Posse Foundation is a nationally recognized youth leadership development and college access program that identifies, recruits, and trains diverse teams—Posses—of public high school students and sends them to top colleges and universities. To date, more than 10,000 Posse Scholars have been accepted into top-tier institutions of higher education throughout the country. These young people have received more than $1.2 billion in full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse’s college and university partners and have been agents of positive change on their campuses.

Posse’s unique and carefully structured, three-month selection process identifies candidates using criteria beyond academic achievement, including leadership talent, desire to succeed and ability to work constructively with people from diverse backgrounds. Posse’s high school through college programming makes it one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind in the nation. In 2010, The Posse Foundation was identified by President Obama as one of 10 national non-profit organizations to receive a portion of his Nobel Peace Prize grant.

Posse currently has over 60 college & university partners nationally, which can be found using this link. You can also find the New York partner schools by clicking on "New York" on the left of the page: https://www.possefoundation.org/supporting-scholars/college-university-partners

Posse supports programs in Atlanta, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Washington, D.C, and Puerto Rico, along with supporting Veterans and virtual Posses. Posse has a staff of over 170 nationally. There is a national board of directors, as well as advisory boards in each city.

Job Description:

The role of the Posse trainer is to help recruit, train, and support Posse Scholars. During recruitment, trainers assist with outreach to high schools and community based organizations. Trainers also interview candidates and guide them through the college application process. Once the Posse Scholars are selected, trainers work closely with them beginning in their senior year of high school and continuing to their graduation from college. In Pre-Collegiate Training, trainers facilitate weekly workshops for Posse Scholars that focus on leadership, cross-cultural communication, team-building, and academic excellence. To support the Campus Program, trainers travel to our partner universities four times a year per campus to meet with Posse Scholars individually. Trainers track Scholars’ academic progress and help develop strategies to address any potential retention issues. Additionally, trainers work closely with Posse mentors (usually college faculty/staff members) to ensure Posse Scholars on campus receive the support they need. Trainers report to the program director of the site and work in close collaboration with co-trainers.

Qualities/Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Experience working with youth; facilitation experience; counseling experience; and two years previous work experience desired
• Experience working one-on-one with high school and college-aged students
• Excellent demonstrated skills in writing, communication, presentation and time management
• Ability to organize, manage, prioritize and complete multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to relate to and interact with high-school and college-aged participants from diverse backgrounds
• Must be enthusiastic, possess a strong work ethic, be able to work independently and as part of a team, and serve as a positive role model for Posse Scholars and staff
• Knowledge of New York City Public Schools is a plus
• Willing and able to travel throughout year (current driver’s license strongly preferred)
• Computer skills (MS Word and Excel, Salesforce, internet research, email, etc.)
• Demonstrated belief in Posse’s mission and values