Mentorship and Coaching Intern

Description

Mentorship and Coaching Intern

Reports to: Manager of Mentorship and Coaching

About Chicago Scholars

At Chicago Scholars, we strive to prepare our Scholars for the world and the world for our Scholars. Our dual focus on Scholars and the world are both essential to our strategy. The first part of our work supports college acceptance, matriculation, persistence, and career access for our Scholars. The second part allows Scholars to go beyond surviving to thriving, from achieving to excelling, from attending and working to belonging and exceeding. The first part of our work allows entry, the second truly opens opportunity and redistributes power. To achieve these goals we center diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and racial justice so that we can launch and lift our Scholars and enable them to lead and leverage their power wherever they are on their journeys.

Chicago Scholars is transforming the leadership landscape of our city by resolving the fundamental barriers to success for academically driven, first-generation college students from under-resourced communities. Through college counseling, mentoring, and by providing a supportive community to our Scholars through each phase of our program: College Access, College Success, and Career and Leadership Development, we ensure that they realize their full potential as students and leaders.

76% of Chicago Scholars graduate college within 6 years. Per the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research, only 49% of their peers earn a degree within 6 years. Upon graduation, our Scholars move into leadership positions across Chicago, helping to drive the economic future of their communities and our thriving city.

READI Commitment 

At Chicago Scholars we strive to prepare our Scholars for the world and the world for our Scholars. Our dual focus on Scholars and the world are essential to our strategy. To achieve these goals, we center racial justice, equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion (READI) in all that we do. 

Chicago Scholars’ commitment to READI encompasses all of our stakeholders—from our staff to our board, from our volunteers to our partnering organizations, and most importantly our Scholars. This holistic approach is necessary for the sustained, long-term, positive impact that we seek for our Scholars, our neighborhoods, our city, and our world.

To learn more about Chicago Scholars commitment to READI, please visit chicagoscholars.org/readi.

At Chicago Scholars, we believe that education is social justice. That's why we're empowering Chicago's best and brightest first-generation college students and students from low-income communities with the mentors, resources, and opportunities to go to our nation's best colleges and universities, graduate on time, and become Chicago's next generation of leaders. Since 1996, we've impacted the lives of more than 5,000 young leaders in Chicago.

Our Values

These are a set of guiding principles that apply to all stakeholders within the Chicago Scholars ecosystem. We select and retain stakeholders based on these stated expectations for how we achieve our mission and vision. Each are supported with core competencies and narrative for the sake of clarity.

We Dream Big. We speak up, innovate, push the boundaries, and keep the creativity flowing. We don’t accept the status quo because the stakes are too high. We have an incredible belief that growth and change are possible. While we dream big, we are laser focused on our intended goals and outcomes for our Scholars, our city, and the world.

We Show Up. We show up every day; not just physically, but with a positive attitude and willingness to work, connect, challenge, engage, solve problems, and have fun. We don’t wait for someone to tell us what to do. We take action and get the job done. If we don’t know how, we figure it out through our knowledge, exploration, or our network.

We Embrace Our Differences. We represent a multicultural nation, and our collective backgrounds, experiences, styles, values, perspectives, and beliefs are an asset to the world. We recognize that together we achieve better outcomes more quickly. Justice and equity start with us using our collective voice.

We Model the Way. We exhibit the behavior that we want to see in others and in the world. Titles are granted, but our behavior is what earns us respect. In order to model the way, we must be clear about our guiding principles, celebrate our accomplishments and learn from our challenges and failures.

We Care For Each Other Along the Way. We adapt to the needs of the person in front of us. We pause, reflect, and listen. We do our best work when we are in good relationship together. We care personally and challenge directly.

We Keep Our Word. When we commit, we are all in. Whether for events, a Scholar, a peer, or ourselves. Our words are as powerful as our actions and are the building block of trust, respect, self-worth, and integrity.

Position Summary

As a key team member on the Mentoring Team, the Mentorship & Coaching Intern assists with the daily operations of Year 1 (College Readiness) and Year 2 (College Success) of the Chicago Scholars Mentorship Program. This role will primarily support mentor communications, support administrative and logistical tasks of the full life cycle of a mentor from recruitment, mentor-mentee matching, training, and program experience. This includes regular collaboration with the College Readiness and College Success Teams who are integral to the Mentorship Program. 

The ideal candidate is someone who takes initiative, is comfortable working independently and collaboratively, when necessary, is detail-oriented and organized, and has strong writing and communication skills. They should feel confident in supporting outreach efforts, crafting content, doing administrative tasks, and engaging with our mentors, ultimately contributing to the success of the Mentorship Program.

This role is a part-time hourly position without benefits. The rate per hour is $15 per hour, and the number of hours that you will be permitted to work each week is usually 15 hours per week. The number of hours per week and work schedule can be flexible to accommodate school schedules and heavy college project periods.

Key Responsibilities:

· Assist with creating content and distributing to Year 1 and Year 2 mentors via newsletters and mass emails

· Assist in the creation and updating of mentor recruitment materials and communications

· Track mentor attendance and participation at optional and required events (trainings, workshops, socials, etc.)

· Track monthly mentor note submissions to ensure they are tracking cohort engagement

· Support the management of the team email inbox, responding to mentor inquiries to ensure they have materials and resources needed to best support their Scholars

· Create and update mentor materials and documents including the mentor handbook, guides, and monthly curriculum documents in collaboration with full-time staff members

· Assist with events and programming: ideas, implementation and execution

· Assist with the mentor-mentee matching process

Additional Responsibilities:

· This role will occasionally work on nights and weekends for mentorship programming

· Other duties, as assigned

Requirements

· Chicago Scholar currently enrolled in college

· Education: High school diploma, some college

· Excellent interpersonal, writing, and overall communication skills

· Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

· Proficient in time management with the ability to juggle multiple tasks efficiently 

· Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment

· Resourceful and proactive self-starter 

· Can work 15 hours per week

· Resides in Chicago preferred but not required; this position can be done remotely from within the United States 

· Experience: 1-2 years of work experience (preferred)

Technical Knowledge: 

· Proficient in Word and PowerPoint

· Experience and high comfortability with Excel strongly preferred

· Experience with tools such as Canva, Salesforce, Zoom, and/or Microsoft Outlook and Teams preferred but not required

Core Competencies: 

· Communication: communicates in a manner that consistently demonstrates respect, concern, and responsiveness; ability to speak in public and engage with a variety of stakeholders (mentors, Scholars, volunteers) 

· Accountability/Project Management: effectively manages own work; plans and organizes tasks and work responsibilities to achieve objectives 

· Teamwork/Collaboration: works collaboratively in a team environment; listens to ideas from others, even when different from own; works with stakeholders respectfully and effectively 

· Problem Solving/Critical Thinking: breaks down tasks into manageable sections to make informed decisions and solve problems; able to perceive and resolve a gap and overcome obstacles between a present situation and desired goal; leverages the strengths of self and others to solve problems

Hourly Rate: $15 per hour

Best Offer First Policy: The data nationally show for every $1 paid to white men, women earn 83 cents, black men earn 88 cents, and black women earn 80 cents. Women and black and brown people are also less likely to negotiate than their white male peers. Chicago Scholars has decided to offer our best offer first rather than wait for a potential negotiation. This allows us to set salaries based on market data and internal equity and ensure fair and equal pay for every role.  

If you have questions regarding any of Chicago Scholars employment policies, please reach out to the Human Resources team at humanresources@chicagoscholars.org with the subject line: Policy Question. 

Work Environment

Chicago Scholars has a hybrid workforce which may include permanent or temporary remote positions. Normal operating hours are Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm with occasional weekend and after-hours events to accommodate Scholar and stakeholders’ schedules. 

To Apply 

• Please visit the Careers page on the Chicago Scholars website and click 'Apply' to submit your application, which should include a resume and cover letter. 
• In your cover letter we encourage applicants to share why they are excited to learn about mentor engagement and how this internship will help you grow professionally.