See Below

START DATE: Dec 2013 / Jan 2014
JOB TITLE: South King County Education Advocate
SALARY: $38,000 – $41,000 DOE
SCHEDULE: Full time (with some evening and weekend commitments)
JOB LOCATION: Various locations around King County

ABOUT SEATTLE EDUCATION ACCESS:
At Seattle Education Access (SEA), we fight poverty and homelessness by helping marginalized youth make strong transitions to local community colleges. Many of our students have been homeless; others are immigrants, foster youth or single parents. What they all share in common is a strong motivation to complete their education, coupled with a lack of adequate resources to achieve their goals. We provide our students with the financial and social resources they need to excel academically, as well as personalized, compassionate, respectful academic advising and advocacy. As a result, our students are succeeding in college and leaving poverty behind, preparing to give back to society as professionals and leaders.

Through our College Success Program, we provide scholarships and free academic advising, career counseling, tutoring, and advocacy that enable youth to transition successfully into universities and community colleges. Our staff works with students to create an individualized academic achievement plan tailored to each student’s gifts and goals. We teach our students how to navigate the educational system, get federal financial aid, compete for private scholarships, make a budget, register for classes, pick the right campus and degree program, and effectively access campus services. We provide long-term social support, cheering the student on toward graduation. We also operate our own scholarship fund that supplements their financial aid package, so that they have enough money to afford safe and stable housing.

The Education Advocate will work directly with other staff to participate in the leadership of SEA’s programs under direct supervision of the Executive Director. The Education Advocate will be in charge of creating, building, managing and evaluating partnerships between SEA and community-based organizations and nonprofits in King County in assigned locations. S/he will serve as the liaison between SEA and these partner programs, working to set up and maintain formal partnerships that allow SEA staff to work on-site at partnership locations. S/he will also work with SEA staff and an outside evaluation firm to evaluate these on-site partnerships.

The Education Advocate will spend the bulk of his/her time working directly with students. She will work on-site at partnership locations to serve the clients of partnerships organizations and other clients residing in South King County. S/he will work at partner sites around South King County, and on-site at college campuses to provide students with financial and social resources, academic advising and advocacy. The position will require a significant amount of travel time, and use of personal vehicle is required. Candidates with an MSW or case management experience are preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS:
1. A bachelor’s degree is required, an MSW or equivalent is preferred.
2. Professional experience in empowering and educating people coming from marginalized/oppressed communities.
3. Ability to work independently and creatively.
4. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
5. Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills.
6. Authentic commitment to serving our students with an enthusiasm and compassion that is rooted in a profound respect for their courage in the face of trauma and hardship, human dignity, academic potential, unique gifts and dreams, and their right, as young adults, to self determination and free expression.
7. Proficiency with MS Word and Excel.
8. Valid Washington State Driver’s license and access to an insured vehicle.
9. A shared passion for our mission, vision, and values.
10. Experience in training and managing volunteers is preferred, but not required.
11. Experience in academic advising is preferred.
12. Fluency in a second language preferred, but not required.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
In order to be considered for this position, please submit the following three items.
1. Cover letter describing your qualifications, your interest in the position, and how you will be able to help SEA realize its mission, vision, and values.
2. Current résumé.
3. Three references (one from a previous supervisor and one from a person that can speak to you direct service work preferred)

Submit your application electronically to apply@seattleeducationaccess.org mailto:apply@seattleeducationaccess.org. Only complete applications will be considered.

SEATTLE EDUCATION ACCESS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.