Part Time Mentor - Job Description
The Dory Learning Center is a democratically run self-directed learning center for teens in Belfast, Maine. The mentor’s role is to help youth build fulfilling lives based on their own interests, passions and goals. This role is a unique blend of counseling, facilitation, teaching, advocacy, and community organizing.
Mentor Responsibilities (all are shared with other mentors)
-Develop mentorship connections with youth members and families. Each mentor will focus on 6-8 teens with whom they will:
-Meet weekly for 30-45 minutes.
-Support youth in achieving goals, exploring interests and deepening connections with community and place.
-Maintain notes and other records that reflect mentees work and learning.
-Facilitate family meetings at least twice per year with parents or guardians.
-Connect youth with opportunities in the community based on their goals and interests (classes, workshops, apprenticeships, tutoring, volunteer work, activism, art, etc.)
-Offer classes, workshops, tutoring and trips based on your skills and interests and the interests of Dory members.
-Build and deepen connections with local organizations, businesses and individuals to provide opportunities for youth engagement.
-Facilitate democratic decision making, reflection and conflict resolution in collaboration with other mentors and youth.
-Attend weekly one hour staff meetings.
-Help maintain a clean, safe, lively and welcoming community space.
-Transport youth to events, internships, jobs and classes as needed.
-Represent the center at events by explaining our mission and philosophy.
-Complete various administrative tasks, in collaboration with other staff, including but not limited to:
-Maintain an online calendar of events.
-Follow up with members, families, partner organizations and volunteers by phone or email.
-Update the website with photos and information.
-Assist with fundraising.
Required Qualifications:
-Experience working with youth, especially in non-coercive settings.
-Demonstrated commitment to self-directed learning and youth autonomy.
-Willingness to listen, reflect and examine one’s own beliefs and habits.
-Ability to creatively navigate conflict, discomfort and uncertainty as part of a group.
-Demonstrated commitment to (and preferably experience with) supporting diverse groups including youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth, poor and working class youth and neurodivergent youth.
-Being a lifelong learner (a willingness to be on your own learning edge).
Desired Qualifications:
-Don’t be overwhelmed by this list! We want to encourage applicants to think broadly about what “experience” and “qualifications” could mean in the context of a self-directed learning center, but we don’t expect all or even half of this from any one applicant.
-Experience with democratic education, hands-on learning, unschooling, expeditionary learning, and other experiential, youth-centered models.
-Diverse connections with community organizations (arts, activism, science, higher education, historical societies, local government/tribes, traditional crafts, music, farming, wilderness skills, local businesses, media production, etc.)
-Academic, literary and scientific interests and experience.
-Experience with facilitation, democratic process, conflict resolution and/or mediation.
-Creative practice of all kinds
-Playing a musical instrument. Experience teaching, arranging and conducting ensembles.
-Entrepreneurship
-Activism
-Cooking, food preservation.
-Experience guiding trips outdoors.
-An adventurous spirit
-Technology skills (coding, media production, editing, web design, GIS, etc.)
-Foreign language and/or American Sign Language
-Fundraising experience
Details
Pay: $28 per hour
Hours - 24 hours per week with possibility of expanding to 32 hours. Sept - May
Benefits - 3 paid sick/personal days per year. Flexible Schedule.
To Apply:
Submit a cover letter, resumé and three references (including one professional reference and one personal reference). We will begin reviewing applications in July on a rolling basis and continue until the position is filled.
Email: info@dorylearningcenter.org
or
Snail Mail: Dory Learning Center, 37 Miller St., Belfast, ME, 04915