- Agency
- Alaska Fellows Program
- Location
- Sitka, AK
- Job Category
- Internships
- Salary
- $1150/month plus housing
- Start Date
- 09/01/2023
- Last Date to Apply
- 08/01/2023
- Website
- https://alaskafellows.org/positions
- Description
- Alaska Fellows Program position description Mt. Edgecumbe High School (MEHS) Health and Resilience Guide Located in Sitka This position is part of the Alaska Fellows Program. All fellows live together, “in community,” in their respective host site. Each host site is unique and remarkable. Fellows receive housing, a $1150 monthly living stipend and a $500 relocation stipend. The fellowship includes facilitated and funded opening and closing retreats. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If you are applying to a position in Juneau, please note that the program will last seven months (October-April) while other programs will run nine months (September-May). For other questions about the application process, email applications@alaskafellows.org. Work Term: August 24, 2023 through May 31, 2024 (note earlier start date) Employer: Alaska College & Career Advising Corps / Mt. Edgecumbe High School Contact: Suzzuk Mary Huntington Superintendent Mt. Edgecumbe High School 1330 Seward Avenue Sitka, Alaska 99835 907-966-3200 main office suzzukh@mehs.us Title: Health and Resilience Guide Organization Description: Mt. Edgecumbe High School is a public boarding school operated by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. Initially established in 1947 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mt. Edgecumbe provided Alaska Native students in grades 1-12 the opportunity to acquire a traditional education unavailable in rural Alaska. Serving as many as 600 students at its largest, the school closed temporarily in 1983 as the Bureau of Indian Affairs reduced its role in Alaskan education. Two years later, the school reopened under the governance of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. The central role of Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Alaskan education is to provide a broad range of academic and extra-curricular opportunities that are unavailable to students in isolated home schools and communities. Academic expectations are high and students who attend are expected to enroll in higher education. The official governing body charged with oversight is the Alaska State Board of Education. Position Description: The Health and Resilience Guide is a unique service learning opportunity for recent college graduates who are committed to improving health and wellbeing for youth in a residential setting in Alaska. The Health and Resilience Guide is placed at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in the residential setting, where they must develop and execute strategies to build a culture promoting substance-free living, resiliency, and positive mental health. Guides will work in collaboration with counselors, teachers, and the community to provide direct advising to students while being a positive cultural catalyst. A successful Guide is self-directed, strategic, professional yet accessible, able to work with multiple stakeholders, and knowledgeable of youth development and the challenges facing underserved youth. The unique setting of Mt. Edgecumbe High School as a boarding school allows for the guide to reach students during non-school hours as well as during the school day. The guide will be encouraged to work with residential staff to maximize student impact utilizing evening and weekend hours to limit time outside of class. Primary duties: 1. Collaborate with residential wellness team to directly advise and assist students who have known substance use or who are on a plan to address a specific behavior to create a healthy activity plan. An emphasis is placed on alternative healthy activities and cultural protective factors. (50% of time) Work directly with students who have either stated a problem with substance use or who have been observed using substances to develop an alternative healthy plan. Work directly with students who have an identified need for support to make a positive behavior change for healthy living. This may address peer interactions or self-behaviors that are unhealthy to develop an alternative healthy plan. Monitor plans and meet with students weekly for feedback. Connect students to additional resources as appropriate. Set up groups as appropriate for students to support prevention measures and build protective factors 2. Promote healthy living and cultural protective factors through presentations, Community partnerships, classroom visits, posters, planned activities, and other forms of communication. (20% of time) Create an environment of “clean living” & healthy lifestyles in the dorms. Encourage students to participate in healthy activities. Work with other staff on promoting and supporting school-wide healthy choice activities. Seek partnerships with community organizations that may provide activities on campus to promote healthy living. Create outreach activities to build positive relationships with students and their families. At MEHS this will require creative thinking and use of technology to reach out to parents. Work with counseling staff to develop and disseminate content for healthy lifestyles and create visual aids throughout the campus that help to create a healthy culture including posters and bulletin boards. Facilitate classroom presentations promoting protective factors and healthy living 3. Conduct program assessment using behavior data and surveys with students/parents in conjunction with the wellness staff in order to gauge the program’s impact on the target population. (10% of time) Assist wellness staff and site supervisor in conducting surveys with participating students. Assist site supervisor in using behavior and activity participation data to identify data trends and assist in developing strategies to meet student needs Identify meaningful data to evaluate program and identify students in need of support. 4. Outreach and Coordination with partners and other service providers in creating substance use, cultural activities, and mental health services for students. (20% of time) Hours: Position will work the school year and may be required to attend training in Anchorage in August. Position will be required to work a “swing shift” 2:00-10:00pm or a weekend day at least 4 days a week. Position may require occasional travel inside/outside of Alaska. Qualifications: Knowledge of: Promotion of healthy alternatives for at-risk youth Teenage substance use dangers Alaska’s initiatives in recovery and culturally-based programs to promote health and build protective factors. Program development and general management principles Internet, media and technology-based strategies for social marketing Skills in: Public speaking and presentation techniques Effective written communication for outreach/PR material & college entrance essays ∙Microsoft computer programs including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and Publisher or related programs Developing and administering surveys/questionnaires Communicating with diverse populations Problem solving and ability to recognize when to redirect a specific situation to needed expertise Creative and critical thinking Developing and maintaining positive relationships with internal and external partners Online communication tools such as Facebook, Remind, IM, blogs, etc. Ability to: Perform responsibly, take initiative and develop new ideas with co-workers Make independent decisions while working in a team environment Build rapport and establish positive relationships with youth Manage multiple projects Interact with peers, supervisors, students, parents, and other third parties in a professional, appropriate, and effective manner Work nontraditional hours when necessary Understand and incorporate students’ culture into the work Other requirements: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. Recent graduates (degree obtained in last three years or less) Work Authorization: This host organization is not able to sponsor HB1 visas at this time. Application Materials: Cover letter and resume. Contact Information: Suzzuk Mary Huntington Superintendent Mt. Edgecumbe High School 1330 Seward Avenue Sitka, Alaska 99835 907-966-3200 main office suzzukh@mehs.us To Apply: Please complete the google form (https://forms.gle/PTukP68FdYvWT7Fc6) including submitting all requested application materials. Application Materials: Cover letter and resume.
- Qualifications
- Knowledge of: Promotion of healthy alternatives for at-risk youth Teenage substance use dangers Alaska’s initiatives in recovery and culturally-based programs to promote health and build protective factors. Program development and general management principles Internet, media and technology-based strategies for social marketing Skills in: Public speaking and presentation techniques Effective written communication for outreach/PR material & college entrance essays ∙Microsoft computer programs including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and Publisher or related programs Developing and administering surveys/questionnaires Communicating with diverse populations Problem solving and ability to recognize when to redirect a specific situation to needed expertise Creative and critical thinking Developing and maintaining positive relationships with internal and external partners Online communication tools such as Facebook, Remind, IM, blogs, etc. Ability to: Perform responsibly, take initiative and develop new ideas with co-workers Make independent decisions while working in a team environment Build rapport and establish positive relationships with youth Manage multiple projects Interact with peers, supervisors, students, parents, and other third parties in a professional, appropriate, and effective manner Work nontraditional hours when necessary Understand and incorporate students’ culture into the work Other requirements: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. Recent graduates (degree obtained in last three years or less) Work Authorization: This host organization is not able to sponsor HB1 visas at this time.
- Contact Person
- Tina Buxbaum
- Contact Phone
- 907-978-8383
- Contact eMail
- tina@alaskafellows.org
