Life Buddies - Youth Advocate/Mentor 

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Life Buddies is a long-term Christian mentoring program serving children who face significant obstacles. We are seeking full-time professional Mentors to serve as a positive adult role model to eight children. A successful youth mentor will develop caring and sustained relationships with each child. For each child, the mentor will set positive expectations; nurture and promote each child’s strength, talents, and abilities; help ensure physical and emotional well-being; teach life and academic skills; provide enrichment activities; and model responsible behavior. The mentor will document activities and participate in the ongoing evaluation process. Mentors will work primarily one-on-one with their children, while also building trusting supportive relationships with parents/caregivers. A mentor must know, understand, honor, support, and clearly articulate the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles. 
 
Essential responsibilities: 

• Be willing to make a commitment to serve for three years.   Children and youth benefit most when mentorship is consistent and sustained over years.   
• Develop and sustain long-term, caring, protective, and loving relationships with each child.   

• Spend time with children, one-on-one 
• Partner with parents/caregivers to provide concrete and social/emotional supports for the family. 
• Set realistic goals based on each child’s strengths, talents, abilities, and needs 
• Teach life skills and help develop a talent/skill/area of interest with each child 
• Provide enrichment resources and activities that include opportunities for cultural awareness 

• Develop positive relationships with families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life 
• Reinforce basic academic skills 
• Maintain a flexible 40-hour per week work schedule.  Some late afternoon, evening, and weekend hours will be necessary.  
• Maintain spending within budgetary guidelines. 
• Complete, distribute, and collect time summaries, activity journals, short-term plans, expense reports, and evaluations materials accurately and in a timely manner 

• Attend and actively participate in team meetings and staff functions 
• Provide information and support to the development and executive team on related activities 
• Fulfill other responsibilities as requested 

Additional qualifications: 

• Ability to advocate, securing additional resources, opportunities, and services for youth as appropriate 

• Ability to navigate systems in schools in order to secure conditions for optimal academic success 
• Strong interpersonal skills 
• Cross-cultural communication skills
  
• Demonstrated ability to work with children in varied capacities and settings 
• Ability to develop trusting relationships with children, families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life 
• Ability to work independently and as a team player 

• Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively 
• Strong written and verbal communications skills 
• Strong organizational and time management skills 
• A good sense of humor 

SALARY: $40,000-45,000 
BENEFITS: Benefits include a stipend for medical and dental insurance, retirement, and generous paid time off. 
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred but not required.   


INTERESTED? Email a resume and cover letter to broberts@bridgeoftopeka.org.