Develop and sustain long-term, supportive relationships with elementary school children to foster resiliency and academic success. Partner with families, teachers, and community resources to provide social-emotional and concrete supports for youth.
Requirements summary
Requires a 2 or 4-year degree or at least seven years of progressive experience working with children and families. Candidates must be willing to commit for at least three years and possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
Friends of the Children is a nonprofit that is impacting generational change by empowering youth through relationships with professional mentors.
We do this by providing children facing the most obstacles with a long-term, paid, professional mentor, who we call a “Friend,” from kindergarten through high school graduation, 12+ years – no matter what.
We are currently seeking extraordinary professionals to embark on a new career journey as a Friend at our Pine Ridge location.
At Friends of the Children, we put children first and use our values to change the way the world treats and views youth facing great barriers.
As a Friend you will nurture long-term relationships from a foundation of love, acceptance, and practices.
Do you want to help urban, rural, and Indigenous youth discover their limitless potential, by fostering their internal resiliency?
Are you ready to help build relationships within the communities of our youth and families to strengthen social networks and provide bridges to new opportunities?
If so, the impactful role of a Friend might be for you.
Basic Function / Position Objective: We are currently seeking mentors for our Childhood program (kindergarten to 5th Grade) to serve as a positive adult role model to eight elementary children and develop loving, caring, and sustained relationships with each child.
For each child, a Friend 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.
A Friend will fully document activities and participate in the ongoing evaluation process.
Friends will work primarily one-on-one with the children they serve, while also building trusting supportive relationships with parents/caregivers.
A Friend must know, understand, honor, and support the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles, and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities: · Develop and sustain a long-term, caring, protective, and loving relationship 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 expectations and 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. · Deepen connections for youth through incorporating specific cultural knowledge in programming. · Provide enrichment resources and activities that include opportunities for cultural identity development. · Develop positive relationships with families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s life. · Reinforce basic academic skills. · Maintain a 40-hour work schedule that includes afternoons, evenings, and weekends (normal working days are Tuesday through Saturday with Sundays and Mondays off). · Maintain spending within budgetary guidelines. · Complete, distribute, and collect time summaries, activity journals, short-term plans, expense reports, and evaluation materials accurately and in a timely manner. · Attend and actively participate in team meetings and staff functions. · Maintain First Aid/CPR certification. · Transport children in a personal vehicle as required for mentoring activities. · Provide information and support to the development and executive team on related activities. · Fulfill other responsibilities as requested.
Benefits
Dental Insurance
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
401k With 3% Match
3 Weeks Paid Vacation
The ideal candidate will have the following Education, Experience, and Abilities: · 2 or 4-year degree · Alternatively, at least seven years’ progressive experience working with children and families will be considered in lieu of a college degree · Willingness to commit for a minimum of three years. · Advocate to secure additional resources, opportunities, and services for youth as appropriate · Assist with systems navigation in schools to secure conditions for optimal academic success · Strong interpersonal 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 sense of humor is a plus
Salary Range: · $45,000 annually
Benefits
· 3 weeks paid vacation. Comprehensive health, dental, and vision. 401k with 3% match. Reports To: · Program Manager Location: · Offices will be located in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Cover Letter: Applications without cover letters will not be considered; please use this as an opportunity to convey why you want to be the Professional Mentor for the He Sapa Chapter at Friends of the Children! Friends of the Children is growing rapidly as communities across the country are experiencing the power of how “One” changes a child's story: One Friend. One Child. 12+ years. No matter what. #ThePowerOfOne Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. To know more about Friends of the Children go to: https://friendshesapa.org/
Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.
Market context
Mentor roles on Pine Ridge need long-term commitment
Professional Mentor roles on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota often draw candidates with child- and family-serving experience, especially when schools and community programs need steady support. This position is competitive because it asks for either a degree or substantial progressive experience, plus a three-year commitment and strong interpersonal and organizational skills. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save time, then tailor your application to show relationship-building experience and readiness for a long-term role.
