Volunteers of America - Dakotas·Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The Youth Mentor & Activity Specialist is responsible for supervising middle school students and facilitating engaging academic and recreational activities. They also maintain a safe environment, track attendance, and provide support to students and families.
**This position is eligible for a $500 hiring bonus**
Department: Out of School Time
Job Status: Relief
Reports to: Middle School Youth Program Coordinator
Position Supervises: None
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 3:15 PM – 6:00 PM
Are you looking for a meaningful, hands-on opportunity to work with middle school students? As a Youth Mentor & Activity Specialist, you’ll play a key role in creating a safe, fun, and supportive environment where students can grow, learn, and thrive.
Be a positive presence by supervising students and ensuring their safety at all times.
Build real connections through games, conversations, and activities that help students feel welcome and valued.
Lead engaging programs by planning and facilitating at least 11 academic, recreational, and social-emotional activities each month.
Keep things running smoothly by helping maintain clean, organized spaces and assisting with hygiene when needed.
Support families and students by communicating clearly, following behavior plans, and upholding our values every day.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Responsible for other duties as assigned.
Education: High School Diploma and/or state education requirements required
Previous experience working with youth preferred, but not required.
Ability to build relationships with students; ability to communicate clearly and positively; Ability to lead a group of students in an activity; Ability to respond calmly to unexpected situations.
Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
A. Ability to Stand, Walk, sit, manually manipulate, reach outward and above shoulders, speak and bend on a daily basis
B. Capability to lift, carry, push or pull up to 50 lbs on a daily basis
Candidates must have a high school diploma and a valid driver's license with reliable transportation. Previous experience working with youth is preferred but not required.
Market context
In South Dakota, Youth Mentor & Activity Specialist roles often appeal to candidates with a high school diploma, a valid driver’s license, and reliable transportation, since programs need staff who can consistently support youth activities and supervision. These positions can be competitive because employers often prefer prior youth experience and may offer a hiring bonus; on this platform, the job requirements and benefits are AI-summarized from the original posting, saving you research time. Before applying, confirm your transportation setup and be ready to describe any work, volunteer, or mentoring experience with young people.