Writers’ Room Program Assistant at John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science

826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization seeking a dynamic Writers’ Room Program Assistant for the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. The role involves providing support for students' writing development, coordinating programming, and assisting with administrative tasks to enhance the educational experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a tutor to students in grades 7-12 seeking writing support for class visits across all content areas (humanities and STEM); example assignments and publications include short-form text-based writing assignments, research papers, and college essays
• Support students’ writing development through one-on-one conferences, small-group collaboration, whole-class instruction, and humanities clubs and workshops
• Develop and lead 826 Boston-created programming, which can include stand-alone workshops, creative writing clubs, and publication projects. Example programming includes our school-wide literary magazine and student newspaper
• Assist with Writers’ Room volunteer coordination, including managing email communication and tracking attendance; leading pre-brief and debrief conversations; and planning and administering microtrainings
• Support students in developing social-emotional learning skills and processing life experiences through writing and other mediums
• Create and update wall programming including advocacy boards, writing contests, and student-facing opportunities
• Develop a bimonthly newsletter that summarizes the program’s notable highlights and 826 Boston events
• Assist with data collection, analysis, and results-sharing associated with the Writers’ Room, including tracking student visits and hours across different platforms, administering an annual writing assessment, distributing student and teacher feedback surveys, and participating in biannual team-wide reports
• Support publishing project design cycle, from giving feedback to student authors and copy editing the manuscript to designing the publication and planning the book release party
• Co-lead Student Editorial Boards for each publication project, ensuring students have the opportunity to inform book content, cover and interior design, and title selection
• Communicate project progress to staff supervisor and seek counsel when help is needed to execute goals
• Assist the Writers’ Room Manager with administrative tasks, the upkeep and beautification of the Writers' Room, and partner meetings or school-based professional development, as needed
• Support additional responsibilities during short-term Writers’ Room Manager absences by facilitating team meetings, tutor debriefs, and class mini-lessons
• Provide support at select outreach and fundraising events, including nights and weekends on rare occasions
• Support organization-wide summer programming

Skills

• Experience tutoring, mentoring, or working with students in grades 7-12 in an urban setting
• Ability to create engaging programming environments that encourage innovative, creative, and student-centered thinking; A love of developing fun and inclusive environments that center safety, learning, joy, and, most importantly, whimsy
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering community, building a strong sense of team, and embracing values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Knowledge of and fluency with social and racial justice, intersectionality, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ history, and historic/current systems of oppression
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency in organizational, time management, project management, and resource management skills
• Willingness to give and receive feedback with humility, regulation, and tact
• Experience with and/or open to learn Google Apps, Salesforce, Airtable, Canva, InDesign, and similar platforms as the organization's needs evolve
• Experience with and/or willingness to learn high school-level STEM tutoring practices
• Experience with classroom management
• Familiarity with the Boston Public Schools system, particularly the schools in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain
• Proficiency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Cape Verdean Creole

Benefits

• Flexible work from home options
• Generous paid time off (including 15 PTO days, accrued sick leave, 13 paid holidays, 6 Summer Fridays, and an organization wide two-week winter break)
• Health, dental, and vision insurance (826 Boston covers 80% of premiums)
• Parental leave
• Paid sabbaticals
• More

Company Overview