Middle School Afterschool Group Leader, Salem Public Schools and LEAP for Education, Salem, MA [SY 2025-2026]

Middle School Afterschool Group Leader Salem Public Schools and LEAP for Education Salem MA SY 2025-2026

Program Description: Salem Public Schools and LEAP for Education a local non-profit partner to operate a middle school afterschool and summer program that takes place at Collins Middle School in Salem MA. The program promotes positive youth development social emotional learning and academic skill development. Project-based enrichment opportunities are offered each 10-12 week session in a variety of subject areas to provide opportunities for students to explore new interests in engaging ways connect school day learning to new applications and develop social-emotional and team work skills. Students also engage in team-building game time arts and crafts etc.

Job Description: Group Leaders are essential to supporting students in the day-to-day operations of the program. Group Leaders are assigned to one primary group of 15-18 students but interact with all students. Group Leaders lead games and activities to build students social emotional skills build critical thinking and reflection skills and develop peer connections. Group leaders support students in learning about and exploring new areas of interest during Enrichment experiences facilitated by a teacher or community educator. Group leaders are expected to build strong positive youth-adult relationships.

We are looking for a group leader to start immediately on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-6:00 PM for the remainder of our Winter session and the upcoming Spring session (scheduled to end on June 11th but might be extended due to snow days). Successful group leaders will be invited to continue working with the program during the summer session (full school days for 5 weeks Mon-Thurs). Group Leaders will occasionally be asked to stay late for team meetings. All meeting and training time will be paid.

Job Responsibilities:

• Aid students in transition from school to program addressing any needs or concerns students identify.
• Plan and facilitate games and activities for students to play that build social-emotional and communication skills develop peer and adult-peer relations help build reflection and critical thinking skills and offer opportunities for fun.
• Assist facilitators in helping students engage in project-based learning and enrichment activities.
• Supervise student snack breaks.
• Provide one-on-one support to students.
• Assure all students are learning have a voice in decisions and are having fun
• Support accommodations for students on IEPs and Behavior Plans.
• Support students in following the programs health and safety procedures.
• Communicate specific student needs to Site Coordinator

Job Requirements/Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED some college preferred (must be a minimum of 19 years old and have completed HS/GED)
• Previous experience working with youth in a school after school and/or summer program
• Experience working with middle school youth from diverse backgrounds preferred not required.
• Proven ability to engage motivate and inspire students to learn
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Flexible and adaptive work ethic
• Passionate about positive youth development and social emotional learning
• Proficiency in Spanish useful but not required

LEAP for Education complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws. This means that we will not discriminate against qualified individuals with a disability in any phase of the employment relationship including application for employment hiring promotions and/or advancement opportunities termination compensation training and any other conditions or privileges of employment.

LEAP for Education will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race color national origin religion gender or gender identity familial status disability ancestry age marital status public assistance status sexual orientation veteran history/military status or genetic information.