Community for Youth (CfY) is a Seattle-based nonprofit with 40 years of experience changing the lives of underserved teens in South Seattle through one-on-one mentorship, community building activities, and facilitated life-skills workshops. CfY has a unique model of curriculum which provides community building opportunities for students and mentors alike.

CfY's most popular program offers an academic year (October - June) Learning Community mentoring experience. CfY Program staff works to match students 1:1 with a mentor and form “Family Groups” with 4-6 student/mentor pairs. Students and mentors find out who they are paired with at “Match Night”.

CfY is also shifting into year three of our new Duos program. CfY Duos provides the opportunity for mentors and students to build a mentoring relationship based on their own schedules. In CfY Duos, each match will commit to scheduling one-to-one sessions twice a month (2-4 hours) for 6 months (January - June). Our goal is to recruit a total of 80 students and 80 mentors across both programs.

CfY’s programming begins with mentors participating in a 3 week intensive course focusing on mentoring best practices, skills and techniques, and training on issues of race & social justice. Camp Launch weekend is where students and mentors meet each other for the first time. The purpose of Camp Launch is for students and mentors to get to know each other and build community in order to inform their match selection. Throughout the program year, there are a variety of scheduled and supported activities:

• Monthly CfY led “Community Workshops”, providing information and resources on student-chosen topics, alongside community building. (Past topics have included: Mental Health & Self Care, How to Manage a Budget, etc.)
• Quarterly CfY led “Mentor Workshops”, providing training and resources to mentors on best practices, alongside peer support. (Past topics have included: Practicing Cultural Humility, Recognizing White Supremacist Values in the Job Sector, etc.)

Our Master of Social Work practicum students serve as essential members of our small, collaborative program team, whose input and hard work is critical to CfY’s continued success, development, and transformation.

Student, Mentor, and Family Support
● Develop relationships and understanding with Students and Mentors to support personal growth, goal completion, and academic success
● Check in with Students and Mentors monthly via phone to ensure consistent support and provide coaching
● Track mentor check-in notes in client database
● Communicate with Students to deepen support and engagement
● Communicate with Parents/Guardians of students to deepen support and engagement
● Provide referral support to Mentors, Students, Parents/Guardians to help students successfully address challenges that arise
● Advise team of any mentor and student-mentor related issues and collaborate as a team to address concerns.

Workshop Logistics
● Be present, observe and participate in CfY workshops/activities/events
● Support with event logistics, including set up and cleanup tasks, food set up, and ensuring all workshop materials are ready and available for in-person and virtual programming
● Provide support on metrics & evaluation

Camp Launch Weekend
● Attend weekend-long camps (1 session in October/November)
● Assist with planning and facilitating activities at camp
● Assist with any student support that arises
● Work with staff to oversee the successful flow of all activities.

● Facilitate pieces of workshop curriculum around social-emotional skills, identity, and building community
● Under direction of Program Manager, assist with curriculum development and incorporating organization values into activities
● Support LeaderCorps (student leadership team) as they develop their voices and leadership skills
● Support with student recruitment efforts in public high schools in South Seattle, which can include hosting an informational table, facilitating in-class presentations, and spreading awareness of program
● Support with mentor recruitment efforts within the community, which can include hosting informational workplace lunch & learn events, attending mentor social mixers, and spreading awareness of program

● Work with CfY Program team to implement:
●● yearlong Social Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment and Improvement Plan with Schools Out Washington
●● Career Connected Learning curriculum in alignment with Washington’s OSPI High School & Beyond Plan
● Attend professional development trainings through partnership with Schools Out Washington and Seattle Public Schools
● Explore systemic barriers that impact youth we serve and possibilities for influencing systemic change through advocacy, policy analysis, activism, collaboration with peer CBOs, etc.
● Review of CfY internal policies and procedures to ensure equitable and inclusive policies and practices for all populations and identities.

Be a part of a collaborative and fun team, who loves to create a friendly work environment. We often do staff bonding activities and staff lunch meetings, & every workshop will provide snacks or dinner!

*Preferred Experience:
● Experience working with high school students
● Experience with case management
● Experience with Seattle Public Schools or other school districts
● Experience working with diverse and/or immigrant populations

Bilingual in Cantonese, Mandarin, Somali, Spanish, or Vietnamese a plus.

To apply, please email resume, cover letter, and practicum application cover sheet to sandy@communityforyouth.org with “CfY
Practicum Placement (2025 - 2026)” in subject line.

Additional contact information:
Sandy Vo, Program Manager
sandy@communityforyouth.org
206-890-8274

Please reach out with any questions. I am happy to connect over email, text, phone, etc.!