Overview

About Us

Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area employs a simple yet radical mentoring model to walk beside children who face the biggest inequities as they break the generational cycle of poverty. 

We systematically identify and enroll children who face the biggest systemic barriers. All of our children identify as people of color and have experienced intense traumas – like multi-generational poverty, domestic violence, family substance abuse and/or homelessness – by the time they enter kindergarten.   

We pair each child with a salaried, professional – not a volunteer – mentor. Removing mentoring from the volunteer realm is key to providing our children with the support they deserve.

We enroll each child when they are in kindergarten and commit to walk beside them until they graduate from high school — 12+ years no matter what!

We apply a rigorous, evidence-based approach at every stage, monitoring each child’s progress and adjusting our approach accordingly.

Friends of the Children has a 30-year track record demonstrating that our model works.  

The Harvard Business School Alumni Association conducted an ROI study and concluded that every $1 invested in Friends of the Children returns over $7 to the community.

Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area is part of a nationwide network, which was founded nearly 30 years ago and has grown to include 25 locations nationwide. We opened our doors in San Francisco in 2017. We identify and enroll a new class of Bayview Hunters Point kindergarteners each year and, by this Spring, we will be serving 125 children – well on the way to our goal of serving 400.  

You can learn more about us at friendssfbayarea.org.

Position Description

Each Professional Mentor develops intensive, long-term, trusting relationships with eight youth utilizing a trauma informed lens in a classroom setting and in the community.  As a Professional Mentor, you will:

  • Set positive expectations
  • Nurture and promote the child’s individual strengths, talents, and abilities
  • Help assure physical and emotional well-being
  • Teach life and academic skills
  • Support youth and their families, and connect them to other services and resources 
  • Model responsible behavior
  • Spend approximately four hours per week with each child (in the classroom and in the community) and report directly to a Program Manager
  • Attend all required meetings and meet reporting deadlines
  • Operate with a willingness to propose and implement new ideas
  • Commit to building a culture of mutual accountability, inclusiveness, and respect
  • Contribute to ongoing marketing and fundraising efforts to promote our mission and showcase our work. This includes, providing mentoring stories, participating in photo and video shoots, speaking at our annual fundraising gala and other events

Qualifications

  • Minimum of AA degree preferred
  • At least 2 years of youth development experience with elementary and/or middle-school age youth, ideally in a school-based setting providing enrichment services
  • Familiarity with the Bayview Hunters Point section of San Francisco or similar communities a plus
  • Experience with under resourced communities of color is required

Other Requirements:

  • Work hours Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm
  • Must have your own vehicle, safe driving record and valid driver’s license
  • Must be comfortable using web based data management tools and online educational tools 

 · Proficiency with Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word & Calendar required

  • Must possess a mission-driven growth mindset, and a commitment to lifelong learning
  • Willingness to learn from mistakes, receive feedback, and give feedback to others
  • Willingness to propose and implement new ideas
  • Commitment to building a culture of mutual accountability, inclusiveness, and respect
  • Sense of humor 
  • Must pass drug screening
  • Must pass fingerprint and background checks

You’ll be part of a dynamic and supportive national network, with a proven, evidence-based mentoring model

You’ll be part of a friendly and collaborative workplace, where work-life balance is respected

Equal Opportunity Employer

Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to

addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal

employment opportunity policy of Friends – SF provides fair and equal opportunities for

all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national

origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, familial

status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and

local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely based on their

qualifications for the job to be filled.