Youth Education Facilitator

Youth Education Facilitator Sound Justice Initiative, Inc. Riverhead, NY 11901 $30 an hour - Part-time $30 an hour - Part-time About Sound Justice Initiative Sound Justice Initiative, Inc. (SJI) takes its name from the Long Island Sound and from our commitment to approaches that are sound — thorough, grounded, and complete. We provide education-centered reentry support to justice-involved people in Suffolk and Nassau Counties, working inside county jails and in the community to reverse the pipeline from school-to-prison to court-campus-career. Our Education Pathway Program supports formerly incarcerated and justice-involved people in building realistic paths to college, vocational training. Our work is grounded in the belief that education interrupts cycles of incarceration and creates meaningful opportunities for individuals, families, and communities. Position Summary SJI is seeking a part-time Youth Education Facilitator to work with justice-involved and justice-impacted youth and young adults, ages 16-24, across Suffolk and Nassau Counties. This is an education and mentoring role — not a clinical or therapeutic position. This person will work collaboratively with SJI administration to develop and facilitate trauma-informed workshops and multi-session modules grounded in the principles of TAMAR (Trauma, Addictions, Mental Health, and Recovery) and SJI's pedagogical framework. They will also provide individual mentoring and support to help young people move into and through SJI's Education Pathway toward college, vocational training, or technical programs. This role works across two settings: In the community: with youth and young adults ages 16-24 referred from courts, probation, parole, addiction treatment centers, and community-based organizations Inside county jails: with young adults ages 18-24, facilitating workshops and modules that complement SJI's existing Liberal Arts program Key ResponsibilitiesCurriculum Development (Collaborative) Work with SJI administration to design trauma-informed workshops and multi-session modules grounded in TAMAR principles and SJI's pedagogical framework Draw on a wide range of modalities — journaling, storytelling, spoken word, visual arts, strategic games, civic engagement, debate, digital media, and more — to build engaging, skill-focused programming Workshop and Module Facilitation Facilitate workshops and multi-session modules across community and jail settings Build structured, engaging group environments rooted in SJI's trauma-informed approach Cover content areas including identity and self-development, leadership and communication, college and career readiness, life skills, civic engagement, and creative skill-building Education Pathway Support and Mentoring Build sustained relationships with participants across community and jail settings Support participants in setting goals and navigating SJI's Education Pathway — college exploration, applications, financial aid, and enrollment Provide consistent mentoring, follow-up, and accountability Connect participants to SJI programs, partner organizations, and community resources Outreach and Program Support Maintain relationships with referral partners — courts, probation and parole, addiction treatment centers, and community organizations Attend partner meetings, community events, and outreach activities as needed Maintain accurate case notes, attendance records, and program documentation Qualifications Strong candidates will have at least three of the following: Experience facilitating groups, workshops, or structured sessions for youth or young adults Experience working with justice-involved, court-involved, or systems-impacted young people ages 16-24 Experience in education, college access, reentry, outreach, addiction recovery support, or workforce development A current NYS peer certification (CPS, CRPA, YPA, or equivalent) reflecting lived experience in justice, addiction, mental health, foster care, or related systems Demonstrated ability to build trust and hold structure with young people who have experienced significant adversity

Education:

An Associate's degree or higher in human services, social work, addiction studies, psychology, education, criminal justice, community health, or a related field is helpful but not required. Relevant NYS peer certifications (CPS, CRPA, YPA, or equivalent) are strongly valued. Candidates with lived experience of reentry, addiction recovery, foster care, or systems involvement who have built professional skills and can model an education pathway for participants are strongly encouraged to apply. A plus if you also have: Familiarity with TAMAR or trauma-informed educational frameworks Experience using creative modalities — journaling, spoken word, visual arts, digital media, strategic games — as educational tools Knowledge of college access, financial aid, or vocational pathways in New York State Training in Motivational Interviewing or similar evidence-based youth engagement approaches SJI will provide training in: SJI's trauma-informed pedagogical approach and TAMAR framework SJI's Education Pathway Program model Facilitation in correctional settings, including required Sheriff's Department training Case documentation and reporting We Are Looking for Someone Who Is Warm, grounded, consistent, and professional Skilled at building genuine trust with young people without overpromising or losing structure Flexible and creative in group settings — comfortable using different modalities to meet a group where it is Committed to education as a concrete pathway to opportunity and self-sufficiency Comfortable working in community-based and justice-related settings Able to document work clearly and consistently Collaborative, mission-driven, and respectful of participants' lived experiences and goals Able to model the discipline, communication, and follow-through you are helping young people build This position has the potential to grow into a full-time role as funding and program needs expand. To Apply Please send a resume with references and a brief cover letter explaining your experience working with youth, facilitating groups or workshops, supporting education or reentry pathways, or working with justice-impacted communities to: contact@sound-justice.

org Subject line:

Youth Education Facilitator Sound Justice Initiative is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of justice involvement, reentry, addiction recovery, foster care, mental health challenges, and systems-impacted families.

Pay:

$30.00 per hour People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location:

In person