[2025-2027] College Success Fellow, KIPP Forward

Company Description

About KIPP NYC

KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of 18 free, public charter schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. We partner with families and communities to create joyful and rigorous schools in pursuit of a more just world. In 1995 we started our first middle school, KIPP Academy, in the Bronx, with a vision that every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. Today, our network consists of eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, one high school, and KIPP Forward, a comprehensive program to support our students and alumni in choosing and preparing for the educational and career paths that fit their goals and sense of purpose. KIPP NYC currently serves more than 12,000 students and alumni, has a staff of more than 1,000 (8% of whom are alumni), and continues to grow!

About KIPP Forward Postsecondary Success Collaborative

KIPP Forward works with graduates of KIPP, Achievement First, and a growing number of other select high school-serving organizations, to empower them for success in college and their careers. Our program model was formulated utilizing a design thinking approach with our alumni, as well as research of the most effective Comprehensive Approach to Student Success (CASS) and career readiness programs.  Utilizing breakthrough college and career strategies, we aim to:​

• Help more students from low-income families persist in and graduate from college​ or secure a credential in an in-demand industry
• Help all – those with a BA or a credential – transition to a strong first job and improve pathways to economic mobility

Job Description

Position Overview 

The first quarter of each year, KIPP Forward accepts applications from exceptional recent or soon-to-be college graduates to join our two-year, near-peer College Success Fellows program. The College Success Fellows program is led by the Director of College Success and Fellows report directly to a College Success Manager based on regional placement.

As full-time employees, Fellows work passionately and diligently to ensure that recent graduates of our partner high schools receive outstanding support through their first two years of college, with the ultimate goal that they persist and accumulate 60 credits to stay on track for on-time degree completion. Throughout their two-year commitment, Fellows engage in regular training led by skilled college and career success practitioners and engage in yearlong professional development cycles ensuring that they become exceptional advisors and are prepared to transition professionally after two years.

Fellows provide transformational coaching, mentorship and direct support to alumni in college through 1:1 advising sessions in person on college campuses and virtually via zoom, call, texts  in between campus visits. Fellows assess the progress of our alumni towards college completion through frequent benchmarking and prioritization of their caseloads based on key persistence indicators that includes financial health, academic habits and planning, socio-emotional health, and career planning. Through these consistent touchpoints and assessments, Fellows perform transformational coaching interventions to ensure our alumni make positive progress in all areas.

Given college and career success work involves meeting with our alumni at their respective colleges, this position is a field position and requires frequent travel. Fellows will be assigned to a placement region for the length of the two year fellowship and will visit a set of schools within 3 hours driving distance of that region (all work-related transportation costs will be paid for by KIPP Forward). When applying, 2025 College Success Fellows will have the opportunity to indicate their regional placement preferences and our program will seek to meet preferences when possible:

• NY: Albany, New York City, Western NY (Syracuse/Rochester/Buffalo)
• NJ: Newark or Camden/Philadelphia
• PA: Philadelphia/Camden
• CT: Hartford or New Haven (with travel to Rhode Island expected)

The 2025 College Success Fellowship is a two-year commitment from July 14, 2025 through June 30, 2027. At the end of the Fellowship, employment with KIPP NYC terminates.

Duties and Responsibilities 

College Advising: 

• Manage a caseload of approximately 125-150 college students, meeting at least once, but in some cases two to four times per semester based on student priority level, to provide advising services focused on college persistence