[2025-2026] Lead Youth Support Specialist - Recess - East Harlem

Originally founded in 1991 as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools—growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org.
Reporting to the OST and Athletics Director, the Lead Youth Support Specialist - Recess will be responsible for supporting youth and staff with crisis intervention and behavior management support.

Responsibilities

• Support youth and staff with crisis intervention and behavior management support during recess time;
• Model and encourage positive culture in all daily activities;
• Mediate conflicts and other situations as they arise;
• Support the development of group leaders’ professional development skills by designing training and providing coaching regarding behavior management & facilitation; 
• Create and monitor recess schedules and activities, providing guidance and support to coaches in implementation; 
• Assist in communication about youth behavior to parents and guardians, including information regarding behavior responses and consequences; 
• Complete incident reports and follow up with relevant stakeholders in a timely manner;
• Collaborate with site Director and SLT on resolving conflicts/crisis; 
• Innovate and implement new program ideas;
• Serve as a substitute recess coach as necessary;
• Model professionalism through consistent attendance, timeliness, and preparation; 
• Participate in weekly professional development and tactical training in addition to formal feedback and coaching.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required, college enrollment or degree, preferred;
• Experience working with groups of youth in grades K-8 in a recreation or outdoor setting; 
• A record of success in facilitating and managing groups of K-8 youth; 
• Experience with behavior management systems, including positive youth development;
• Strong ability to communicate verbally and in writing with a variety of stakeholders, including students in grades PreK-8, school administrators, and staff;
• Outstanding organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple responsibilities; 
• Fluency in spoken Spanish strongly preferred;
• Ability to work collaboratively with co-workers and supervisors; 
• Ability to coach or support co-workers and teammates in improving their youth development and behavior management skills;
• Exhibits high energy, warmth, enthusiasm and patience in working with youth;
• A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the belief that all students can succeed, and a deep desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.
• A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.

Commitment

• Start date: August 11, 2025
• End date: June 18, 2026
• Days & hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:00am-2pm
• Dates and hours are subject to change.

Locations

• DREAM Charter School East Harlem Elementary & Middle - 1991 Second Avenue, New York, NY

Benefits

• DREAM offers the following benefits to our part-time employees:
• 403(b) retirement plan, with employer matching up to 4% after one year of employment (12-month continuous period) in which you work a minimum of 1,000 hours;
• Disability benefits;
• Referral bonuses;
• Access to our Employee Discount Program, offering savings on travel, entertainment, retail, and more;
• High-performing part-time staff have the opportunity to apply for the DREAM Teaching Fellowship, through which they earn a Masters degree and become full-time teachers at DREAM.

Compensation

• DREAM offers competitive compensation commensu