[2024-2026] College Success Fellow (Western NY), KIPP Forward

Company Description

About KIPP NYC:

KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of free, public charter schools that prepares students for success in college and life. In 1995 we started our first middle school, KIPP Academy, in The Bronx. Our goal was to graduate students with the strength of character and academic abilities needed to succeed in high school, college and beyond – and in so doing, to prove what is possible for all students. Today, our New York City network is comprised of eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, one high school, and KIPP Forward, a comprehensive support program for our alumni. KIPP NYC Public Schools currently serves more than 9,350 students and alumni, has a staff of more than 1,000, 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. We leverage our collective knowledge, experience, scale, and networks to develop breakthrough college and career strategies that dramatically improve post-secondary outcomes for our students and communities. Together we aim to achieve the following goals:​

• Help more students from low-income families persist in and graduate from college​
• Help those who don’t earn a BA 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 

KIPP Forward accepts applications from exceptional recent or soon-to-be college graduates to join our two-year College Success Fellows program. As full-time employees with a salary of $58,500 and full benefits, Fellows work passionately and tirelessly 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 and receive consistent and direct feedback by their direct managers, who are skilled college and career success practitioners that help Fellows grow their professional skills.

The Western New York College Success Fellows will be assigned to a set of schools within 3 hours driving distance of the Buffalo/Ithaca/Syracuse/Rochester region of New York. This Fellow will be expected to live in Western, NY during the academic year throughout the two-year fellowship. College and career success work involves meeting with our alumni at their respective colleges. This position is a field position and requires frequent travel to college campuses. All work-related transportation costs will be paid for by KIPP Forward.

Fellows provide transformational coaching, mentorship and direct support to alumni in college through 1:1 advisement sessions on their campuses and touchpoints in between. Fellows assess the progress of our alumni towards college completion through our innovative “Persistence Benchmarks” which measures 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. 

The 2024 College Success Fellowship is a two-year (twenty-four months) commitment from July 2024 through June 2026. At the end of the Fellowship, employment with KIPP NYC terminates. Fellows are provided with career coaching support during their second year of the fellowship to help them best prepare for future employment.

Duties and Responsibilities 

College Advising: 

• Manage a caseload of approximately 100-125 college students, meeting at least once, preferably two to four times per semester, to provide advising services focused on college persistence and credit attainment
• Become an expert on your assigned campuses through research and exploration, with the goal to be able to direct alumni to their campus offices, resources and supports early and often
• Connect, collaborate and maintain relationships with key campus staff and support offices in order to best support our alumni and address challenges that arise efficiently and effectively
• Conduct routine follow-ups to ensure successful registration and completion of coursework and drive registration for summer term for students who are under-credited
• Assist students in writing and submitting financial aid and enrollment letters of appeal when needed to maintain enrollment status and/or fin