The mission of BEAM is to create pathways for students from low-income and historically marginalized communities to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists. Led by staff with these same technical backgrounds, BEAM believes that pathways to STEM careers are created through community, individual support, and access to advanced work that typically lies outside most school curricula. We work to directly support students and to transition them to other supportive enrichment programs that enable their future success.
BEAM's model provides continuous support from middle school through college graduation, including intense academic summer programs for middle school students (after 6th and 7th grade), weekend classes and mentoring, and STEM-focused support through college. Our program includes not just access to learning advanced math but also support finding and applying to other opportunities, including support with college admissions and financial aid. In addition to our academic content, bringing students into community is a key part of our mission and all of our work is designed to support that goal.
BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year-round, national program, serving 420+ students at six summer program sites and 600+ students in year-round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program now reaches over 500 elementary-aged students in seven different states, working to create a new nationwide pathway modeled on our local work.
With our recent strategic plan, our team has committed to transforming the organization from a successful startup to a more mature and scalable organization that can drive change across the country.
About the role
Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM), a project of the Art of Problem Solving Initiative, Inc., is seeking a Guidance Counselor to work at our residential summer camp at Marist College in New York. The role of Guidance Counselor is a position that supports BEAM’s operations by allowing our students to attend BEAM Summer Away and ensure their emotional needs are attended to in this new environment.
This job is ideal for someone who enjoys working with kids and wants to be part of their transformative summer, a summer exploring enrichment math for most of them!
Key Responsibilities
Counsel Students
- Build relationships with students from the start of the program, opening lines of trust with them during non-academic activities.
- Support students in addressing common challenges (especially those who experience shyness or anxiety or homesickness).
Support Community of Students
- Accompany students on field trips.
- Occasionally run activities of your choice with students.
- Supervise some meals and evenings (dependent on schedule).
- Attend classes as needed to support students.
Support Individual Student Needs and Community Needs
- Assess student needs and recommend next steps.
- When necessary, run mediation (student/student or student/staff).
- When called for, implement restorative justice processes.
- With other leadership staff, make calls home to keep families informed.
Program Leadership
- Serve on a 4-person leadership team (along with the Site Director and Director of Student Life) to ensure the program runs smoothly. Provide advice to this group and handle next steps that you are best suited to handle.
- Provide guidance to other staff (both residential counselors and also faculty) as they work to address and support mental health and other student needs.
- Support in staff training with the rest of the leadership team.
Finally, while your role is not mathematical in nature, in order to cultivate a positive learning environment we expect all staff to foster a supportive attitude towards students learning mathematics, which you could do by visiting students in classes, inquiring about their learning or growth, or simply displaying curiosity about the math at the program.
Location, Dates, and Schedule
During summer 2024, we will host our residential summer camp at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.
BEAM Summer Away NY
(Residential Program)
Location: Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY
Dates: July 4 - July 31, 2024
Hours: This is a residential program with staff living on campus for the full duration; staff will average around 9 hours on duty per day
Keeping in mind the exact dates shared above, this role requires you to be on campus:
- By end of day on July 4th
- Continuously throughout the camp session, unless given permission by the Site Director(s).
- Day to day schedules will change and be dependent upon the work needed to be done that day with an average of 9 hours on duty a day.
- Days, mornings, and/or evenings off will be coordinated with the leadership team.
- There is flexibility in daily schedule with time to take breaks throughout the day.
- During wrap-up (Monday-Tuesday) for two full days to reflect on the summer and support final packing. Staff leave on Wednesday, July 31.
Qualifications
Above all, we're looking for people who are passionate about the work and impact of BEAM. It is much more important to us that we hire someone with the right approach than someone with a particular background.
That said, because you would be leading the socio-emotional response team over the summer, we’re looking for someone with formal and/or extensive training, which could be demonstrated through:
- Having a MSW degree and/or a social work license.
- Having a degree in counseling and/or counseling certification.
- In the absence of such formal training, 3+ years counseling work history.
In addition to the above required qualifications, additional preferred qualifications include:
- Prior work experience with middle school students.
- Prior work experience with students in NYC schools or serving students from a comparable background.
- Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Korean or another language commonly spoken by BEAM’s families.
- Experience running training workshops for adults.
- Mediation training and/or experience.
- Restorative justice training and/or experience.
- Interest in mathematics and/or broader curiosity about learning new things.
Commitment to Diversity
BEAM believes that our staff, at all levels and across all roles, should represent the backgrounds of the students we serve. We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment. Beyond a commitment to nondiscrimination, we strongly encourage applications from underrepresented and marginalized communities.
Compensation, Benefits, and Other Details
Compensation for this position for the duration of the program is $5,650.In addition, all meals, housing, laundry access, and transportation to/from the host site will be provided. We also offer meal options for those with dietary restrictions.