Program Advisor

Upward Bound is a federally-funded program that helps high-school students gain academic skills and motivation to continue their education beyond high school. The project provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. Upward Bound Program (ed.gov)

The Upward Bound Program Advisor assists in organizing, developing, and implementing social, educational, and service-learning programs/activities for Upward Bound Programs’ participants. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of working effectively with high school students in a team environment, will serve as the Penn State on-site program liaison/contact with school district personnel, and will be responsible for: 

• Student recruitment and programming for grant-determined school district population, parent/student events, and community stakeholders

• Advising, tutoring, or referring program participants on various student services including high school course selection, college readiness, financial aid, health and wellness, career services, academic advising, student leadership, and diversity and inclusion

• Development and implementation of academic year and summer residential programming in compliance with federal guidelines as outlined in the grant develop and maintain effective working relationships with school districts, community partners, and campus and University-wide offices

• Understanding and articulating unit policies and federal grant guidelines in oral and written communication

This individual will be responsible for providing services to students with a focus on meeting the following core objectives of the project:

• Assisting non-senior students to complete rigorous coursework and pass to the next grade level each year

• Assisting senior students to graduate from high school on time

• Assisting senior students to matriculate to postsecondary education for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation

• Assisting with tracking the postsecondary progress of students served for six years after high school graduation

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following knowledge areas:

• Collaborating with school district personnel to assist participants with scheduling high school courses and providing academic counseling and support services necessary to ensure completion of a rigorous curriculum

• Reviewing and monitoring participants’ academic progress to guide implementation of grade-level appropriate activities, focused on postsecondary goals integrated with a salient career focus

• Assisting participants with applying to postsecondary education and navigating the enrollment process

• Providing information about financial aid and assisting participants with applying for aid and interpreting financial aid packages

• Coordinating and chaperoning postsecondary campus tours and career focused field trips

• Developing and maintaining a network of professional relationships with postsecondary institutions and community agencies

• Demonstrated experience in providing direct college preparation services to 9th through 12th grade students and in working with low-income, first-generation high school students from diverse backgrounds are essential

• Knowledge of and experience with federally funded TRIO programs is preferred

Competencies critical to success include:

• Outstanding interpersonal verbal and written communications

• Effective analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills

• Accuracy and attention to detail

• The ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines