Program Manager- Maker Mentors
OVERVIEW:
Program Manager (PT)- Maker Mentors: Fostering Positive Youth-Adult Partnerships
Location: Allston-Brighton, MA
Reports To: Executive Director, Artisans Asylum (A2)
Compensation: $50/hr, variable hours up to 10 hours a week, weeknights, November, 2024 - April, 2025.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
The Maker Mentors program, supported by the Cummings Foundation, aims to create meaningful youth-adult mentorships through hands-on maker activities. The program will pilot in Winter/Spring 2025, partnering with A2 (a local resource hub) and The YMCA with Charlesview, targeting middle school students in the community. The goal is to foster positive youth-adult partnerships while engaging Allston-Brighton area students in individualized creative exploration, mentorship, and personal growth.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Program Manager will lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Maker Mentors program. This includes facilitating the partnership between A2, the YMCA and Charlesview, coordinating mentors and students, managing resources, and ensuring program objectives are met within budget and timeline constraints. The Program Manager will play a key role in recruiting mentors that pass CORI and SORI checks, overseeing programmatic schedules, coordinating logistics, and tracking program outcomes.
Key Responsibilities:
Partnership Development and Coordination:
Collaborate with the YMCA, Charlesview and the Community Resource Center to finalize the partnership structure and scope for Winter/Spring 2025.
Foster strong relationships with A2 shop leads, instructors, and other stakeholders involved in the program.
Work closely with administrators, mentors, and youth participants to align program goals with participants needs.
Program Design and Development:
Coordinate with A2 shop leads/instructors based on the student areas of interest that may include: computer aided design, laser cutting, 3D printing, fiber arts, and screen printing.
Ensure that programs are engaging, age-appropriate, and aligned with the broader goals of mentorship and student interests.
Program Coordination:
Plan and schedule all programs, including an initial field trip in December to engage interested students and their parents/guardians.
Oversee the scheduling of after-school sessions, ensuring alignment with students’ availability, including during school break weeks (February 17 and April 21).
Ensure all mentors/instructors are briefed and prepared for each session.
Budget and Resource Management:
Manage the program budget to ensure that funds are allocated efficiently. This includes overseeing payments for administrative costs, mentor/teacher stipends, supplies, and food.
Work with the finance team to track expenditures, ensuring the program remains within budgetary constraints.
Mentor and Mentee Support:
Recruit, train, and support mentors (including A2 shop instructors) to foster positive, productive relationships with the youth participants.
Track student progress and mentor-mentee interactions, ensuring all participants are receiving adequate support.
Provide mentees with stipends upon program completion (e.g., $500 for finishing the program).
Evaluation and Reporting:
Collect data on participant progress, outcomes, and overall program success.
Work with program staff to evaluate the impact of the mentoring activities and make adjustments as necessary.
Collaborate with A2’s development team to compile and submit an impact report to the Cummings Foundation by April 15, 2025.
Qualifications:
Proven experience in program management, ideally in youth mentoring or community-based initiatives.
Dependability
Strong organizational skills, with experience managing budgets, timelines, and resources.
Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders, including youth, adults, and community organizations.
Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written).
Ability to motivate and inspire both mentors and youth participants.
Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Work, Youth Development, or a related field.
Familiarity with the maker movement or hands-on learning environments is a plus.
Additional Information:
Program Development begins immediately, November, 2024.
The program is expected to run from January - April 2025, with a final impact report due on April 15, 2025.
The Program Manager will be required to attend all programs and mentor meetings, ensuring the success of the program and the satisfaction of both mentors and students.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their relevant experience and qualifications to jobs@artisansasylum.com. Please provide two professional references.
This Allston-Brighton based opportunity is a fantastic way to play a key role in a dynamic, innovative youth mentorship program that combines creative learning and positive adult-youth relationships.
ABOUT ARTISANS ASYLUM
We believe making is a voluntary act of ingenuity and agency. When we make—as artists, engineers, and hobbyists—we transform bits and atoms into the stuff of dreams and livelihoods. Sometimes we make the world a better place. We nearly always improve ourselves along the way.
Artisans Asylum envisions a world enlivened by makers. We imagine a whole society where everyone feels welcome to share their talents and ceaselessly develop their capabilities, contributing to the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of our communities.
Our mission as an inclusive, not-for-profit community workshop is to advance the learning, practice, and culture of do-it-yourself (“DIY”) fabrication. We strive to provide anyone with access to the tools and training necessary to develop creative confidence and build the things they love.
Artisans Asylum operates 52,500 SF of community workshop space across two buildings. We maintain studios, common work areas, and workshops for our members and the community at large. Each of our workshops contains tools, materials, and work surfaces intended to support a range of artistic processes and fabrication methods.
Our two buildings, located at Holton and Antwerp streets, are about 100 yards apart and have the following distinctions:
Holton Street is a 28,500 SF public-facing and administrative hub, home to studio, light-duty workshops such as jewelry and digital fabrication, as well as classrooms and public gathering spaces.
Antwerp Street is a 24,000 SF fabrication hub that houses studios along with our heavier-duty shops, such as woodworking and metal fabrication. The building includes shared workspaces and a small break room.
Artisans Asylum is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.