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Looking to Make a Difference? There’s a Role for You.
We are always looking for passionate people who are willing to dedicate their time and skills. Scroll down and check out our open volunteer roles in Los Angeles and Orange County. Click the link to apply when you see something that’s right for you. When applying, choose “Other” in the drop-down menu and fill in the volunteer position you’re applying for.
Program Director(s), Senior – OC
Each class is led by a Program Director or Co-Directors supported by 2-4 team leads. Their primary responsibility is running the program for a particular class. We want fun-spirited, hyper-organized, and passionate planners in these roles.
As the Program Director, you build the team that owns the afternoon mentoring sessions. You take the curriculum and breathe life into it, making it come alive for the students and mentors. As the Senior program head, you are bringing it all home focusing on college applications, scholarships, and then college readiness. We get real about what college looks like for first-gen, or first in your family students. Senior year also delves deeper into career exploration, internships, financial literacy for college and beyond, and life post-college. Most of all, Program Heads build a cohesive and supportive community for students and mentors. If you want to be in a role that works laterally across the organization, enjoys planning, building effective teams and communities, you’ll love this role. Experience with college counseling or admissions is a huge plus for this role.
Time commitment: Attend at least 80% of the Saturday sessions + 5-8 hours/week of preparation. Work with Team Leads to ensure full coverage of sessions.
Click to Apply
Team Leads (2 per class) – OC
If you love working with students directly and want to have an impact on more than one student, this is the role for you! You work closely with the Junior Program Director(s) to facilitate sessions, as well as collaborate with curriculum directors, mentors, and students to ensure that our Junior students and mentors in the OC are participating and learning. For mentors specifically, you also facilitate engagement, monitor attendance, and advise. You have a broad set of responsibilities that often include answering questions and resolving issues among students, mentors, and curriculum directors, be it personal or curriculum-based.
Directors of Writing and Critical Thinking (WC&T) – Senior Program
Is the written word your passion – this role is for you! Helping students explore who they are, developing ideas, elevating their voices, and then seeing it all come together in a powerful personal statement and essays is one of the most impactful roles in the organization. Instructors build a foundation that is reinforced by writing coaches and other volunteers.
You will lead morning sessions focused on the college application helping students craft powerful essays and personal statements supported by a team of writing coaches. Each coach works directly with 3 to 4 students as they complete their applications for college and scholarships. These roles have a heavy time commitment in the fall and early spring. Experience with admissions or college counseling is a plus for this role as well as a passion for the writing process, excitement around grammar, patience, empathy and a curious mind will all serve you well in this role.
Mentors – LA & OC
If you want to have a 1:1 relationship with a student, look no further. Our mentors are pivotal to the success of our students. Your responsibility is to help your mentee with their applications, advise them through the college search process and connect them with resources if there is a particular area in need. Our mentors often stay with our students throughout their Minds Matter journey and many mentors have continued to stay in touch with their mentees after the program.
Time commitment: Attendance of weekly Saturday afternoon sessions (~2 hours). Touch base with mentee 1x/week during the week.
Click to Apply
Team Leads with College Counseling Expertise
Do you have expertise in college advising and want to work with driven and determined low-income students passionate about their higher education, this is the role for you! You work closely with the Program Director to add expertise to our college knowledge curriculum. The Junior program focuses on college exploration and preparation for the senior year when applications become real. It’s all about helping students juggle their long list of to-dos for college application preparation and keeping them accountable. Join the junior team if you want to guide our students through this daunting process!
If you want to see this process through, join the Senior program as a team lead. The senior year is an incredible roller coaster ride so having passionate, supportive and organized team leads ensures triads stay on track for success. Team leads work with 5 to 7 triads helping to ensure they get the most out of the afternoon sessions. Team leads are the main point of communication and information for students and mentors. If you love working with others towards a common goal, enjoy helping others stay on target, and thrive when others achieve their goals, this is the role for you.
Time commitment: Attend at least 90% of the Saturday sessions. Work with Program Director or Co-Directors to ensure full coverage of sessions.
Click to Apply
Director(s), Junior Summer Programs – OC
Summer programs are an essential component of the Minds Matter sophomore and junior programs in order to help our students become familiar with the college application process. As Junior Summer Program Directors (SPDs), you are in charge of the internal application process, build and maintain strong relationships with college summer programs and work closely with the national liaison to coordinate applications for nationally partnered programs. You work closely with the Junior Program Director(s) and Junior Team Leads in the OC location, but also interface directly with students to ensure all questions are answered and applications and financial aid forms are completed on time. Being organized, detail-oriented, and great at managing an inbox are essential — SPDs track all the details of student applications and manage the summer program budget.
Time commitment: Attend a handful of Saturday sessions in the fall to introduce yourself and lead presentations, then any Saturdays with working sessions (January through March) until all students are placed in a summer program. Email coordination is required throughout the week.
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Connections Facilitators – OC
Our social-emotional learning (SEL) program is called Connections®, a co-facilitated listening circle for our students to share their stories. In addition to boosting mental wellness and personal growth, Connections cultivates students’ self-advocacy, voice, listening skills, and sense of belonging. We need Connections Facilitators to lead these discussions.
Are you an empathetic listener? Do you enjoy self-reflection? Are you comfortable being vulnerable? Can you listen without trying to “rescue” others’ feelings? Can you hold space for others? If you said yes to all of the above, be a Connections Facilitator! As a facilitator, you co-lead a 45-minute to 1-hour Connections circle for a group of 10-15 high school students each Saturday morning. You also collaborate with other facilitators and meet 1-2x/month to ensure consistency of the program, share best practices, and make modifications as necessary. As MMLA expands its Connections program, you may be asked to co-lead an MMLA community circle 2x/year for the greater MMLA community. No prior experience is necessary.
Time commitment: Facilitator training is 16 hours that take place either 1 or 2 Saturdays at the end of the summer. Attend every Saturday session for 2 hours in the morning. Spend 1 hour weekly on the lesson plan.
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Social Media Coordinator
Do you love posting on Facebook and Instagram? Do you get a kick out of collecting Likes? If so, join our social media team. You will be responsible for creating content on our Facebook page and Instagram. You will work closely with the Director of Social Media on the content to be featured each week. As a result, you will be able to connect with our students and volunteers at an individual level. This role requires a quick turnaround since timely posting is important for engagement. No prior experience is required, just an interest in social media and a positive attitude!
Time commitment: This role will work independently from regular Saturday sessions, but must remain closely in touch with the organization. Can work remotely.
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Newsletter/External Communications Coordinator
Do you love storytelling? If so, this would be a perfect role for you! You are responsible for creating the content for our quarterly newsletter as well as other external collateral. Your writing would highlight individual students, mentors, and volunteers and keep supporters up to speed on key events. You work with the Director of Newsletter on the storylines for each newsletter issue and the Directors of Communications for external collateral for our community, donor, and partner audiences. You are responsible for the timely delivery of that content. Writing/storytelling/editing experience is a huge plus!
Time commitment: This role will work independently from regular Saturday sessions, but must remain closely in touch with the organization. Can work remotely.
Click to Apply