Job Title: Classroom Facilitator (San Quentin)

Work Location: San Quentin State Prison (San Quentin, CA 94964)

Reports to: Classroom Operations Manager

Annual Salary: Commensurate, based on experience

The Last Mile, a non-profit based in San Francisco, is the first prison program in the US to provide in-prison software engineering training. The goal is to prepare students for employment as front-end developers and web designers post-release. Students learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python and more. We believe that having a job is the key to successful reentry and breaking the cycle of incarceration. A projected shortage of nearly 1 million software engineering jobs by 2020 means that these jobs skills will be in demand. Through in-prison software engineering training and continued mentorship post-release, The Last Mile bridges the gap between incarceration and freedom.

Position Description: 

TLM classroom facilitators are in-facility, in-classroom staff that work directly with students to serve our program and build classroom community. While the majority of learning our students do is on their assigned computers and not by live instruction, there are still many moving parts to create an effective classroom. The classroom facilitator runs all the operations in our classrooms and maintains a healthy and constructive culture among students. This ranges from upkeep on our equipment, coordinating software installations and maintenance, facilitating video remote sessions, and working directly with students to build personal plans and set goals. This position focuses on helping to provide students with the most productive learning environment possible, including understanding and advocating for the student experience, building rapport with students, and creating healthy classroom culture via group meetings and activities.

 The classroom facilitator works on-site with incarcerated people in San Quentin State Prison who are enrolled in TLM Programs (including both the Web Development and Audio Engineering Programs).

Classroom Operations: 

• Create and nurture healthy and constructive classroom culture
• Facilitate Remote Sessions for students
• Adjust, track, and schedule curriculum to fit student needs, facility culture, and unforeseen barriers
• Serve as primary TLM touch point for students, providing feedback and insight into the student experience to the Classroom Operations Manager
• Advocate for each student’s well-being, including empathetic listening and establishing rapport with other in-facility staff
• Provide feedback to the Remote Instruction team about content delivery
• Empower students to set and work towards individual goals and self-advocate

Administrative: 

• Manage classroom, including opening and closing room for students and maintaining all required prison security protocols
• Keep records of any student or equipment issues
• Provide feedback to other TLM teams about program operations and efficacy

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:

• Demonstrated academic, professional, and/or volunteer experience working with diverse groups in a leadership position
• Comfort working with technology, computers, and navigating websites
• Preference given to those with experience working with incarcerated individuals and/or at-risk youth
• 1-2 years demonstrated experience working with web development and/or audio engineering technologies and practices is a plus

Responsibilities and Qualifications:

• Excellent communication skills including empathetic listening
• Excellent situational awareness and the ability to remain calm under stress and variable conditions
• Confidence speaking to groups of various sizes in a teaching situation
• Ability to guide students to discover answers to their own questions
• Maintain a positive and supportive attitude at all times
• Provide honest and constructive feedback and appropriate encouragement to students
• Preference is given to those with a knowledge of and experience with fundamental web technologies including HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript or proficiency in audio production and digital audio workstations, including Avid Pro Tools and Ableton Live

Please send resume and cover letter to jobs@thelastmile.org if you are interested.

TLM is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and second chances at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected class.