Summer School Mentor in Cambridge

Immerse Education is an award-winning provider of transformative educational pathways in the UK, Australia, USA, Canada and online. Our in-person programmes take place in inspirational locations, including Oxford and Cambridge University, UCL, Columbia University, UC Berkeley, Suffolk (Boston) and University of Toronto. We welcome students aged 13-18 to study a wide variety of subjects, provide an introduction to advanced study and insight into university life. During our two-week residential programmes, participants live and study on the university campus and balance a challenging academic programme with an action-packed schedule of social and cultural activities.

Each year we welcome students from over 100 different countries, and our programmes have been recognised by a number of awards and accrediting bodies, including The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the British Accreditation Council, BETA and ROSPA.

ROLE BACKGROUND

This summer, we will be running our programme at Barnard College, Columbia University, and are looking for enthusiastic, motivated individuals to lead a group of ambitious high school students through a variety of activities, trips, and excursions. The pastoral care provided by Immerse is what sets us apart as an industry-leading summer school provider and is an element of the programmes that we value highly and take very seriously.

We are looking for outgoing, friendly and responsible individuals who are comfortable managing small groups of students from a variety of backgrounds. You will live on campus and be responsible for ensuring that the individuals in your ‘mentor family’ are settling into the programme and making the most of the opportunities that the programme affords them. Mentors should aim to create a ‘home away from home’ and act as both a responsible adult and a friendly point of contact throughout the participants’ time on the programme.

Summer school Mentors are a team of university undergraduate students who have been selected to supervise programme participants, to lead extracurricular activities and to organise evening social events. Summer Mentors are also assigned groups of approximately 10 participants, for whom they are responsible for ensuring the well-being of for the duration of the programme. As the primary point of contact for the participants in your ‘mentor family’, you are the main pastoral care provider and report to the College Manager within your assigned college. Mentors stay on-site in the colleges, and as such, work schedules can vary extensively throughout the duration of the contract. Rotas and working hours are scheduled by College Managers at the beginning of the session. This is a highly challenging and rewarding position, and mentors find the more they put into the programme, the more they get back.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide support, information and guidance to participants, ensure they are aware of the programme schedule and participating accordingly.
• Organise, prepare, and lead on extracurricular activities (ie sport, formal dinners, workshops, excursions etc).
• Be on-site each day, providing pastoral and logistic support to participants and members of staff.
• Accompany students to/from airports, assist them with registration, help with the transportation of luggage to their allocated rooms and show them around the College.
• Assist the College Manager with site set up, including classroom preparation, display creation, cleaning and tidying as required.
• On occasion, mentors provide lesson cover for tutors in their absence, though we try to minimise this as much as possible.
• Ensure that every venue/classroom is cleared of rubbish, and is neat and orderly after every single event, ready for the next session.
• Assist subject tutors if/when required during subject-related practicals, outings and field trips.
• Special role – each mentor will be allocated responsibility over one of the following areas: managing social media, blogging, organising the final night party, AV, talent night coordinators, logistics, college tours, managing excursions.
• Attend evening meetings with the College Manager, followed by curfew patrols.
• Be the face of Immerse Education to students, staff and parents and uphold our high standards of quality, safety and academic excellence.
• Share your experience as a university undergraduate student with the participants and provide useful insight on the application process to your field of study.
• Ensure the summer programme operates within health & safety and risk assessment guidelines.
• Assist with other duties around the summer school as required.

REQUIREMENTS

• Current or recent student in New York.
• Relevant experience of residential summer schools or summer camps (desirable).
• Relevant experience in events and/or customer service (desirable).