Engineering Leadership Program Mentor at African Leadership Academy

Program description

African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks experienced education, STEM program and youth development professionals with a demonstrated passion for experiential education coupled with strong organizational and group/classroom management skills for an exciting, multi-faceted STEM position.

The African Leadership Academy Engineering Leadership Program (ALA ELP) program, sponsored by Chevron Corporation is designed for highly motivated and talented high school students in Africa between the ages of 15 and 18 who are interested in a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). ALA ELP intensive program will engage participants in various engineering practices and disciplines as they compete in groups to create and design a solution to an important, relevant engineering design challenge, being led by a team of talented educators in STEM, leadership experts, and professional engineers.

ELP is a full-time residential program that requires all mentors to reside on the ALA campus in student dormitories for the full program session and its pre-program 5-day Mentor Orientation & Training. Mentors will also be expected to fulfil the roles of chaperone and advisor to students throughout the program session. Mentors have evening/night dorm duties most nights. Time off is scheduled throughout the session. Accommodation and meals will be provided for the mentors throughout the program. Mentors are expected to stay at the provided accommodation at ALA for the duration of the program, they will arrive on Monday 24th June 2024 and depart on Sunday, 14th July 2024.

Job Responsibilities

• Work with, throughout the program, a group of 3 to 4 participants.
• Welcome and receive participants on arrival to the ALA campus.
• Support the participants to tackle the engineering design challenge, brainstorm, and craft possible solutions, receive and respond to feedback, and, ultimately, present their work on the final day.
• Facilitate some aspects of the program to be determined.
• Support the evening non-curriculum section and external trips of the program which fosters participant bonding.
• Partaking in residential duty which involves checking in on students before quiet time/lights out.
• Other duties assigned to support the effective delivery of the program.
• Assist in maintaining accurate program records including incident reports.
• Report issues, resource shortages, student needs, mentor tools and support needs to the director.
• Know, enforce, and follow all safety guidelines and emergency procedures both on and off campus.
• Consistently uphold and maintain standards of child safety and safeguarding.

Profile of an ideal candidate

• Previous work experience is not necessary.
• A BSc/MSc in Engineering or Applied Sciences, a graduate or undergraduate student in Engineering or Applied Sciences is considered.
• Interpersonal skills such as team building, effective communication, and leadership
• Consistently uphold and maintain standards of child safety and safeguarding.
• Experience in educational programming for teens preferred (e.g., teaching, summer program, after-school programs, outdoor/adventure programs)
• First-aid trained or certified advantageous (Basic training acceptable)
• Lives in South Africa