Organization Description

Youth Justice Network (formerly known as Friends of Island Academy) was founded in 1990 on the school floors of Rikers Island to anchor, support and develop capacity among young people newly released from jail in New York City. Our mission is to break cycles of incarceration and build an equitable justice system by providing young people with individualized advocacy, mentorship, and opportunities to grow, thrive, and lead. Youth Justice Network builds on connections developed with young people whose lives have intersected with the justice system, and leverages those relationships to provide post-release, neighborhood-based supportive services. Young people become members of Youth Justice Network for the long-term and develop personal milestones and goals in health and well-being, education, employment, youth leadership and community participation.

New Initiative

Youth Justice Network is honored and excited to have been selected by the NYC Administration for Children’s Services/Division of Youth and Family Services to offer Workforce Development Services for young people held in secure detention at Crossroads, and limited secure and Close to Home placement settings in Brooklyn and Queens. The award represents an investment in the promise of so many of the City’s most resilient young people and reflects YJN’s experience in supporting justice-involved young people in and out of custody. This initiative will launch September 1, 2026. Youth Justice Network is building a team to provide young people in ACS custody with high quality career exploration, work readiness, vocational training, tutoring, and related supports. The vision and goal of this initiative is to leverage young peoples’ time in detention and placement by offering relevant, necessary skills and tools to build self-efficacy and agency. In collaboration with ACS, DOE, and key community partnerships, this initiative will provide justice-impacted young people with individualized advocacy, mentorship, coaching, and opportunities to grow, thrive, and lead.

Position Overview  

The Academic Advancement Coordinator ensures that all tutoring and educational supports provided through Youth Justice Network’s (YJN) ACS-funded Career and Education Pathways initiative are high-quality, trauma-informed, and aligned with DOE/Passages Academy curricula.  

This role provides leadership for the tutoring component, supervising Lead Tutors and coordinating closely with the external Consultant responsible for staff training and technical assistance. The Academic Advancement Coordinator strengthens youth academic outcomes by ensuring instruction is developmentally appropriate, individualized, and connected to each young person’s Career Readiness Portfolio.  

Key Responsibilities  

Program Oversight and Supervision  

• Supervise Lead Tutor(s) and oversee the daily delivery of tutoring and educational supports across ACS facilities.  

• Ensure that tutoring services are integrated with DOE/Passages Academy classroom instruction and individualized education plans (IEPs).  

• Support the development and use of individualized learning plans that track progress in literacy, numeracy, credit recovery, and GED/HSE preparation.  

• Monitor tutoring schedules, service-hour compliance, and fidelity to ACS requirements across facilities.  

Collaboration and Training  

• Collaborate with the Curriculum & Training Consultant to design, implement, and refine quarterly training for Tutors and Lead Tutors.  

• Ensure training addresses trauma-informed pedagogy, culturally responsive practices, literacy and numeracy instruction, and ACS’s LGBTQAI+ best practices.  

• Provide ongoing coaching and support to Tutors, integrating consultant feedback into daily practice.  

• Facilitate strong communication and collaboration among Tutors, Coaches, and DOE/Passages Academy staff to align academic and workforce goals.  

Youth Academic Advancement  

• Ensure that tutoring services are directly connected to each youth’s Career Readiness Portfolio and contribute to broader educational and career goals.  

• Coordinate the provision of GED/HSE preparation, credit recovery support, literacy and music enrichment activities.  

• Integrate project-based learning and real-world literacy/numeracy applications to maintain youth engagement and promote long-term academic success.  

• Support youth in planning for reentry into school or postsecondary pathways after ACS custody.  

Data and Quality Assurance  

• Oversee the documentation of tutoring sessions and youth progress in YJN’s Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database.  

• Monitor key performance indicators, including literacy/numeracy gains, GED/HSE completion, and school re-enrollment.  

• Participate in quality assurance reviews with the Senior Director and QA team, using data to identify trends and implement improvements.  

• Contribute to reports and updates for ACS and DOE partners.  

Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Youth Development, or related field required; Master’s  

degree preferred.  

• Minimum 5 years of experience in education, academic coordination, or tutoring program  

management, ideally with justice-involved or system-impacted youth.  

• Proven supervisory experience with educators or tutors.  

• Strong knowledge of adolescent literacy and numeracy development, GED/HSE  

preparation, and credit recovery processes.  

• Familiarity with DOE/Passages Academy systems preferred.  

• Demonstrated commitment to trauma-informed practice, racial equity, and culturally  

responsive pedagogy.  

• Excellent collaboration, communication, and organizational skills. 

Youth Justice Network is privileged to have a profoundly committed and caring staff – one  

which believes unconditionally in our members’ ability to do right and do well. We take our  

work very seriously, but we strive to make time for self-care and joy. We look for staff from all  

walks of life who have integrity, humor, a strong work ethic, are passionate about our mission  

and work, and who are committed to address the harms caused by mass incarceration.  

Depending on full or part-time status, benefits include a competitive vacation/sick leave policy  

including three days off between Christmas and New Year's Day, four-day summer weeks  

through July and August, generous health insurance, 403b match.  

Salary Range: $70,000-72,000k  

Target start date: September 1, 2026  

For purposes of internal equity, we are unable to go outside of the salary posted.