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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.
All volunteers need to be fully vaccinated. Currently, we also require masks indoors.
Mentors – LA & OC
Mentoring is the heart of Minds Matter’s vision for change. Being a sustained presence in a student’s life can transform them personally and academically. You’ll see your tangible impact on your student as they learn and grow. You may also be surprised by how much you will grow through the experience.
Mentors are not doing this alone. They are supported in their role by team leads, program heads, writing coaches, summer program heads, college counselors, and staff, but your own experiences in college, career, and life are invaluable. Our program is structured so you can build long-term relationships with your student and other volunteers. What makes a great mentor is an empathetic listener, a willingness to make a long-term commitment, uniting behind the dreams a student has for their future, helping your student turn barriers and challenges into opportunities, and having an openness to learn and grow yourself.
Join a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to overcoming educational inequities.
Time commitment: Attendance of weekly Saturday afternoon sessions (~2 hours) throughout the school year. Touch base with the mentee 1x during the week.
Click to Apply
Volunteer Recruitment – LA & OC
Join our volunteer recruitment team and make an impact by identifying volunteers who reflect and live our values. As a member of the team, you will have the opportunity to engage in different aspects of the volunteer recruitment process, from sourcing and outreach to learning and development. We need leaders who enjoy bringing people together and fostering a strong sense of community. Together, we will make a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve while building a community of passionate individuals whose values align with ours.
General Volunteer Recruitment: Execute screening interviews to determine ideal volunteers and fit, and send an initial communication.
Sourcing & Outreach: Build talent pipelines and source candidates through volunteer boards, events, social media, professional/alumni organizations, and new and existing partnerships
Engagement/Learning & Development: Work closely with Volunteer Program Manager to identify training needs and plan and execute volunteer training programs, info sessions, volunteer appreciation events, and communications
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
Social Media Manager
Do you love creating content for social media? Are you passionate about educational equity? Minds Matter Southern California is looking for a talented Social Media Manager to increase our community engagement and brand awareness through the effective use of our social media outlets. As a Social Media Manager, you are up-to-date with the latest content creation tools, digital technologies, and social media trends to effectively engage key audiences. You should have excellent written and visual communication skills and can creatively express who Minds Matter is as an organization to help us to reach a broader, more diverse audience. You should be passionate about engaging with the Minds Matter community at sessions and events as opportunities to generate and create content.
You will be responsible for the following:
● Creating original content (text, graphics, photo, video)
● Coordinating the efforts of other content creators (students and volunteers)
● Managing posts and responding to followers
● Partners with our Co-Directors of Marketing & Communications to manage and measure social media strategies that align with our organization’s values and brand
Time commitment: 3 to 5 hours (content creation, posting, meetings, metrics, etc.)
Click to Apply
Connections Facilitators
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 a month to ensure consistency of the program, share best practices, and make modifications as necessary. As MMSoCal expands its Connections program, you may be asked to co-lead a community circle 2x a year for the greater Minds Matter 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 1.5 hours in the morning. Spend 1 hour weekly on the lesson plan.
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
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.
Director(s), Junior Summer Programs – LA
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.
Click to Apply
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