The Organization

At Thrive Scholars, our goal is to see talented economically disadvantaged BIPOC students develop inter-generational wealth and financial security and become the diverse corporate, civic, and academic leaders our country so desperately needs. 

The Position 
Thrive Scholars is seeking a College Readiness Teaching Assistant who can work with a faculty member to administer a college math or writing course to high-achieving rising 12th grade students preparing for the rigor of quantitative courses at selective institutions.  The math courses will range from precalculus to multivariable calculus.  The writing course is Intro to College Level Writing. The uniqueness of this position is its involvement with students both inside and outside the classroom. The occupant of the role will build a community with their assigned students to help promote belonging, connectedness, and overcoming feelings of vulnerability in a new environment. In practice, this will look like unique ways of starting the class period, development of shared meanings and motivation mantras to foster resilience, and a personal check-in with students who are not present  and/or engaging in class. It is an opportunity to co-create and facilitate a culture of safety that allows for maximum engagement in learning. College-readiness teaching assistants must be both teachers and mentors. 

TA’s will be supported by their faculty members, the Site Director, the Assistant Site Director, and Thrive’s Director of Faculty. The tentative schedule and compensation for the position is outlined below. 

• June 10th - 21st: 50 hours of training at $17/hour  - exact schedule TBD 

• June 24th - August 2nd: $4600 stipend or 40 hours a week at $17/hour to TA for 2 sections of the assigned course 

• Program dates for scholars are tentatively scheduled for Monday - Friday from 8 am -5 pm, Monday, June 24th - Friday, August 2nd, 2024. Thrive Academies LA will be in recess July 4th - 5th 2024. 

Once the program begins,  College Readiness Teaching Assistants are expected to work from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday and may have occasional weekend or evening work for special events, such as college tours or program celebrations.  Full staff training and orientations will begin mid-June, schedule TBD in collaboration with the Site Director and Program Director. 

Primary Responsibilities 

Teaching Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Teaching Assistant for two sections of a college-level math course or intro to college-level writing, in collaboration with a faculty member.

• Administer lessons, lectures, and interactive activities to ensure students grasp key concepts of the course.

• Provide support during class hours, addressing student questions and clarifying complex topics.

• Collaborate with the faculty member to design and implement effective teaching strategies for college readiness.

Mentoring Responsibilities:

• Build a supportive community among assigned students, fostering a sense of belonging and connectedness.

• Implement unique and engaging methods to start each class period, creating a positive and inclusive learning environment.

• Develop shared meanings and motivation mantras with students to promote resilience and a growth mindset.

• Communicate with the Site Director  concerns for students who may display signs of disengagement 

• Co-create and facilitate a culture of safety that encourages deep engagement and participation in the learning process.

• Serve as a mentor to students, guiding academic and personal development in preparation for the challenges of selective institutions.

• Foster a collaborative learning environment that encourages peer support and knowledge sharing among students.

The Ideal Candidate 

• Can demonstrate competency in college-level calculus and multivariate calculus or college-level writing 

• Can demonstrate effectiveness in supporting and  teaching assigned course subjects in a university setting 

• Experience in a learning environment, such as a summer camp, school, academic summer program, residential high school, or a college/university strongly preferred

• Experience in and passion for working with a diverse community of high school & college students 

• Superior interpersonal skills & ability to build effective relationships with students, faculty, & staff 

• High level of dependability & strong commitment to ensuring the health & safety of participants at all times 

• Enthusiasm & ability to work in a high-energy environment, foster positivity & energy among high school & college students 

• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities 

• Uphold and enforce the values, policies, and procedures of Thrive Scholars as outlined in the program manual 

• CPR & First Aid certification preferred 

• Experience in school counseling or social work preferred 

• Bachelor's degree required 

• Must pass a background check and complete required safety trainings

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

Thrive has instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, including remote staff. Individuals selected for job opportunities must be fully vaccinated and up to date, per CDC guidelines, and will be required to provide proof of vaccination status in advance of your hire date. 

If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or sincerely-held religious beliefs, Thrive will consider requests for reasonable accommodations consistent with our policy.  Accommodation requests cannot be guaranteed, Thrive will consider requests where we are able to provide such accommodations without undue hardship to the organization pursuant to applicable law.  Any such accommodation must be approved in advance of signing an offer letter.

Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. Knowing their importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org

Thrive Scholars’ Economic Mobility Statement:

We know that everywhere in our country, there are incredibly high-achieving BIPOC students from economically disadvantaged communities who have big aspirations for their future. By virtue of everything they have achieved—academically, personally, and extracurricularly—these students demonstrate tremendous promise to continue to achieve at great levels in college and in their careers. However, as a result of structural barriers they encounter during the pivotal transitions from high school to college to career, we know that many are hindered from reaching their career ambitions and their goals of economic mobility and financial security. We understand these barriers to be complex and rooted in deep societal inequities and in systemic racism, and we believe they must be addressed at all levels—individual, institutional, and systemic.    

At Thrive Scholars, we have found that we are well-equipped to make a meaningful impact on the individual student level. As an organization, we have identified some of the main barriers that get in the way of Scholars getting that first job out of college that will position them to realize economic mobility. We have developed, over the last twenty years, key interventions, delivered through our College Access, Summer Academy, College Success, Mentorship, and Career Development programs - all aimed at helping high-achieving students from economically disadvantaged communities overcome these obstacles to experience economic mobility. This is our North Star. We do not believe that is all of the work that needs to be done at a societal or even individual level in order to promote a just society where every individual can succeed holistically, but we believe this part of it is where we as an organization should focus.