GoodHealth Works - PHA Student Engagement Specialist

Together with its community partners, the Portland Housing Authority (PHA) provides and expands affordable housing and services that improve quality of life, build community, enhance safety, and promote personal success for the people served and the neighborhoods in which they reside. Portland is the largest City in Maine with just under 70,000 residents, vibrant arts, restaurant, and microbrew scenes, and quick access to the quieter hiking and outdoors spaces Maine is known for. All PHA Communities are along public transportation routes in the city, and many members have appreciated the bike-ability of Portland's streets.The AmeriCorps members at PHA serve in one of the organization's three Study Centers located in subsidized family housing communities around the city. The collective goal of the centers is to help students succeed in school and beyond. Afternoons are drop-in time for youth and blend academic support with social-emotional engagement and creative expression. The centers are communal spaces for educational assistance for residents of all ages, resource centers for exploring post-secondary opportunities, and hubs for youth leadership development and community service. Mentoring is the backbone of our programming with intentional efforts to support basic needs beyond academic support such as food access, social emotional support, and life skills development.