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Residential Life Education Fellowship

HomeWorks Trenton
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ABOUT HOMEWORKS TRENTON
 

HomeWorks Trenton, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that combines the public school education with a boarding school experience to equip high school girls in marginalized communities to achieve economic freedom and become community leaders. By providing a space to explore and define their experiences, cultures, and identities, HomeWorks offers our scholars a chance to see that their ideas, visions, and presence are valid and relevant in this world. 
 

The HomeWorks team has been recognized by The State of New Jersey, Princeton University, McKinsey & Company, Echoing Green, Comcast, Hollister, TRESemmé, Camelback Ventures, Barclays, Vital Voices, The Rachael Ray Show and more.

 

www.homeworkstrenton.org

 

THE FELLOWSHIP

 

Looking for a way to launch your career working alongside young people that makes a meaningful impact? 

 

The HomeWorks Residential Life Education Fellowship is a paid, full-time residential fellowship designed for emerging professionals interested in launching a career in youth development, education, social work, psychology, counseling, student affairs, nonprofit leadership, or a related field.

 

The Fellowship combines direct professional experience with structured learning and development. Fellows work directly with high school scholars and take on meaningful responsibilities within the HomeWorks residential program while receiving coaching, training, feedback, and opportunities to develop as an emerging professional.

 

While Residential Life is the Fellow’s primary area of responsibility, the Fellowship also provides opportunities to gain exposure to the broader work of a growing nonprofit organization. Throughout the Fellowship, you will have opportunities to learn alongside other HomeWorks teams and gain exposure to areas such as academics, programs, enrollment and engagement, development, communications, and operations.

 

Through the Fellowship, you will gain hands-on experience in:

  • Youth development and mentorship
  • Residential education and community building
  • Program facilitation and implementation
  • Academic and social-emotional support
  • Restorative practices and behavior support
  • Professional communication and collaboration
  • Nonprofit program operations
  • Cross-functional teamwork
  • Leadership and problem-solving

 

You do not need to have your career figured out before joining us. The Fellowship is designed to help you build professional experience, develop transferable skills, explore your interests, and prepare for your next step.

 

Because HomeWorks operates as a residential program, the Residential Life Fellow lives on campus and helps provide supervision and support from Sunday evenings through Friday mornings during the academic year.

 

The Residential Life Education Fellow reports to the Assistant Director of Residential Life and works alongside the Director of Residential Life, Residential Life Coordinator, Residential Life Assistant, and broader HomeWorks team.

 

WHAT YOU’LL DO
 

As a Residential Life Education Fellow, you will work directly with scholars and help implement a safe, structured, supportive, and engaging residential program.
 

Scholar Mentorship & Development 

  • Build consistent, trusting relationships with scholars while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
  • Serve as a supportive adult presence, providing guidance, encouragement, and accountability.
  • Help scholars strengthen independence, responsibility, leadership, academic habits, and life skills.
  • Support scholars through everyday challenges and reinforce expectations using restorative and relationship-centered approaches.
  • Recognize changes in scholar behavior, engagement, or well-being and communicate concerns to Residential Life leadership.

 

Residential Programming & Community 

  • Support and facilitate residential programming, activities, community meetings, and traditions.
  • Support scholars during study hall and structured academic time.
  • Help create a residential culture grounded in belonging, accountability, respect, and community.
  • Contribute ideas for programming and scholar engagement.
  • Take increasing ownership of programs or projects as you develop throughout the Fellowship.

 

Residential Operations & Safety 

  • Provide active supervision of scholars during assigned residential hours.
  • Support morning, after-school, meal, study hall, evening, and bedtime routines.
  • Help ensure scholars are present, prepared, and on time for school, programming, transportation, and other activities.
  • Follow attendance, sign-in/sign-out, health, visitor, and safety procedures.
  • Maintain accurate assigned documentation and communicate important information to the Residential Life team.
  • Participate in emergency preparedness, safety procedures, and transportation supervision as assigned.

 

Team & Organizational Experience 

  • Work collaboratively with the Residential Life team and colleagues across HomeWorks.
  • Participate in staff meetings, trainings, professional development, and organizational events.
  • Contribute to selected organization-wide events, projects, or initiatives based on organizational needs, learning goals, and areas of interest.
  • Learn and use professional systems and tools such as Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Asana..
     

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN
 

The Residential Life Education Fellowship is intentionally designed to support your growth as an early-career professional, not simply provide on-the-job experience.

 

Throughout the Fellowship, you will receive:

  • Regular Coaching & Supervision: Ongoing support, feedback, reflection, and problem-solving with Residential Life leadership.
  • Professional Development: Training in youth development, mentorship, restorative practices, facilitation, communication, residential education, and related areas.
  • Professional Goal-Setting: Opportunities to identify areas you want to develop and track your growth throughout the Fellowship.
  • Increasing Responsibility: Opportunities to take greater ownership of programs, projects, and initiatives as your skills and confidence develop.
  • Leadership Development: Hands-on opportunities to strengthen communication, judgment, collaboration, organization, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
  • Career Exploration: Support reflecting on your strengths, interests, and potential next steps after the Fellowship.
     

Cross-Functional Learning & Exposure

 

While your primary responsibilities will remain within Residential Life, we want Fellows to leave HomeWorks with a broader understanding of how a mission-driven nonprofit organization operates.

 

Throughout the Fellowship, you will have opportunities to participate in selected learning experiences across HomeWorks departments. Depending on organizational needs, timing, and your professional interests, these experiences may include:
 

  • Programs & Scholar Engagement: Participate in experiences related to academics, Scholar recruitment, family engagement, and other program areas.
  • Development & Communications: Gain exposure to fundraising, donor engagement, storytelling, communications, and marketing.
  • Operations & Organizational Leadership: Learn about the behind-the-scenes work that supports HomeWorks, including facilities, campus operations, organizational planning, and systems.
  • Cross-Functional Projects: Contribute to selected projects or initiatives that bring multiple HomeWorks teams together.

 

These experiences are designed to give you exposure to different areas of nonprofit work, help you understand how departments work together to advance HomeWorks’ mission, and provide opportunities to explore your own professional interests.
 

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

 

We are looking for an emerging professional who is excited to learn, ready to take on meaningful responsibility, and genuinely interested in working alongside young people.
 

You may be a strong fit if you:

  • Enjoy building relationships with young people and are interested in their growth and development.
  • Can build positive relationships while maintaining appropriate professional and adult boundaries.
  • Are dependable, organized, and follow through on commitments.
  • Are comfortable receiving feedback and applying what you learn.
  • Communicate clearly and know when to ask questions or seek support.
  • Can remain calm, thoughtful, and flexible in a dynamic environment.
  • Enjoy working collaboratively and contributing to a team.
  • Take initiative and are interested in developing as a professional.
  • Are willing to live on campus and participate fully in a residential community.

 

Qualifications 

  • Bachelor's degree, current or recent college graduate.
  • Experience working with young people through employment, mentoring, volunteering, coaching, camps, schools, community organizations, or similar settings.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Ability to supervise and engage groups of high school scholars.
  • Willingness to learn and use Google Workspace, Salesforce, Asana, and other organizational systems.
  • Alignment with HomeWorks' mission and values.
  • Spanish proficiency is a plus.

 

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet every qualification listed above. If you're excited about the Fellowship and believe your experiences have prepared you to contribute and grow, we encourage you to apply.
 

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS 

 

Fellowship Term: October 2026-June 30, 2027 

Location: Trenton, NJ

Position Type: Full-time, residential, fixed-term employee position

Annual Compensation: $37,500 

Reports To: Assistant Director of Residential Life
 

Housing & Meals

  • Fully furnished private dormitory housing on the HomeWorks campus provided at no cost for the duration of the Fellowship.
  • Dinner provided while the residential program is in session during the academic year.

 

Benefits 

  • Medical, dental, and vision plan offerings
  • Long-term disability insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • 401(k) plan
  • Paid time off in accordance with the HomeWorks residential program calendar
  • Smartphone and fully paid wireless plan
  • Professional development and training

 

TYPICAL SCHEDULE 

  • Sunday: 4:30 PM–10:00 PM
  • Monday-Thursday: 1:30 PM-9:00 PM
  • Morning Duty: Approximately once per week, 6:00 AM-6:40 AM, with some assigned mornings extending through the morning bus route at approximately 8:00 AM as needed.
  • Professional Development: Monthly Wednesday training, approximately 12:00 PM-1:30 PM

 

Schedules may shift based on programming, emergencies, special events, school schedules, and other residential needs.
 

COMPLETING THE FELLOWSHIP & BEYOND 


The 2026-2027 Residential Life Education Fellowship is a fixed-term professional experience ending June 30, 2027.
 

By the end of the Fellowship, our goal is for you to leave HomeWorks with:

  • Meaningful professional experience working directly with young people
  • A stronger understanding of youth development and residential education
  • Experience facilitating programs and supporting a residential community
  • A broader understanding of nonprofit operations and how different organizational functions work together
  • Stronger communication, leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills
  • Greater clarity about your professional strengths, interests, and next steps
  • Relationships with colleagues, mentors, and professionals who have supported your development throughout the Fellowship
     

Completion of the Fellowship does not guarantee continued employment with HomeWorks. Fellows interested in remaining at HomeWorks may apply for available positions for which they are qualified.

 

THE CULTURE

 

Every organization has its particular brand of crazy. We just try to be up-front about ours.

 

INTENTIONALITY: We are passionate, determined and Type A folks.

  • We know what each scholar will be doing exactly 3 years from now at 4:30pm on Tuesday. That is because we have spent thousands of hours talking to industry experts and community members to intentionally create our program for our scholars. Every decision is intentional. 
  • We work efficiently, are ruthless in getting things done. We roll up our sleeves and get down to sweep the floors. 
  • We are obsessive about documenting everything so that we can replicate and scale what we are doing to expand our impact. Everything– from lesson plans to field trip procedures– will be added to manuals, put in the shared drive, documented on Salesforce, Asana and more.
     

EMPATHY: We believe that everyone on our team is a leader.

  • This means that we take ownership for our own projects. We are deeply committed to a growth-mindset culture and take accountability when we make mistakes. 
  • We believe that our biggest strength comes from having a team with a rainbow of personalities, working styles, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures — and the ability to challenge one another while ensuring everyone feels heard and valued.
  • Our Co-Founders are our scholars, parents, teachers and community leaders. We work closely with our community to understand how best to grow and build HomeWorks and to invest in our community.

 

COMMUNITY: We believe deeply in our mission, and are intentional in living our values of intentionality, empathy and community in all we do.

  • This work - from picking up scholars from school, to construction management for our new campus, to building house culture and planning our development strategy - is more than just work. It is our fight for justice. We are creating a space where our scholars can reclaim power over their cultures, identities and experiences. 
  • We center our scholars and the community, and show up fully in the work. Every day.
  • We believe in the power and magic of our community in Trenton. By staying within the community, we are fostering a sense of Trenton pride within our scholars.