Career Opportunities
Click on a job title to read the description.
Status: Full time
Location: San Francisco, California
Reports to: Chief Academic Officer
School Description:
The Life Learning Academy (LLA) is an SFUSD charter high school for disconnected and under-resourced youth. Our mission is to create a nonviolent community for students who have not been successful in traditional school settings. LLA welcomes students into an ‘extended family’ which motivates everyone to give and receive support, develop responsibility and judgment, and build the academic, vocational, and social skills necessary to be successful.
For 21 years, Life Learning Academy has successfully supported high-need students from the San Francisco Bay Area to thrive. Factors contributing to the uniqueness of LLA’s program include: (1) the degree to which the students are involved in school management; (2) the ability to re-engage youth who were previously disconnected from school and community; and, (3) innovative project-based curricula and career development programs such as a community-based internship and employment program; student-operated culinary academy and organic mini-farm; digital arts training program; a partnership with the Northern California Carpenters Union, providing LLA graduates with priority enrollment into the NCCU pre-apprenticeship program.
Many LLA students live in overcrowded, cramped, and inadequate spaces, frequently moving between the homes of different family members and friends in search of a safe place to stay. Without intervention, disconnected and unstably housed youth are at very high risk for homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, and violence. Opened in August 2019, we have an on-campus (no fee) dormitory for up to 24 students. The impact on our residents’ attendance, academic performance, and engagement is nothing short of remarkable.
Additionally, LLA is a very small school that maintains a 1:6 teacher to student ratio with 6-8 students per class. We utilize a block schedule model for extended instructional periods and maintain immediate, on-call student intervention and counseling support. Students are eligible for credit recovery options if appropriate, concurrent enrollment with local community colleges in their junior & senior years, and ongoing transition services including education and employment counseling post-graduation. Teachers teach 3 classes per term carrying a student load of no more than 24 students. We plan for a full return to the in-person instruction fall semester of 2021.
LLA’s achievements in helping disconnected youth re-engage with school, graduate, and continue on to productive post-secondary education and employment have been recognized consistently by external observers and reviewers. Select awards and recognition that LLA has received over the years include Finalist, Innovation in American Government Award, Harvard University’s Ash Institute; Unsung Hero Award for project-based math and art curriculum; California Charter School Association Hart Vision Charter School of the Year, California; AT&T/Giants Community All-Stars in addressing community violence; and Model Program, California Corrections Standards Authority.
Position Summary:
We are seeking an enthusiastic teacher with experience and a clear passion for teaching young people about English Language Arts. In these unpredictable times, we need someone with flexibility and a collaborative spirit to join us in meeting the challenges that come with such uncertainty.
Desired qualifications:
All employees must possess an unshakable faith in students' abilities to learn and to develop healthy, productive, independent lives; and each staff member must demonstrate the talent, energy, and commitment necessary to help transform those individual abilities into a collective reality.
Other Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree
- Be a University Intern or Possess a CA Teaching Credential (Multiple Subjects or Single Subject in English or Social Sciences / Provisional Internship Permits accepted)
- Some experience in classroom (instruction at the high school level is preferred)
- Commitment to supporting the needs of disconnected and system-involved youth
- Excellent communication skills, professional demeanor, sound judgment, and strong organizational skills
- Willingness to work collaboratively, but with the capacity to work independently
- Competency with Google Docs and Google Classroom
- Criminal Justice Clearance required
Desired skills, experience, and dispositions for LLA teachers:
- Encourages a culture of mutual respect and equitable practice
- Demonstrates content knowledge
- Commitment to understanding student academic needs and catering instruction to meet those specific needs
- Supports students’ social, emotional, and behavioral learning needs
- Implements Project-Based Learning techniques and strategies
- Facilitates and designs effective group work & independent learning opportunities
- Provides timely feedback and collaborates with faculty to offer specialized support
- Showcases student work within the local and wider school community
Compensation and Benefits: Competitive, based on experience and market standards. LLA will provide financial support for credentialing / internship programs.
How to Apply: Send a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and a resume to
Status: Full time
Location: San Francisco, California
Reports to: Chief Academic Officer
School Description:
The Life Learning Academy (LLA) is an SFUSD charter high school for disconnected and under-resourced youth. Our mission is to create a nonviolent community for students who have not been successful in traditional school settings. LLA welcomes students into an ‘extended family’ which motivates everyone to give and receive support, develop responsibility and judgment, and build the academic, vocational, and social skills necessary to be successful.
For 21 years, Life Learning Academy has successfully supported high-need students from the San Francisco Bay Area to thrive. Factors contributing to the uniqueness of LLA’s program include: (1) the degree to which the students are involved in school management; (2) the ability to re-engage youth who were previously disconnected from school and community; and, (3) innovative project-based curricula and career development programs such as a community-based internship and employment program; student-operated culinary academy and organic mini-farm; digital arts training program; a partnership with the Northern California Carpenters Union, providing LLA graduates with priority enrollment into the NCCU pre-apprenticeship program.
Many LLA students live in overcrowded, cramped, and inadequate spaces, frequently moving between the homes of different family members and friends in search of a safe place to stay. Without intervention, disconnected and unstably housed youth are at very high risk for homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, and violence. Opened in August 2019, we have an on-campus (no fee) dormitory for up to 24 students. The impact on our residents’ attendance, academic performance, and engagement is nothing short of remarkable.
Additionally, LLA is a very small school that maintains a 1:6 teacher to student ratio with 6-8 students per class. We utilize a block schedule model for extended instructional periods and maintain immediate, on-call student intervention and counseling support. Students are eligible for credit recovery options if appropriate, concurrent enrollment with local community colleges in their junior & senior years, and ongoing transition services including education and employment counseling post-graduation. Teachers teach 3 classes per term carrying a student load of no more than 24 students. We plan for a full return to the in-person instruction fall semester of 2021.
LLA’s achievements in helping disconnected youth re-engage with school, graduate, and continue on to productive post-secondary education and employment have been recognized consistently by external observers and reviewers. Select awards and recognition that LLA has received over the years include Finalist, Innovation in American Government Award, Harvard University’s Ash Institute; Unsung Hero Award for project-based math and art curriculum; California Charter School Association Hart Vision Charter School of the Year, California; AT&T/Giants Community All-Stars in addressing community violence; and Model Program, California Corrections Standards Authority.
Position Summary:
We are seeking an enthusiastic teacher with experience and a clear passion for teaching young people about physical fitness and developing healthy lifestyles.
Desired qualifications:
All employees must possess an unshakable faith in students' abilities to learn and to develop healthy, productive, independent lives; and each staff member must demonstrate the talent, energy and commitment necessary to help transform those individual abilities into a collective reality.
Other Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree
- Some experience in classroom (instruction at the high school level is preferred)
- Commitment to supporting the needs of disconnected and system-involved youth
- Excellent communication skills, professional demeanor, sound judgment, and strong organizational skills
- Willingness to work collaboratively, but with the capacity to work independently
- Competency with Google Docs and Google Classroom
- Criminal Justice Clearance required
Desired skills, experience, and dispositions for LLA teachers:
- Encourages a culture of mutual respect and equitable practice
- Demonstrates content knowledge
- Commitment to understanding student academic needs and catering instruction to meet those specific needs
- Supports students’ social, emotional, and behavioral learning needs
- Implements Project-Based Learning techniques and strategies
- Facilitates and designs effective group work & independent learning opportunities
- Provides timely feedback and collaborates with faculty to offer specialized support
- Showcases student work within the local and wider school community
- Scaffolds instructional activities that facilitate engaging and appropriate learning opportunities
Compensation and Benefits: If credentialed, salary will be based on the SFUSD pay scale. If not credentialed, compensation is $25-35 per hour, depending on experience.
How to Apply: Send a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and a resume to
Status: Flexible, opportunity for off-peak hours, some weekly late afternoon hours required
Location: San Francisco, California
Compensation: $65,000 + $2,500 bilingual premium for full-time employment
Reports to: Executive Director
School Description:
Life Learning Academy is a public charter high school located on Treasure Island, serving students across the Bay Area. Life Learning Academy supports young people who have been involved in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system, those who have been pushed out of traditional schools, youth who are invisible and falling through gaps between systems, and those experiencing profound isolation and disconnectedness. We believe every single young person, no matter who they are, what they have done, or what’s happened to them, deserves relentless love, accountability, and the chance to make a good life.
After 23 years of impact, in 2019, LLA became the only public high school that built a no-cost dorm for our homeless students in California, and has become a statewide model for preventing homelessness and system-involvement.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of youth experiencing homelessness, disconnection, suicidality, anxiety, depression, learning loss, and social isolation has compounded. Many of these youths’ networks and support services have also been destabilized, so while the need for services has increased, access to those services is limited. The pandemic has also laid bare how much youth depend on schools, not just for education but as an anchor for community, social interaction, emotional support, mental wellbeing, and as a hub of extended services.
Position Summary:
The Counselor will provide individual trauma-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for students at Life Learning Academy and lead weekly groups. The Counselor will be an integral part of the case management team. The Counselor will provide mental health consultation and support to LLA staff. The Counselor will engage families as needed or requested. The Counselor is a member of the staff and will be involved in team meetings, training, and collaborative support. The individual in this position is:
- Committed to and driven by the organization’s mission to create positive lives for all young people and motivated to disrupt the cycles of poverty and homelessness through innovations in education, housing, and youth workforce development.
- An excellent communicator, able to relate to a diverse client population and staff.
- Able to perform tasks and responsibilities in a thorough and timely manner in compliance with agency policy and standards, and conform to scheduling requirements of this job description and program.
- A creative team-builder with a cooperative approach to job performance and seeks to bring a constructive, problem-solving orientation to all tasks.
- Aware of and committed to the organization’s focus on trauma-informed practice.
- Able to exercise discretion and professional judgment at all times in keeping with the responsibility carried personally and by the agency for the care and welfare of youth and families.
Responsibilities
- Provide individual therapeutic cognitive behavioral therapy and case management for LLA students during and after school hours.
- Lead weekly groups.
- Develop rapport with youth and families in a manner that demonstrates awareness of the impact of sociocultural factors on experiences, values, learning and counseling needs.
- Act as part of the LLA team, offering support to staff in the form of consultation, crisis intervention, client screening, case management, training, skill building or other tasks as needed.
- Demonstrate ability to engage and retain youth in services.
- Demonstrate thorough knowledge of legal and ethical issues and apply this vigilantly to clinical practice. Consistently maintain appropriate boundaries with clients and staff.
- Consistently work to advance clinical skills and knowledge of self and the clinical team by actively engaging in group and individual supervision, pursuing training opportunities and sharing knowledge.
- Perform accurate, thorough and timely record-keeping, documentation and data entry.
- Participate in LLA team meetings.
- Participate in recruitment efforts to support student engagement in the therapeutic process.
- Attend relevant school meetings and events to support and coordinate therapy for LLA students.
- Outpatient referrals may be assigned in order to meet client services goals.
- Other duties as assigned.
Work Environment
This position operates on the Life Learning Academy campus on Treasure Island. This role routinely includes off-peak hours (10:00am-6:00pm) in order to offer therapeutic services between 3:00pm-6:00pm. Flexible scheduling, including part-time hours, can be considered.
Required education and experience
- A master’s degree in social work or counseling
- A clinical license or registered with BBS in pursuit of license
Preferred education and experience
- Bi-lingual in Spanish strongly desired
- Experience with high risk high school age youth
- Experience, awareness and knowledge of cultures of San Francisco youth and families
- Familiarity with Bay Area youth service providers
- Experience with Medi-Cal documentation and use of AVATAR
Additional eligibility qualifications
- Proof of COVID vaccination
- Background clearance
Equal Opportunity: LLA is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the School to afford equal employment and advancement opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to: Race; Color; Gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity, whether or not the employee is transitioning or has transitioned); Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to such); Religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices); Marital/registered domestic partner status; Age (forty (40) and over); National origin or ancestry (including native language spoken and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the U.S. is authorized by federal law); Physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS); Medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics); Taking of a leave of absence pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Pregnancy Disability Leave (“PDL”) law, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), or laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; Genetic information; Sexual orientation; Military and veteran status; or Any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. This policy extends to all job applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the hiring of new employees and the training, transfer, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits of existing employees.
How to Apply: As a school that serves primarily low income students of color and believes in the power of mentorship and role models, members of racial/ethnic minorities and other historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Send (1) a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and (2) a resume to
Status: Full-time
Location: Treasure Island, San Francisco
Salary: $55,000-$65,000
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
SCHOOL DESCRIPTION: Life Learning Academy is a public charter high school located on Treasure Island, serving students across the Bay Area and beyond. Life Learning Academy supports young people who have been involved in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system, those who have been pushed out of traditional schools, youth who are invisible and falling through gaps between systems, and those experiencing profound isolation and disconnectedness. We believe every single young person, no matter who they are, what they have done, or what’s happened to them, deserves relentless love, accountability, and the chance to make a good life. After 23 years of impact, in 2019, LLA became the only public high school that built a no-cost dorm for our homeless students in California, and has become a statewide model for preventing homelessness and system-involvement. We are being pulled toward growth and replication because we offer a known, demonstrated solution for some of California’s most pressing problems. Life Learning Academy is at a critical inflection point, and is being called by an opportunity and an obligation to serve the unacceptable yet ever-increasing number of students who would benefit from our model. We have a solution for the looming crisis and a model that exemplifies the best of “trauma-informed care” and “healing-centered care,” which focus on the support and treatment of the whole student and the promotion of environments of healing and recovery. Our vision is to become a national model for nurturing the most disinvested youth experiencing persistent trauma emotionally, socially, and academically while also influencing the systems that serve them.
POSITION SUMMARY: The Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator will be a face of Life Learning Academy in the youth education, outreach and support community. This person primarily works with public and community-based partners across San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo Counties. This person will build awareness, deepen existing relationships and forge new partnerships, bringing new people and organizations into the Life Learning Academy family, and widely sharing Life Learning Academy as a resource for youth across the Bay Area. The individual in this position is:
- Committed to and driven by the organization’s mission to create positive lives for all young people and motivated to disrupt the cycles of poverty and homelessness through innovations in education, housing, and youth workforce development.
- Highly organized, can follow procedures, and is willing and eager to help others.
- Someone with excellent public speaking, relationship building, and project management skills.
- A person with very strong detail orientation and follow-through.
- Assertive and able to assume full ownership to see a project through to completion.
- A person with the ability to engage and inspire others to believe in the organization’s mission and vision through oral and written communications.
Responsibilities: Build and cultivate strong relationships with schools & community-based organizations (CBOs) Minimum Qualifications Preferred Qualifications LLA is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the School to afford equal employment and advancement opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to: Race; Color; Gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity, whether or not the employee is transitioning or has transitioned); Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to such); Religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices); Marital/registered domestic partner status; Age (forty (40) and over); National origin or ancestry (including native language spoken and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the U.S. is authorized by federal law); Physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS); Medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics); Taking of a leave of absence pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Pregnancy Disability Leave (“PDL”) law, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), or laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; Genetic information; Sexual orientation; Military and veteran status; or Any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. This policy extends to all job applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the hiring of new employees and the training, transfer, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits of existing employees. How to Apply: Send a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and a resume to
Status: Full-time
Location: Treasure Island, San Francisco
Salary: $55,000-$65,000
Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer
SCHOOL DESCRIPTION: Life Learning Academy is a public charter high school located on Treasure Island, serving students across the Bay Area and beyond. Life Learning Academy supports young people who have been involved in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system, those who have been pushed out of traditional schools, youth who are invisible and falling through gaps between systems, and those experiencing profound isolation and disconnectedness. We believe every single young person, no matter who they are, what they have done, or what’s happened to them, deserves relentless love, accountability, and the chance to make a good life. After 23 years of impact, in 2019, LLA became the only public high school that built a no-cost dorm for our homeless students in California, and has become a statewide model for preventing homelessness and system-involvement. We are being pulled toward growth and replication because we offer a known, demonstrated solution for some of California’s most pressing problems. Life Learning Academy is at a critical inflection point, and is being called by an opportunity and an obligation to serve the unacceptable yet ever-increasing number of students who would benefit from our model. We have a solution for the looming crisis and a model that exemplifies the best of “trauma-informed care” and “healing-centered care,” which focus on the support and treatment of the whole student and the promotion of environments of healing and recovery. Our vision is to become a national model for nurturing the most disinvested youth experiencing persistent trauma emotionally, socially, and academically while also influencing the systems that serve them.
POSITION SUMMARY: The Development and Communications Coordinator facilitates and coordinates Life Learning Academy’s fundraising processes and activities. This person primarily works behind the scenes to support the organization’s donor database, communications, and events. The individual in this position is:
- Highly organized, can follow procedures, and is willing and eager to help others.
- A person with very strong detail orientation and follow-through.
- A person who is not intimidated by the prospect of nudging leadership to follow through on their commitments.
- Committed to and driven by the organization’s mission to create positive lives for all young people and motivated to disrupt the cycles of poverty and homelessness through innovations in education, housing, and youth workforce development.
Responsibilities: Development Coordination (60%) Communications (25%) Events (15%) Qualifications:
- 2 years of nonprofit development and/or comms experience, including donor database management (DonorPerfect preferred)
- Experience using a moves management system
- Proven track record of successful relationship management
- Passion for innovations in education and housing
- Committed to increasing the range of opportunities available to disadvantaged youth
- Ability to engage and inspire others to believe in the organization’s mission and vision through oral and written communications.
- Excellent communication skills with a range of audiences, including individual donors, corporate sponsors, philanthropic foundations, community-based partners, representatives from the education field, politicians, and others
- Strong organizational skills, negotiation, and communication abilities
- Diplomatic and good-natured
- Self-motivated, strong time manager with equally strong task prioritization skills
- Candidate must be able to occasionally work after normal business hours and travel to events on occasion
LLA is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse staff and inclusive work environment. Candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color are strongly encouraged to apply. It is the policy of the School to afford equal employment and advancement opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to: Race; Color; Gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity, whether or not the employee is transitioning or has transitioned); Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to such); Religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices); Marital/registered domestic partner status; Age (forty (40) and over); National origin or ancestry (including native language spoken and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the U.S. is authorized by federal law); Physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS); Medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics); Taking of a leave of absence pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Pregnancy Disability Leave (“PDL”) law, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), or laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; Genetic information; Sexual orientation; Military and veteran status; or Any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. This policy extends to all job applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the hiring of new employees and the training, transfer, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits of existing employees. How to Apply: Send a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and a resume to