Term Dates: 1/16/17 - 12/15/17
Living Allowance: $1,310 / month
Education Award: $5,730
Health Insurance
Training
Service Activities
Foremost will be the creation of regular after school activities for the 12-18 year old age range. Opportunities for peer to peer mentoring and learning will be embedded in regular meetings, addressing concerns common to the age group (i.e. substance abuse, peer pressure, sexual health, suicide prevention, etc.). A variety of engaging activities will be offered to encourage both attendance and healthy habits, which may include activities such as hiking, game nights, snow survival skills, urban field trips, volunteer opportunities, or zentangle art lessons. A challenge exists in reaching all adolescents of the Upper Susitna Valley, due to the far-spread nature of our residents. We plan to tackle this by working in partnership with the more centrally located Susitna Valley High School and/or Upper Susitna Valley Senior Center and by also having the AmeriCorps member rove to locations in the many communities of the Upper Susitna Valley.
Community Need Addressed
Located in Talkeetna which is a tourism hub near Denali National Park, The Northern Susitna Institute is recruiting for an AmeriCorps Member. Dedicated to real learning in the real world, the Northern Susitna Institute (NSI) provides students of all ages an opportunity to learn, share ideas, and develop real life skills. The Upper Susitna Valley encompasses Caswell, Susitna, Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, and north Willow, with two public elementary schools and one shared public high school. NSI’s mission is to provide hands-on learning opportunities for students of all ages, and currently successfully offers summer programming to 6-16 year olds and programming to families and adults through the Alaska Folk School and a variety of other events.
Position Outcomes
There is a strong desire to model a program after after school programs for teens in urban areas, but with accommodations for our rural population. This is the first year an AmeriCorps member has served with NSI and there is great opportunity to expand programming including: vocational exploration and training opportunities, providing positive mentor relationships with adult community members, and promoting self discovery and leadership training through outdoor education.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Relocation allowance (if applicable), Student loan forbearance
Education Benefits
College Degree
Skills you will gain
Outdoor education, experiential education, school based education
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Effectively delegate tasks, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers