Twelve AmeriCorps members (eight High School Program Specialists and four K8 Program Specialists) will support 32 hours of Writers’ Rooms programming per week for 36 weeks at six Boston Public Schools, serving a population of 2,650 students during school-day and after-school hours. AmeriCorps members will help open a new Writers’ Room at a Boston Public School and help students in the five existing Writers’ Rooms, conducting direct service alongside community volunteers to support: after-school clubs such as slam poetry teams and literary magazines; district wide student publications around a common theme; whole-class and individual drop-in visits to the Writers’ Rooms for help with writing assignments; and specialized workshops such as school-wide college essay and application assistance. More than 200 students will be published in professionally designed collections of student work. AmeriCorps members will assist more than 75 teachers across the six schools. Members will serve at one of the 826 Boston Writers’ Rooms, joining a school-based team comprising the Writers’ Room Coordinator, two AmeriCorps Members, a College for Social Innovation Fellow, and a corps of volunteers. Members will be placed at a site by the 826 Boston team and will serve from that location Mondays-Thursdays. Additionally, AmeriCorps High School Program Specialists will serve at 826 Boston’s writing and tutoring center in Roxbury for summer training and weekly professional development on Fridays.
Service Activities
Student Direct Service
1. Serve as a writing tutor to students in grades K-8 seeking support with writing assignments in an 826 Boston Writers’ Room through class visits, individual drop-ins, writing workshops, and publication projects
2. Support students’ writing development through one-on-one conferences, small-group collaboration, and whole-class instruction leading reading and writing workshops
3. Co-lead Student Editorial Board for each in-house publication project, ensuring students have the opportunity to inform book content, cover and interior design, and title selection
4. Co-lead creative writing projects with students, such as a school-wide literary magazine, slam poetry team, and/or journalism club
Writers’ Room Program Coordination
1. Coordinate Writers’ Room volunteers, including managing email communication; co-lead pre-brief and debrief sessions
2. Assist with data collection, analysis, and results-sharing associated with Writers’ Room in-school and after-school programming, including tracking student visits and hours, distributing student and teacher feedback surveys, supporting the multi-year Northeastern University Writers’ Room impact study, and participating in quarterly team-wide reports
3. Collaborate with Boston Public Schools teachers across all disciplines to develop in-class writing projects that utilize the Writers’ Room tutor support and in-house publication capabilities
4. Support Writers’ Room publishing projects and book release parties
5. Communicate project progress to staff supervisor and seek counsel when help is needed to execute goals
6. Support school-organized student and family-focused events as needed, representing the 826 Boston Writers’ Room
Community Need Addressed
Writing and communication skills rank among the most important 21st century skills for students to master, yet our country is facing a skills deficit in these areas. In the 2007 report Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve the Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools, Steve Graham and Dolores Perin state: “Writing well is not an option for young people - it is a necessity. Along with reading comprehension, writing is a predictor of academic success and a basic life requirement for participation in civic life and the global economy.” Indeed, research shows that students who lack proficiency in writing perform worse academically, fail to graduate form high school, and face greater risk of unemployment during their working lives. The National Commission on Writing found that remediation of poor writing skills costs American businesses as much as $3.1 billion annually. When students find their voices, share their stories, and gain newfound writing skills, they demonstrate growth in confidence, self-esteem, and resiliency. 826 Boston’s core programs, offered free of charge, are guided by the belief that great leaps in learning can occur with one-on-one attention, and that writing skills are fundamental to future success. The AmeriCorps Writers’ Room Fellowship will directly support students in 826 Boston Writers’ Room across Boston Public Schools to address this challenge.
Position Outcomes
826 Boston is entering year five of its current five-year-plan, which is focused on “Scaling for Impact” - growing sustainably while maximizing impact. For 826 Boston, this means replicating the innovative Writers’ Room model, which allows 826 Boston to expand the depth and reach of its programs, serve students both during and after school hours, and maintain low overhead cost. 826 Boston is on track to accomplish its goal of opening five new Writers’ Rooms over the next five years in high-need Boston Public Schools, increasing service to an additional 3,500 students through its Writers’ Room expansion, and exploring a diverse set of partnerships, including K-8, vocational, and bilingual skills.
The fifteen member AmeriCorps Writers’ Room Fellowship (three Community Engagement Specialists, eight High School Program Specialists, and four K-8 High School Program Specialists) will directly support this expansion through direct service with students and volunteers.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Relocation allowance (if applicable), Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Compensation and Benefits
1. Professional Development: As an AmeriCorps Community Engagement Specialist, you will build upon your personal strengths and develop transferable skills, such as teamwork, leadership, decision-making, project management and relationship development. You will develop your knowledge of school and community partnerships, cross-sector collaboration, and the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit organization. 826 Boston provides AmeriCorps Members with formal onboarding in the summer, ongoing training throughout the year, and individualized coaching from a direct supervisor.
2. Living Stipend: AmeriCorps Community Engagement Specialists will receive a gross bi-weekly stipend of $538.15, totaling a maximum of $13,992 annually.
3. Education Award: As an AmeriCorps Member, Community Engagement Specialists qualify for an Eli Segal Education Award of $5,920 for every successful year of service, which includes completing 1,700 hours of service and completing the full duration of the 11-month program. The education award can be used to repay student loans or cover tuition costs for graduate studies at an accredited college or university.
4. Travel Stipend: $70/month travel stipend for months of active service
5. Medical Coverage: AmeriCorps members have the opportunity to request reimbursement of up to $50/month to cover individual health coverage premiums. All AmeriCorps members are eligible for this reimbursement but may decline it in favor of alternative coverage obtained through a parent, guardian, or spouse.
6. Time Off: 80 hours of sick time and 80 hours of vacation time
7. Public Benefits: AmeriCorps Members may be eligible for food and public utility benefits.
Skills you will gain
As an AmeriCorps Community Engagement Specialist, you will build upon your personal strengths and develop transferable skills, such as teamwork, leadership, decision-making, project management and relationship development. You will develop your knowledge of school and community partnerships, cross-sector collaboration, and the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit organization. 826 Boston provides AmeriCorps Members with formal onboarding in the summer, ongoing training throughout the year, and individualized coaching from a direct supervisor.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, 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, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
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
Tools
Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
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, 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, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment