AmeriCorps Writers' Room Fellowship, Volunteer Engagement Specialist

Three AmeriCorps members serving as Volunteer Engagement Specialists will support the community volunteer recruitment, training, and retention efforts to secure the 500 community volunteers needed for individualized outreach at 6 Boston Public Schools, serving a population of 2,650 students during school-day and after-school hours. Members will serve at 826 Boston’s writing and tutoring center in Roxbury and lead the charge to engage 500+ volunteers in 826 Boston Writers’ Rooms located at six Boston Public Schools across the city. They will join a team comprising Volunteer Manager, Community Engagement Coordinator, and three AmeriCorps members.

Service Activities

Writers’ Room Volunteer Coordination
1. Support volunteer management, including attending recruitment events, creating volunteer email campaigns, and co-facilitating new volunteer trainings
2. Support Writers’ Room program teams by planning tutor debriefs
3. Develop and co-lead supplemental training for volunteer tutors
4. Oversee on-boarding of service-learning partners within universities and collaborate with faculty and students to enrich 826 Boston Writers’ Rooms
5. Coordinate a series of volunteer appreciation initiatives, including social media campaigns, monthly newsletters, and in-person celebrations
6. Support Volunteer Manager with engagement of Volunteer Advisory Board to develop volunteer management best practices
7. Support Volunteer Manager with cultivation and stewardship of potential corporate partners, with a specific focus on engaging more STEM professionals in Writers’ Rooms
8. Communicate project progress to staff supervisor and seek counsel when help is needed to execute goals

Student Direct Service
1. Serve as writing tutor to students seeking support with writing assignments in 826 Boston Writers’ Rooms 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 of creative and professional writing and reading workshops

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

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 826 Boston's mission through direct service with students and volunteers.

Benefits

Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Relocation allowance (if applicable), 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

• Activity Types Hands On Activities, Office Activities, Professional Activities
• Focus Areas Arts & Culture, Education & Youth
• Length of Service 11 Months
• Education Requirements High School Graduate
• Placement Team Placement
• Service Setting Arts Organization, Community-based Nonprofit, Elementary School, High School, Middle School, National Nonprofit/Affiliate, School-based Nonprofit, Volunteer Placement Organization
• Weekly Training Hours 2