The Volunteer Recruiter will build relationships with community partners, recruit and manage volunteers for monthly Family Activity Night events. This service will support parents in area schools learning English as a Second Language and developing strategies to support their children’s literacy. The ideal candidate for this full-time position will be detailed-oriented, able to work independently, have experience either coordinating volunteers or supervising others, and be an excellent communicator. This position requires the selected candidate to be screened and approved through the national AmeriCorps program.
Service Activities
Volunteer Recruitment and Management:
- Recruit volunteers to serve during monthly Family Activity Nights
- Communicate and coordinate between volunteers, stakeholders, and teachers
- Ensure that volunteers have an outstanding experience while volunteering with the program
- Develop and execute volunteer appreciation campaigns for program volunteers
- Track data around volunteers, including demographic information and evaluative feedback
- Continually assess volunteer engagement process and identify and implement improvements
- Work closely with Family Literacy Program instructors to plan Family Activity Nights
- Order and inventory Family Activity Night supplies
- Collect and analyze feedback of Family Activity Nights
Collaboration:
- Publicize the Family Literacy Program in the community
- Attend team meetings and staff meetings at the Literacy Center of West Michigan
- Participate in periodic AmeriCorps events to promote civic engagement
- Collaboratively plan service project events for National Days of Service
ESL Tutoring:
- Prepare individualized lesson plans and tutor 1-2 clients one-on-one, weekly
Community Need Addressed
On a national level, one in every eight children in the U.S. lives with a mother who has not graduated from high school. This impacts household income, as well as children’s reading and math proficiency, health, and school enrollment and completion. Only 16% of children whose mothers did not graduate from high school were reading at grade level in eighth grade and 40% did not graduate high school by age 19 (Foundation for Child Development report, 2014). Research also shows that low-literate parents, particularly mothers, are more likely to exert a positive influence on their children’s academic achievement when they are able to enhance their own literacy skills (U.S. Department of Education, 1993).
This plays out in the cities of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Wyoming, Michigan with a deep, albeit often hidden, need for literacy services. The American Community Survey (2013) of the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 16% of Grand Rapids residents over the age of 25 have less than a high school education. The poverty rate for those with less than a high school education is 38.9%, which increases to 44.9% among women. In Grand Rapids, 15% of residents speak a language other than English at home. This mirrors the data from Wyoming, where 10.8% of residents were born in other countries and 18.5% speak a language other than English at home—a percentage that continues to increase. Approximately 14.8% of residents have less than a high school degree and 16.7% are below the poverty rate.
This low literacy among adults has a direct impact on children. Almost one out of three (or 31%) of students in the Kent Intermediate School District are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade. Latino students fall far below this threshold. In the Grand Rapids Public Schools, only 37% of Latino third graders are proficient in reading while the percentage rises to only 43% in Godwin Heights, both far below the county average.
Position Outcomes
The volunteer recruiter will expand the impact of the Family Literacy Program by recruiting 200 volunteers annually.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
The AmeriCorps member will receive a total living stipend of $12,530. Upon successful completion of the service year, the member will receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $5,730. Training will be provided during the first week of service. Periodic trainings will also be offered throughout the service year. AmeriCorps members may be eligible to count college or graduate level coursework as service hours.
Skills you will gain
project management, timekeeping, cultural competency, event planning, data management
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, 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
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, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, 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, 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