The Massachusetts Promise Fellowship (MPF) is an AmeriCorps program dedicated to increasing youth academic enrichment and college and career exploration through Out-of-School-Time (OST) interventions and data-driven programming. We are a passionate team that strives every day to empower young people to succeed as part of a national movement to achieve education equity. We do this because we believe that all young people have a right to Caring Adults, Safe Spaces, A Healthy Start, An Effective Education, and An Opportunity to Serve.
As a Mass Promise Fellow, you will serve at one of our partner youth-serving programs at schools, city agencies, and community-based organizations in Massachusetts. Your mission will be to build intentional relationships with young people between 6th and 12th grade and support their academic engagement or post-secondary success. You will work to decrease the dropout rate, close the opportunity gap, and support the futures of youth. If you believe in the power of relationship building to positively impact the life of a young person, this role is for you.
This opportunity might be a good fit if you…
• Have experience building relationships with youth
• Have provided administrative support in an office setting
• Are an empathetic listener
• Prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects effectively
• Have experience communicating with a variety of partners in a timely manner
• Think on your feet, learn new things quickly, and are a creative problem solver
• Have experience being part of a team and know when to ask for help
• Believe that young people deserve care, encouragement, and support to reach their full potential
• Want to join a caring community of service-minded individuals invested in social justice and education equity
Service Activities
AmeriCorps Fellows are focused on youth development initiatives in the out-of-school time setting and their projects include: Creating and supporting mentoring programs, Designing and leading college and career readiness programs for youth, Facilitating after-school academic enrichment programs, Leading community service-learning projects for youth , Developing and leading programs for youth related to character building, including self-confidence, self-esteem, and healthy relationships
Community Need Addressed
Decreasing high school dropout rates and increasing youth post-secondary success
Position Outcomes
Increase academic engagement to support young people in completing high school and moving on to college and career
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, College Credit, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
AmeriCorps Fellows receive a minimum of 9 free course credits at Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies. These credits can be applied to both undergraduate and graduate level courses.
Education Benefits
College Degree
In our 170+ training and development model our goal is to support Fellow's growth as:
-Youth Workers
-Culturally Responsive Educators
-Professionals in the Nonprofit Sector
We also have a comprehensive Life After AmeriCorps Series that kicks off in March of the service year
Skills you will gain
non-profit management, curriculum development, supporting youth, college and career advising, mentoring best practices, social justice dialogue facilitation, curriculum development, trauma informed youth approaches, time and project 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
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
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, 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, Drive decision making, 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, 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