Mercy Volunteers serving in the education field work in a school or an enrichment program. Classroom experience is available for elementary school, high school, workforce development, and special education throughout the US and in Guyana, South America. Volunteers build relationships with students and provide instruction and support to develop students' academic and social-emotional skills and abilities.
Service Activities
For teaching positions, volunteers will provide instruction in the academic or skill areas as they are licensed. Classroom aides will assist teachers in their instruction and provide additional support to students. Tutors will provide additional instruction in areas that individual students need. Extracurricular activities coordinators will lead enrichment activities for students' social-emotional growth.
Community Need Addressed
Volunteers in these educational positions will serve as teachers, classroom aides, tutors, and extracurricular activities coordinators for students of all age levels who have limited access to education or educational services. Volunteers are needed to work with students who have disabilities, are currently in foster care, experience homelessness or food insecurity, or limited access to educational enrichment.
Position Outcomes
Students will experience academic and social-emotional growth through skill development and repeated practice.
Benefits
Health coverage, Housing, Living allowance, Stipend, Student loan forbearance
Quarterly retreats are hosted by Mercy Volunteer Corps to provide volunteers with opportunities for reflection, spiritual growth, and shared experiences. Mercy Volunteer Corps provides volunteers with webinars for personal and professional development.
Skills you will gain
Volunteers will develop skills in lesson and activity planning, conflict resolution, leadership, technology, interpersonal relationships, communication, compassionate service in the spirit of mutuality, and creativity.
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, Turn taking, 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
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job
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, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, 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