Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development seeks 20 AmeriCorps VISTAs to serve in 16 Philadelphia public schools and 4 key offices of the School District of Philadelphia to help coordinate and leverage community resources and support students, families, and teachers. VISTAs will spend the year building relationships with school communities and organizations in the city to identify needs within the education landscape and strategize around how to best address them. School-based VISTAs will support their individual school sites by planning and facilitating regular meetings with school partners, helping to coordinate school communications and events, and building systems to facilitate strong, sustainable relationships between partners and school leadership. VISTAs in the School District offices will work on specific initiatives focused on issues that affect schools city-wide, including attendance and truancy, family and community engagement, and opportunities for music and arts education.
Service Activities
Planning and facilitating meetings
Networking and relationship building
Preparing communications (Letters, e-mails, blog posts, newsletters, social media)
Supporting the work of volunteers
Organizing events and special opportunities for school community
Community Need Addressed
Coordination of school-community partnerships to better provide resources and services to students, teachers, and families
Position Outcomes
Improvement in school climate, health, and academic outcomes for students
Increased family and community engagement
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Student loan forbearance, Training
Up to $96 reimbursement for a monthly SEPTA transportation pass provided by PHENND for free travel within Philadelphia.
Education Benefits
Mental Health First Aid
Skills you will gain
Time management, writing, public speaking, meeting facilitation, event planning, social media and communications, networking, data collection and 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, 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
Derive consensus, 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, 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, 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