Saga recruits highly talented recent college graduates, career changers, or retirees. We are looking for people dedicated to ending educational inequity by supporting students from high-need communities. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in any major. We seek candidates from a diverse set of academic, social and cultural backgrounds. Nearly half of our Fellows identify as people of color. In considering applications, we primarily look for a strong academic record, coaching or tutoring experience, and a readiness to rise to the many demands and challenges that come with supporting at-risk youth. Idealistic and driven people who are hungry for consistent feedback thrive as Saga Fellows.
Service Activities
Fellows guarantee the academic success of students by focusing intently on individualizing instruction and building personal and meaningful relationships with their students for the entire service year.
-Each Fellow has a small caseload of students they work with every day. Saga tutoring is embedded into the school day, where Fellows work with 2-4 students at a time for 6-7 periods of the 8-9 period school day, depending on the school’s schedule and program model.
-Fellows contact families frequently about student progress. This communication forges trust, creates relationships, and keeps parents aware of the successes and needs of their children.
-Every site has a Saga coordinator who is responsible for observing, training, and supporting Fellows throughout the entire year, in the Saga math room. Fellows will be observed weekly and must be hungry for feedback.
-Complete 1700 service hours during the 10 month commitment
Community Need Addressed
For every 10 low-income students who enter high school, 7 will graduate on time, 4 will enter college, and only 1 will earn a college degree by the age of 24 (The Promise of College Completion, 2011). Finding interventions that improve the academic outcomes of low-income students is one of our nation’s most urgent challenges.
Position Outcomes
The Saga Fellowship is an official AmeriCorps program under the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNSC).
A service year as an AmeriCorps Member with Saga Education is your chance to make a real difference. Through daily tutoring sessions with a small number of students, you’ll deliver high-quality, personalized instruction that helps young people thrive. In the process, you’ll forge life-changing relationships -- with your students, their families, and your team of Fellows.
We are a national nonprofit organization that partners with school districts in Chicago, New York City, and Washington DC to supplement teacher instruction by providing trained Tutoring Fellows for students who are falling behind. We know the relationships young people can count on are the ones that lift them up. So our professional Tutoring Fellows give consistent, personalized, in-school-day academic tutoring -- delivered with equal parts accountability and heart. Whether they are supporting students to work through a tough math problem or a tough day, our Fellows show up. For complex formulas. For complex lives. For hard days and hard-earned high fives.
Benefits
Education award upon successful completion of service, Stipend, Student loan forbearance
Skills you will gain
Time management, lesson planning, student engagement, tutoring
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
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, 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
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, Effectively delegate tasks, Facilitate group planning, 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