As an AmeriCorps member with the Schools of Hope Project you would be serving as both a literacy tutor as well as a tutor coordinator at a local elementary school. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the academic success of the community’s children while developing and using your community building, education and project management skills. This position is for 1700 hours of service, or one year. These positions are full-time, with typical work hours being Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm.
Service Activities
• Identify the literacy tutor needs of your assigned school.
• Tutor a selected group of students at your assigned school.
• Recruit tutors, and assist with their training, orientation, and placement at your assigned school, in
conjunction with project staff.
• Provide ongoing support and in-service training for the tutors you supervise.
• Assist with development of evaluation tools for assessing the success of the tutor tutoring efforts.
• Utilize evaluation from tutors, program participants, staff and advisory board members to enhance tutor
management practices and programs.
• Be familiar with the school’s curriculum activities and priorities and how project resources (including
home-based efforts) can support them.
• Work with project and school staff to develop, record and institutionalize standard tutor management
practices for your elementary school.
• Support project-wide activities and participate in project committees.
• Participate in training related to tutoring, tutor management and literacy skill building.
• Option to spend a certain percentage of hours volunteering in community service outside Project goals.
• Support MMSD summer school programming.
Community Need Addressed
The Schools of Hope AmeriCorps Project (SOH) is a dynamic community partnership which has developed an evidence-based model of tutoring intervention fueled by impassioned AmeriCorps members and committed community volunteers. The Schools of Hope AmeriCorps Project's mission is to work with school staff to provide literacy tutoring support aimed at improving the academic achievement of kindergarten through fifth grade students in high-needs schools. Project members work as part of a team in conjunction with the Madison Metropolitan and Sun Prairie Area school districts, United Way of Dane County, and other local non-profits. The Schools of Hope Project provides strong support for its members through an experienced team, staff support, ongoing meetings, planning sessions and ongoing training.
Position Outcomes
Led by a team of AmeriCorps members based in elementary schools, volunteer tutors are matched with children in need of additional help with reading. AmeriCorps members are responsible for the recruitment, screening, placement, orientation, training, support, evaluation and recognition of a diverse pool of community volunteers in addition to being literacy tutors themselves. The Project works closely with school staff to deliver high-quality academic support.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Student loan forbearance, Training
Top-Notch Training
We believe that great orientation and training is key to our AmeriCorps members success. As a Project, we invest in training our members and making sure they have the skills they need to serve the community. For all our positions, we provide extensive orientation to our Project and AmeriCorps as well as in content areas provided by local experts.
Not only do we have an extensive orientation but we continue the training throughout your year of service. We provide weekly training sessions to give our members the tools they need to not only succeed during their term of service, but in whatever path they choose next.
Professional Development
Many of our AmeriCorps members feel that their time on our Project helped them in their professional lives. Not only do our members receive top-notch training, but they have the chance to develop skills that will continue to be useful in whatever their next steps may be. For those going into the field of Education, serving on our Project provides unique access to elementary schools and staff. These connections can be invaluable when pursuing a school-related position in the future. For those who are not going in Education, or for those who are struggling to figure out their career path, the Schools of Hope Project provides many opportunities build skills necessary in any professional career.
Education Award
After successfully completing a term of service, members are eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. You can use your Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans. AmeriCorps members 55 or older can transfer their education award to a child or grandchild. You can access the award in full or in part, and can take up to seven years after your term of service has ended to claim the award. Please refer to the specific position descriptions for award amounts.
Living Allowance
Schools of Hope AmeriCorps members are paid twice a month. Please refer to the specific position descriptions for amounts. Payroll taxes are withheld from AmeriCorps living allowances.
Loan Forbearance & Interest Accrual
AmeriCorps members who are earning a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award are uniquely eligible for one type of postponement of the repayment of their qualified student loan called forbearance. During this forbearance, interest continues to accrue. If you successfully complete your term of service and earn an education award, the National Service Trust will pay all or a portion of the interest that has accrued on your qualified student loans during this period. This accrued interest paid by the Trust, like the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award itself, is subject to income taxes. AmeriCorps members enrolled in an AmeriCorps project are eligible for forbearance for most federally backed student loans.
Travel Reimbursement
Members who drive can be reimbursed for work-related travel expenses. For those who use public transportation, we provide reimbursement for a monthly bus pass.
Skills you will gain
Top-notch training, Professional Development, Next Steps and Career Guidance
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, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, 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
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 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, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, 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