For children to excel, the needs of the whole child must be addressed. At ASPIRE Learning Centers, Members serving as COMMUNITY LIAISONS can reach out to children and their families to identify social welfare and acculturation issues; provide access to essential resources, services and programs; encourage communication with children's schools; and cultivate relationships with area agencies, organizations and businesses to support community well-being.
The Member’s support at the after school center will contribute to the evolution of educated, productive and gainfully employed citizens while helping entire families to acculturate, improve quality of life, and progress socially. These Members will reach beyond the needs of the child to help the entire family rise up out of poverty. Because with each individual that succeeds, the entire community thrives.
Service Activities
Conducts assessment of community needs;
Provides access to social, economic, and health and welfare resources for parents of children attending ASPIRE;
Coordinates home visits and parent meetings for the purpose of gaining information and/or discussing needs and problems involving students and their families;
Creates and regularly updates files for all families in CiviCRM to documents all activities, exchanges and referrals;
Regularly updates resource lists to support students and their families;
Refers children and their families to outside agencies (e.g. state agencies, medical professionals, counselors, foundations, charities, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring the needs of students and families are met.
Responds to inquiries from a variety of internal and external sources (e.g. parents, children, Education Coordinators, staff, outside agencies, etc.) for the purpose of providing information and/or direction as may be required.
Community Need Addressed
Refugees and recent immigrants face existential challenges that defy solutions through their own means.
Families face insecurity and obstacles with respect to shelter, food, jobs, health, language, aculturation and more.
In order to transcend their circumstances, these individuals need support to bridge the gaps to essential resources and services.
Position Outcomes
With the support of Community Liaisons, families in these neighborhoods can access job networks, food pantries, mental health and wellness support, supplemental resources and other essential services. Bridging the gaps empowers these individuals to rise up out of poverty and insecurity.
Benefits
Education award upon successful completion of service, Living allowance, Student loan forbearance, Training
In addition to robust position-related training at onboarding, Members also receive substantive professional development training throughout the service year.
Education Benefits
College Degree
Skills you will gain
Community Relations, Community Outreach Servant Leadership, Community Empowerment, Data Collection, Organization, Time Management, Project Conception/Management, Resource cultivation
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