Reading Partners AmeriCorps Member (2019-20)

Washington, D.C.

Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community volunteers and AmeriCorps service members in under-resourced elementary schools. Our dedicated and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are the heart and soul of our organization, and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that works. Join our stellar team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Learn more about us at www.readingpartners.org.

AmeriCorps/VISTA engages more than 80,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. Since the program’s founding in 1994, over 1 million AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.4 billion hours in service across America while tackling pressing problems and mobilizing more than 2.3 million volunteers for the organizations they serve.

At Reading Partners we have to mobilize 350 AmeriCorps and VISTA members to serve in various positions across the country.  This AmeriCorps service opportunity is school-based supporting and implementing the Reading Partners mission while at the same time exemplifying the AmeriCorps motto of “getting things done.” Reading Partners strives to recruit AmeriCorps members dedicated to a year of service in the community. Read on for more details about our service opportunities!

The Roles

Interested in direct service in one or multiple elementary schools? Check out our school-based AmeriCorps opportunities below!

The AmeriCorps Site Coordinator is the face of Reading Partners within our reading centers in elementary schools, leading the full-time program coordination, operations, and relationship development at their school. This is an exciting opportunity to serve directly with kids, coach volunteers, build partnerships with faculty and staff, and gain hands-on-experience with a literacy program that works!    

What you’ll do & how you’ll do it:

Program implementation - Coordinate the day-to-day operations of Reading Partners’ program at a partner school to ensure the Reading Partners’ program and curriculum meet students’ learning needs.  

• Leading program implementation is a huge responsibility! As the head of a reading center, Site Coordinators demonstrate a strong understanding of our program and can effectively coach volunteer tutors through the curriculum. Superb organizational skills are paramount in meeting student enrollment goals (an average of 40-80 students), coordinating constantly changing schedules, managing accurate student and tutor data records, and tracking student progress through regular assessments. Site Coordinators also serve directly with students to provide ongoing tutoring throughout the year.

Relationship management & communication - Forge and maintain positive relationships within the school community to create a welcoming environment for students, volunteer tutors, faculty, and staff.

• Fostering relationships within the school community is a key component of a Site Coordinator’s success. Site Coordinators demonstrate an aptitude for communication, adapting their communication styles to best suit the needs of students, volunteer tutors, Reading Partners colleagues, and school-based faculty/staff. The ability to motivate kids in their learning and to manage their behavior is a significant responsibility, as is the ability to train, guide, and give feedback to volunteer tutors.

The AmeriCorps Literacy Lead is a direct tutoring support within our reading centers, focusing on target students in need of more individualized instruction. This is an exciting opportunity to provide intensive tutoring to kids, support the research and creation of literacy trainings, and get a hands-on approach to an educational program that works!

What you’ll do and how you’ll do it:

Direct tutoring & student support - Tutor an average of 15 target students twice per week, identifying alternative methods to provide more intensive and individualized literacy strategies to meet our students’ learning needs.

• The Literacy Lead is an exciting role that hones in on tutoring and educational best practices. Literacy Leads partner with the region’s school-based team to support site setup at multiple reading centers through the first month of launch. Once assigned to a reading center, our Literacy Leads collaborate with AmeriCorps Site Coordinators to identify, assess, and tutor students in need of additional instruction. A strong ability to understand our program is crucial, as is a love for serving directly with students. Literacy Leads may also research, create, and facilitate tutor trainings to share best practices and improve student outcomes.

Relationship management & communication - Forge and maintain positive relationships within the elementary school community to create a welcoming environment for students.

• Creating strong relationships with target students is a significant aspect of the Literacy Lead’s role. Because Literacy Leads regularly tutor a portfolio of approximately 15 students, an inherent passion and ability to connect with and motivate children towards success is crucial.
  
  

About You!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

• Are dedicated to national and community service
• Understand this position is an AmeriCorps service commitment and are dedicated to successfully completing a full term term of service.
• Demonstrate a passion for working with children
• Possess a natural ability to connect with people
• Are eager for a dynamic schedule
• Pay strong attention to detail and manage competing priorities effectively
• Boast a deep belief in and passionately promote our mission
• Demonstrate a love for relationship building and public speaking
• Have flexibility and adaptability in both work style and work environment  
• Take initiative in meeting goals and seeking professional growth
• Can problem-solve through challenges and failures
• Can quickly learn new technology systems like Salesforce, and have a high level of comfort with Microsoft Office and Google Apps
• Root your work in our core values
• Possess a high school diploma or GED
• Hold US Citizenship or Permanent Resident Status
• Have not completed more than three (3) prior AmeriCorps or VISTA service terms

Bonus Points if you:

• Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alum/alumna
• Have experience volunteering with other community-based or education programs

What we offer:

• AmeriCorps members earn an annual living stipend of $20,000
• AmeriCorps members are eligible for medical, dental, and vision coverage at no cost for our members; childcare assistance is available through AmeriCorps for those who qualify.
• AmeriCorps members can earn an education award of $6,095 after successfully completing their service term.
• You may be eligible for student loan forbearance on federal student loans.
• We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us. As such, we provide ongoing professional development opportunities.

The other things you need to know:

• Service Terms:  AmeriCorps members serve full-time (approximately 40 hours/week) from August 2019 through June 2020, and must commit to a service term of 1700 hours over an 11-month period.
• Travel: AmeriCorps members regularly travel to school sites throughout the week, and need access to reliable transportation on a daily basis. AmeriCorps members also make occasional trips to regional offices and service day events.
• Reading Partners AmeriCorps Orientation: At the start of each program year, Reading Partners holds an intensive program orientation training to take a deeper dive into our program, foster relationships with regional teams, and learn the skills necessary to execute their respective AmeriCorps role.   

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Reading Partners is an Equal Opportunity Organization, with a strong commitment to diversity in the workplace.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Position will remain posted until filled. No phone inquiries.