Job Description
POSITION SUMMARY
Sitka AmeriCorps members serve the community of Sitka using a healing centered engagement and culturally responsive program model. The goal is to form developmental relationships through academic support, mentoring, providing mental health and life skills, and enrichment activities. These relationships build youth resiliency which results in better long-term outcomes. The AmeriCorps members are embedded within the schools in a way that is unique and provides a nurturing role model for at risk youth that affects their lives in a meaningful way.
The key to being a successful AmeriCorps member is communicating with staff to best assist them and ensure that you are supported as an individual. Flexibility and communication as well as good rain gear are all you really need to be happy and helpful.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Working in a team setting, this position requires building positive relationships with students, families, and faculty. These relationships are the basis with which to facilitate enrichment opportunities for students. At the start of the school year the members will meet with the administrative team and determine the specifics of the members’ duties. The members will be meeting the current needs of the organization as assessed at that time and will fill in gaps in the services provided.
As a valued member of the school community, you will share in some or all the responsibilities listed below. If you have not done all these things, that is ok, we provide 2-4 weeks of shadowing, experiential learning, and training at the beginning of the year to support you. Plus, you will work with teachers and school staff every step of the way.
Service Activities:
Academic coaching provided 1:1 or in small groups.
Participate in staff meetings 1 x per week. Ask questions.
Improve student outcomes for youth through interventions.
Develop and present enrichment activities outside school hours.
Develop literacy and/or math skills.
Create and implement a behavior management system for students.
Help build a safe, healthy, and supportive classroom environment.
Develop social-emotional skills throughout their day, using proven strategies of learning, practicing, reflection, and repetition.
Collaborate with teachers and team members to collect, record, analyze and monitor individual student progress.
Role model positive behavior and support social emotional learning through the school’s positive behavior support system.
Build student knowledge and skills in all content areas, tackle rigorous curriculum, create positive study habits, learn productive classroom behaviors, and improve communication skills.
Work with staff as part of an instructional team supporting student progress in small group settings or 1:1.
Build developmental relationships in a safe space during lunch periods.
AmeriCorps member position description follows the requirements related to supplementation, duplication or displacement of staff as outlined in 45 CFR §2540.100 (e) - (f).
SUMMER SERVICE
Over the summer months, AmeriCorps members serving with schools will transition to service with eh Sitka Parks and Recreation Department and will have a variety of ways to be involved in the summer community recreation and education for youth. This includes helping to organize and run summer camps (including outdoor, sports, arts, cultural and/or service learning).
PURPOSE
Sitka AmeriCorps Program's mission is to mitigate the effects of high adverse childhood experience (ACEs) scores prevalent in rural Alaskan communities. We aim to do this through the formation of developmental relationships. These relationships are built through offering enrichment activities, academic support, mentoring, mental health and life skills support, and capacity building.
AmeriCorps volunteers serve an average of 40 hours per week in direct service roles, including as tutors, mentors, outreach workers and community organizers.
Members live in intentional co-housing dormitory communities with other members, sharing the responsibilities of cooking and cleaning. Members are encouraged to perform ten percent of their total service hours engaged in service activities outside their primary placement.
Through service, members often become active in local clubs, faith community, support groups and our tribal community and learning more about the joys and challenges of the community in which they serve.
Due to the geography and logistics in Alaska, applicants must be able to commit to a full-time term year of service.
Preference will be given to applicants who are local to Alaska.
Leadership Development is an important component of the Sitka AmeriCorps program. Members will go through training with AmeriCorps and at their host site to build leadership skills specific to their site. Responsibilities include self-leadership and group conflict resolution, thinking critically about how to serve your population, and reporting outputs and timesheets as related to member service activities.
Transportation will be on foot or bicycle. Sitka is walkable and the housing is centrally located. There is also a free public transportation option.