Neighborhood House AmeriCorps Member Position Description Draft: 3/31/14 Final version will be available by June 2014 Youth Empowered with Leadership Strengths/STEM AmeriCorps Member Member Name (First, Last) Member Position Title Neighborhood House High Point Center Sponsoring Agency Service Site 206-461-8430 ext. 350 desk; 206-778-1259 cell Tera Oglesby, AmeriCorps Program Manager terao@nhwa.org Project Supervisor, Title Telephone Number E-Mail Address Clarke Hill, Youth Empowered with Leadership Strengths Coordinator 206-588-4900 x626; clarkeh@nhwa.org Site Supervisor (if applicable), Title Telephone Number E-Mail Address Position s Alignment to Organization s Mission: Neighborhood House s mission is to help diverse communities of people with limited resources attain their goals for self-sufficiency, financial independence, health, and community building. Our programs are based in the public housing communities we serve: Yesler Terrace (Central Seattle), High Point (West Seattle), Rainier Vista (South Seattle), New Holly (South Seattle), Park Lake/Greenbridge (White Center, South King County), Burndale Homes and Firwood Circle (Auburn), and Birch Creek Career Center (Kent). We also provide services to the community through local WorkSource centers and schools throughout Seattle/King County. Each year, Neighborhood House programs provide job assistance, case management, social services, emergency assistance, tutoring, youth development, health, education, elderly outreach and early childhood education to more than 20,000 low-income people in Seattle/King County. Neighborhood House AmeriCorps Members play an important role in that impact, helping to strengthen and expand early childhood education, youth tutoring, youth leadership, parent engagement, technology access, job readiness and community building programs at seven different Neighborhood House locations. AmeriCorps Project Description: Two Members will support Neighborhood House s YELS (Youth Empowered with Leadership Strengths) Program and STEM Program. Both YELS and STEM (collaborating teen programs) are year round, leadership programs for middle and high school aged youth living in High Point an ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse HUD HOPE VI public housing community in West Seattle. The YELS Program is focused on youth leadership development, community service and community engagement, college and career readiness for youth, and helping youth to bring healthy food into their communities. YELS curriculum is guided by our youth, as we recognize that they have inherent potential as civic leaders and are experts in their own experiences. The heart of the YELS Program is its multiracial youth leadership council, aged middle school and high school. Youth help to determine what is best for their community and develop successful strategies that have high level of resident engagement while simultaneously practicing managing time and deadlines, working in diverse teams, building community in their neighborhood and leading their peers. The STEM
program is based on much of the foundation from YELS, yet has a specific focus on teens gaining knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers. Member Duties, Responsibilities and Performance Measure(s): The 2014-15 YELS Members will: Plan, support and co-facilitate afterschool and weekend YELS programming, with a focus on youth leadership development, college readiness and career readiness. Support and assist with new STEM afterschool programs and projects, including learning the curriculum with the Tinkering Lab and participating in the mentoring program. Assist in facilitation of multimedia projects (audio, video, social networking, etc.) that provide a platform for youth voices in High Point. Provide community outreach to enroll youth in the YELS/STEM programs and for participation in YELS and College events. Assist in planning, organizing and implementing YELS, STEM, and Community Events, Collaborate with the High Point Promise team to implement programs for High Point families. Build relationships with other agencies and organizations to enhance programming for YELS participants and to provide outreach about YELS. This will include weekly outreach at local middle or high schools, as needed. Communicate directly with parents and guardians to provide program information and updates related to youth progress and support and facilitate meetings with the YELS parent board. Collect and maintain accurate information about program attendance, youth enrollment, parent contact information and volunteer involvement. With support from the Youth Leadership AmeriCorps Members, over the course of the program year, 50 enrolled YELS youth (25 in two cohorts) will attend programming sessions offered four times per week, plan three community-wide events for High Point youth and families (150 people), engage in service projects, and collaborate with other youth serving organizations in Seattle. For a copy of the 2014-15 Neighborhood House AmeriCorps team performance measures, please contact Neighborhood House AmeriCorps Program Manager Tera Oglesby. Volunteer Management: In addition to the service activities described above, the YELS Members will: develop and update plans to recruit volunteers for the YELS program, provide outreach about opportunities to volunteer with YELS, and provide training, support and recognition to YELS community volunteers. Prohibited Activities: There are certain activities, including lobbying, political, religious or advocacy activities that AmeriCorps Members may not perform in the course of their duties while charging time to the AmeriCorps program, or at the request of sponsoring organization staff. Furthermore, AmeriCorps Members and staff may not engage in conduct in a manner that would associate the National Service program or the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) with these prohibited activities.
While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or the Corporation, staff and Members may not engage in the following activities: 1. Attempting to influence legislation; 2. Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; 3. Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing; 4. Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements; 5. Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office; 6. Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials; 7. Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization; 8. Providing a direct benefit to: a business organized for profit; a labor union; a partisan political organization; a nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; or an organization engaged in the religious activities described in #7 above, unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities; 9. Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive; 10. Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services. 11. Recruiting, training or supporting community volunteers to participate in any of the prohibited activities listed above. In addition, Washington Service Corps AmeriCorps*State Members are prohibited from: 12. Organizing a letter writing campaign to Congress. 13. Participating in activities that pose a significant safety risk to participants. 14. Preparing any part of a grant proposal or performing other fundraising functions to help the program achieve its member fee requirement, or to pay the program s general operating expenses. 15. Fundraising, unless under the following circumstances: provides direct support to a specific service activity, falls within the program s approved objectives, is not the primary activity of the program, and does not exceed 10% of the total hours served for any Member. Individuals that enroll in AmeriCorps may exercise their rights as private citizens and participate in the activities listed above on their initiative, on non-americorps time, if using non-corporation funds. However, individuals should not wear the AmeriCorps logo or identify themselves as AmeriCorps Members while doing so. Qualifications Required for This Position: Minimum qualifications: Must be at least 17 years of age, 21 years or older highly preferred. College degree preferred; High School diploma or GED, and specific plans to complete college required. Must pass an AmeriCorps state, FBI and National Sex Offender Registry criminal records check. Must provide documentation of U.S. Citizen, National or Permanent Resident for AmeriCorps enrollment. Must have strong verbal and written communication skills in English. Must meet agency driving requirements, including DMV record check and possession of valid drivers license.
Must be passionate about supporting leadership development, college readiness and career readiness for middle and high school aged youth. Must be able to connect and communicate with low-income aged 13 to 18, from diverse ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds. Must have some experience working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Must be comfortable with public speaking and group facilitation with youth. Must have sufficient math and reading skills to tutor middle and high school aged youth. Must demonstrate strong teamwork and ability to work independently. Must demonstrate strong organizational and time management skills. Must be interested in and committed to learning new professional skills as a youth worker. Must have basic proficiency in the following computer programs: Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word). Must be willing to comply with the established Neighborhood House performance standards for productivity/personal responsibility, client/customer service-orientation and professional demeanor. Desired skills and strengths: Strong knowledge of the High Point community. Experience providing leadership development programming to low-income immigrant and refugee youth. Bilingual in Somali, Vietnamese, Spanish or Khmer would be a plus. Personal experience as a low-income and/or immigrant or refugee community member living in public housing. Neighborhood House provides equal opportunity to National Service applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual preference or status as a veteran. Location and Hours of Service: Day of Week Sunday Start Time Length of Meal Break End Time Name of service Location Neighborhood House High Point Center Physical Address Hours per Day* 6400 Sylvan Way SW, Seattle WA 98126 8 Monday 9:00am 30 min 5:30pm Tuesday 10:00am 30 min 6:30pm 8 Wednesday 10:00am 30 min 6:30pm 8 Thursday 11:00am 30 min 7:30pm 8 Friday 9:00am 30 min 5:30pm 8 Saturday Please note: Total Hours for the Week: *Not including meal breaks 40
The YELS Members will serve from 11:30am to 8:00pm on evenings when there are program events (approximately four weeknights per quarter). The YELS Members will also serve from approximately 10:00am to 6:00pm on an estimated two Saturdays each quarter. When evening or weekend hours are required, the Member will flex time during the same week or biweekly AmeriCorps timecard period, with advance approval from the Site Supervisor. In addition, all Members will attend Neighborhood House AmeriCorps team training on Fridays, weekly to biweekly from September 2014 to July 2015 (3 to 8 hours). When Friday trainings will be less than 8 hours, Members will be given the opportunity to return to their site or participate in team-based service activity for the rest of the 8-hour day. In order to complete at least 1700 hours of service by 7/15/15, Neighborhood House AmeriCorps Members will serve 44 hours per week (ending their service day at 5:30pm, from Monday through Thursday) from September 2014 to March 2015. Then, Members will serve 40 hours per week (following the schedule provided above) from April to July 2015. Supervision: YELS Program Coordinator Clarke Hill will serve as Site Supervisor, providing day to day coaching and guidance to the YELS Members over the 2014-15 program year. This includes meeting at least once a week with the Members to review progress on the Members 2014-15 service plan and to provide resources and technical assistance to the Members as needed. Clarke will also provide a comprehensive training and orientation to the Member at the start of the program year, after the AmeriCorps team orientation. Clarke will also review and sign biweekly Member timecards, coach the Member in completing Great Stories and other reporting required for the AmeriCorps grant, write quarterly site progress reports and write biannual Member performance evaluations. Neighborhood House AmeriCorps Program Manager Tera Oglesby provides oversight to the NH AmeriCorps Program and coordinates NH AmeriCorps team activities. Required WSC Core Training: All Neighborhood House AmeriCorps Members will complete team-based training in the following WSC-required core competencies: AmeriCorps Affiliation and Program Orientation; Cultural Competency; Effective Communication; Teambuilding; Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Management; Leadership Skills Development; and Life After AmeriCorps. Required Site Training: Site based training for YELS Members will include: Creative Facilitation Curriculum Development Youth Program Quality Assessment methods series Microsoft Office programs Reporting Requirements: Submit Washington Service Corps electronic Member timesheets to the Neighborhood House AmeriCorps Program Manager twice a month, for review..
Submit at least one Washington Service Corps Story of Service to the AmeriCorps Program Manager each month Submit at least one photograph of Member service with required media releases to the AmeriCorps Program Manager each quarter Help the Site Supervisor to compile data and narrative for AmeriCorps Site Progress Reports quarterly. Submit volunteer enrollment forms and monthly volunteer timesheets to the Neighborhood House Volunteer Coordinator monthly. Track monthly youth attendance records. Administer and collect monthly youth surveys. Service Conditions: YELS and STEM are located in the High Point community of West Seattle, a mixed income Hope VI neighborhood, serving over 1200 families. Our youth live in homes where spoken languages may include Somali, Vietnamese, Spanish, Khmer and English. Youth in our program are adolescents and have a varying degree of abilities, skills, and social competencies. Our site has other service providers with whom we work closely to deliver an array of educational and social services to youth and adults. Our building is green-built, with Gold LEED pending certification. There is a large solar panel installation, rain gardens, and several other environmentally responsible features throughout the building and adjacent green space. There are currently free exercise classes for anyone in the community, including AmeriCorps Members, offered twice weekly. In terms of physical, mental and emotional demands, a few key issues come to mind. Our AmeriCorps Members should be fit enough to engage in moderate physical activities such as gardening, playing catch and walking hilly terrain for up to a couple of miles. Our Members should also have general stamina to keep up with adolescents and stay alert on days when field trips or activities may exceed an eight hour day. Our Members need to keep a positive attitude when youth exhibit negative behaviors, keep clear professional boundaries with youth, and understand that many of our youth come from difficult backgrounds. Our youth need a firm, fair and consistent commitment from our Members. Our Members must serve as positive role models for making healthy choices, cultivating healthy relationships, and handling conflict in healthy ways. The YELS Members will also travel frequently to local middle and high schools to outreach for YELS, and travel to other NH sites for AmeriCorps team trainings and other agency meetings and trainings. All Members are offered a bus pass or mileage reimbursement for service related travel. All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential position functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All position requirements listed indicate the minimum expectations, level of knowledge, skills and/or abilities deemed necessary to perform the duties proficiently. This position description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Reference Member Service Agreement for comprehensive listing, including prohibited activities.