Thank You Catherine Holmes Wilkins Foundation for your support!
Join the Team for 2009-2010!
We are accepting applications for next year's team through the AmeriCorps website! Check out our new positions for the 2009-2010 Service Year below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Sound Youth NDA Office:
Serve at the Sound Youth and Notre Dame Office as a VISTA Leader POSITION FILLED and learn the basics of developing a program through team coordination, grant writing, event planning, publications, and community outreach. The VISTA Leader will serve as the point person for the spring auction, be responsible for sending quarterly digital newsletters, work with the program directors to implement an annual fund drive, and work with the newly created advisory board to define and develop the board's role. VISTA Leader candidates must have previously served as a VISTA.
Cleveland High School, Seattle Public Schools:
The Two Service Learning VISTA (VISTA) member will initiate our Connection Center strategy: engaging high school youth in leadership and peer mentoring for graduation. You will be collaborative, hold yourself to high expectations, develop relationships with youth and teachers, and be the cheerleader for Service Learning. Cleveland High School has recently moved back into a completely renovated campus. The student body is very diverse, in all the parameters of diversity. The Connection Center strategy is centered on student leadership/peer communication and engagement in service, career exploration, and college preparedness. Come join us in the challenge of building high expectations for students and a center for community.
Consejo Counseling and Referral Service:
Consejo Counseling and Referral Service is a private, not for profit organization with over 30 years of experience. Although our services are primarily for the Hispanic/Latino community, Consejo prides itself on working with all populations. We are committed to providing education, prevention, treatment and support services related to mental health, substance abuse and domestic violence. Not only is Consejo committed to providing culturally competent support services we also operate two transitional housing programs, one for homeless/mentally ill clients and the other one for survivors of domestic violence.
The Youth Promotions Coordinator (VISTA) will work directly with Consejo’s Mental Health, High Risk and Substance Abuse programs working under the guidance of the Youth Services Program Manager. This position is an essential and strategic part of helping Consejo develop its Youth Program to the fullest. Collaborating with the Program Managers, the Youth Promotions Coordinator will implement creative marketing events and a volunteer program to promote Consejo throughout the community. In addition, taking an active part in the funding process will keep you involved with every aspect of making a difference in our communities.
Outdoors for All:
The Outdoors for All Foundation is a national leader, providing year round instruction in outdoor recreation for people with physical, developmental, and sensory disabilities. Outdoors for All’s year round programming includes snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross country and downhill skiing, cycling, hiking, in-line skating, river rafting, canoeing and kayaking, day camps, water skiing, rock-climbing, camping and Custom Events.
The Volunteer Coordinator (VISTA) POSITION FILLED will be responsible for creating greater awareness, locally and nationally, of the Outdoors for All Foundation, increase volunteerism with the organization and work to create sustainable methods to maintain our already developed volunteer base. They will accomplish this through outreach events, assessments and adjustments of current volunteer processes and practices, partnerships with community groups, events, and the Outdoors for All speakers bureau outreach. Major responsibilities will include, recruitment and guidance of new volunteers and interns, outreach in the community, planning and implementing a handful of friend raising events including our annual volunteer appreciation party, working on sections of the monthly e-newsletter, consistently updating local online and offline media sources regarding opportunities with Outdoors for All.
The ideal candidate must be passionate about outdoor recreation and creating equally opportunity for individuals with disability, be able to be flexible with days and hours that they will work, has a Bachelors degree or at least two years experience in volunteer coordination, strong written communication skills and comfortable speaking in public, creating marketing materials, and soliciting donations. A commitment to a team working environment is a must. Valid Driver’s License required. Must meet the Markel Driver guidelines, submit driving record release, and be pre-approved as an Outdoors for All driver.
Community for Youth:
As a drop out prevention program, Community for Youth has keen interest in the academic achievement of our students. Community for Youth is a mentoring program at three Seattle Public High Schools, but currently only offers tutoring one. The Outreach Coordinator (VISTA) POSITION FILLED will develop a strategic plan to expand tutoring to the other two schools. The Outreach Coordinator will recruit volunteer tutors, hold tutor orientations, develop instructional skills and methodology, and institutionalize tutoring as a component of Community for Youth programs. The Outreach Coordinator will work with Tutoring Coordinators to develop strategies to better serve our students, create tutoring and study aids, assess program successes and failures, track student achievement and report student progress to mentors.The Outreach Coordinator will coordinate and participate in Launch Course Retreats, and assist capacity building projects such as fundraisers, and other events. The Outreach Coordinator is encouraged to attend professional development opportunities such as, Tutoring Coalition and All City Tutoring Trainings. The Outreach Coordinator will play a vital role in the expansion of our programs and academic achievement of our students. For the Outreach Coordinator, Community for Youth seeks an ambitious and assertive individual, with excellent communication skills. BA/BS is preferred, must be passionate about supporting underserved populations, creative, and willing to take initiative, must be comfortable meeting new people, have office skills and flexibility to work in different settings.CfY is a unique mentoring experience that fosters a community of support around at risk youth. A special component of the CfY program places staff member in schools to support our students with personal and academic issues. In school staff members act as liaison between mentors, students, school and Community for Youth. The Tutoring Coordinator & Program Assistant (NDA) POSITION FILLED will serve a key role primarily as an academic support by managing the Tutoring Program. Responsibilities will include: managing the Tutoring Room, establishing a safe learning environment, management of volunteer tutors, and tutoring students. CfY seeks: a good communicator who is experience with youth and is cultural sensitivity, willing to support underserved populations, and has enthusiasm and energy, tutoring skills. BA/BS is strongly preferred.
Girls on the Run:
Girls on the Run of Puget Sound (GOTRPS) is a life-changing after-school prevention program that uses the power of running to help prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living through an after school program twice a year in the fall and spring. The curriculum incorporates fun, interactive activities that combine self-esteem enhancing lessons with uplifting workouts aimed to develop the whole girl: her physical, mental, emotional and social self. At the end of every program the girls celebrate by participating in a community 5K (3 mile) race event. For more information visit: www.girlsrun.org.
GOTRPS is seeking a Program Developer (VISTA) PISTION FILLED to help broaden our effectiveness in reaching girls in underserved communities. Underserved communities constitute populations statistically at greater risk for negative health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, eating disorders, substance abuse, early sexual activity, and unhealthy lifestyle habits. The Program Developer will research community partners who could potentially host program sites, advocate for the program in those communities, and develop sources of volunteers to coach the program and be running buddies at our 5K races. GOTRPS is committed to offering scholarships to girls whose families cannot afford the full program fee. As a result, the identification of funding opportunities from the corporate and foundation world will be an important task for the Program Developer in ensuring the financial sustainability of GOTRPS’s effort to reach more underserved girls. Lastly, the Program Developer will have the opportunity to serve as a volunteer coach.The Program Developer should be committed to excellence, innovation, and integrity as work ethic. They should be cultural sensitivity and comfort among diverse ethnic groups, as well as able to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment. They will need strong written and oral communication skills, good interpersonal skills, basic computer skills, and a sense of humor. We’re looking for someone who is adaptable to change detail-oriented, and has a strong desire to work in the field of girls’ development. Experience in research, database management, community volunteering, and grant writing are a plus.
College Access Now:
College Access Now serves students at Franklin, Garfield, and West Seattle High Schools. They are dedicated to helping low-income young people gain admission to college. They identify students with the motivation and potential for college, and then provide them with (1) ACT/SAT test preparation (2) intensive assistance in the college application process; (3) aid in the financial aid application process; and (4) guidance in transition to college. AmeriCorps and College Access Now are committed to engaging individuals without regard to disability, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.
College Prep Advisors (NDA) POSITION FILLED will: Assist high school seniors on an individual basis to complete the college application process including: essay writing, applications for admission, scholarships, and the FAFSA. Assist high school juniors on an individual basis to prepare for the college application process including: essay writing, developing a campus list, test preparation and campus visits. Recruit, interviewing and selection of a cohort of approximately 30 studentsMonitor participation to ensure that students attend all required sessions.Track student performance in meeting program goals and compile data in order to assess outcomes.Work with other AmeriCorps members to provide support at CAN events and campus visitsOutreach to families to encourage participation in CAN events and activities.Facilitate CAN sessions after school, including test preparation
Qualifications: College degree required. Strong interest in education, youth work, social services, or related fields. Ability to work well with diverse types of people. Eagerness to help disadvantaged young people improve themselves; commitment to public service and social justice; strong leadership skills. Excellent communication skills; outstanding organization and time management skills. Ability to multitask and handle potentially stressful situations calmly and appropriately. Ability to work independently and with others. Energy, creativity and persistence in working with young people. Teaching experience, or experience in youth development desired.
Urban League:
Each year the Urban League Scholars Program at Garfield High School recruits 30 incoming freshmen of African or African American descent who have the desire to accelerate their learning potential and prepare for post-secondary education. The program offers a cohort experience freshman and sophomore years, preparing students for Advanced Placement classes (AP) during their junior and senior years, which, in turn, prepares them for future success at a four-year university. In addition, students receive academic and social support and incentives during all four years of their high school experience.
The Academic Advisors (NDA) would serve as an advocate for the freshman and sophomore cohorts, academically and socially, providing tutoring and mentoring services through weekly tutoring, monthly one-on-one meetings with students, class visits, parent communication and attending bi-monthly meetings with cohort teachers. The Academic Advisor should be college educated with the ability to mentor and tutor students in various subjects. There will be additional tutors available to support members during study club for students; however, members need to have the ability to lead and instruct students so that productive and active studying is taking place during study club hours. The Academic Advisor needs to have strong personable skills, be able to work well with students and communicate with teachers and parents. A strong desire to understand how the education system works at GHS is also important in order to better help students navigate through their high school careers.
Community Schools Collaboration:
Community Schools Collaboration provides services at school sites that are tailored to address the special challenges facing low-income and refugee and immigrant students, including English language and literacy support, homework help, and participation in cultural and enrichment activities.
Program Tutors (NDA) will assist in core academic classes and during homework help and enrichment activities during the afterschool program. Throughout the school day they will also make connections in the community, communicate with parents, and recruit additional volunteer tutors. AmeriCorps members will help to plan parent nights and work on outreach projects of interest to them. It is typical to work with students who have limited English skills and those who have behavior issues in class. Many of the students are of immigrant or refugee status. We expect 50-100 youth to participate in the afternoon. The students usually transition with a snack provided by the district. When students arrive, they usually want to talk about their school day and then get to work. The first hour is dedicated to homework help within a small group or one-on-one assistance. Most students are working at different paces and finishing assignments at different times. Additional help with enrichment activities, such as art classes, exercise classes, college prep, etc. is also part of this position. AmeriCorps members are encouraged to lead a class if they like, but they can also act as a teaching assistant for others and help coordinate the logistics of student flow and behavior.
Seattle Youth Garden Works
SYGW provides employment, education and empowerment services to these young people ages 14-21. Services are provided in a garden and market-based setting with an educational focus including science, environment, health, resume writing, and interviewing skills. The Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator (VISTA) POSITION FILLED position recruits, trains, and supports 400+ volunteers for the organization, and coordinates all outreach activities to create more awareness of the program in the community which will lead to new donors, new volunteers, youth referrals and more. Work with program and administrative staff to maintain an effective job-training program for youth, ages 14-21, experiencing poverty, homelessness, and institutional oppression.
The Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator must be approachable and possess clear verbal and interpersonal communication skills. They must have initiative and strong self-motivation with follow -through on tasks, ideas and contacts. They should have healthy team working/team building skills, be enthusiastic and personable, and have the ability to work independently and collaboratively with a team.They will need strong proficiency in Microsoft Office products, especially Word, Excel and Outlook and we prefer they have experience working with a donor/volunteer database.
Read Right:
Read Right is a literacy class for high school students who are reading below grade level. The program utilizes a combination of reading out loud and independently, listening to books on tape, participating in group critical thinking exercises, and a variety of tailored writing exercises once a week. Read Right has a 100% success rate. Students improve their reading by as many as seven grade levels, often in the space of one semester; they continue until they are reading at ninth-grade level, at which point they return to a regular Language Arts class and often go on to take honors and AP classes. Program Tutors (NDA) POSITION FILLED work with four students at a time, so each student receives a great deal of personal attention from their tutor. Read Right is designed to give students the opportunity to constantly experience success, and when they are ready to graduate the program they are asked to reflect on their experience and to listen to a "before and after" tape of their reading, so they can fully understand their degree of improvement.
Tutors should be excited about working with teenaged youth, committed to literacy, and be passionate about reading and writing. In addition to the reading component of Read Right, tutors will be given the opportunity to lead writing, comprehension and vocabulary exercises with their students once to twice a week. Tutors should be prepared to attend weekly after-school meetings in order to complete their Read Right training and certification, and to work on issues of housekeeping and classroom management. Read Right is an intensive, fun and challenging learning atmosphere; tutors should be prepared to be kept on their toes!
Spruce Street Secure Crisis Residential Center:
The Bridges Program of Spruce Street Secure Crisis Residential Center (SCRC) serves at-risk youth who are between the ages of 12-17 years old. At –risk youth is categorized as being at risk of running away from home, using drugs and alcohol, being suspended or expelled from school, or becoming involved with the Juvenile Justice system. The Bridges Program was implemented after asking youth to identify services/resources they would like to see the SCRC provide more of, or look at developing and implementing. The youth sent a consistent message of guidance after they left the facility to help them implement or follow up the plans that they initiate during their stay at the SCRC. The primary goal of the program is to help the youth get back on track. The Bridges Coordinator works with the youth to identify needs and goals which become the youths’ plan of action, then the Coordinator acts as a liaison between the youth and the community agency to help match long-term resources/services to the youths’ plans. The AmeriCorps member would act as the Bridges Coordinator (NDA) POSITION FILLED to facilitate the above process.
Qualifications for this position include strong community building and community coordinating skills, ability to learn and understand the community, legal, and educational systems through which the youth are navigating. We also require a bachelor’s degree in the human services field from an accredited institution, and 2 years of acceptable experience in the human services field 1 of the 2 years having experience with case management is most desirable. The Bridges Coordinator will need a valid Washington State driver's license. Course work, experience, or training in child and/or human development, chemical dependency, mental illness, group dynamics, residential treatment, or related disciplines desirable.
Native Lens:
The mission of Longhouse Media is to catalyze indigenous people and communities to use media as a tool for self-expression, cultural preservation, and social change. We draw from both traditional and modern forms of artistic expression, storytelling, teaching, and inquiry. Our primary youth program, Native Lens, has been shown to effectively support the growth and expression of Native youth through digital media making while breaking down negative stereotypes and promoting cross-cultural learning opportunities.
The Program Coordinator (VISTA) POSITION FILLED should have a strong background in youth leadership and highly motivated and self-driven. They will coordinate and facilitate weekly youth media programming for Native American participants, provide administrative support to the Artistic Director and provide program reports, pre-and post-evaluations and record keeping of youth participants and necessary documents. Duties range from drafting letters, making phone calls, handling of receipts and check requests, recruitment of participants, communication with all persons involved including community, schools, programs and parents, administrative support, assisting with duties on and off programming sites, working effectively with volunteers and additional contractors, and helping to prepare publicity materials. Program Coordinator may also be asked to assist with special programming events, logging and capturing footage, and production of short films. The person must be well organized, highly flexible, and possess a good overview of the field of youth media, willingness to learn video production and understand Native American communities.
We’re also seeking a Program Assistant (NDA) that is highly motivated individual with a strong dedication to the production of Native Media, especially for youth and by youth. The Program Assistant will need to have some technical skills and experience in all areas of production, including working on camera, editing, pre-production research, interviewing, and audio. The ability to work with youth both on a team as well as the ability to work independently, to see projects through, and to meet deadlines is also essential. The Program Assistant will report directly to and provide administrative support for the Swinomish Program Coordinator and must be capable of providing program reports, record keeping of youth participants, and other necessary documents. Job responsibilities and projects will be defined on a weekly basis. Duties will range from video production to public speaking engagements to attending trainings / courses to assisting in youth media workshops.
Sound Youth and Notre Dame AmeriCorps are partner programs that recruit, train, and place AmeriCorps members at organizations that provide support to underserved youth. The organizations include schools, community centers, pea patches, the Girl Scouts, and a film editing center. Our members provide tutoring, mentoring, after school programs, volunteer recruitment and training, college admissions guidance, and program development to the organizations at which they serve. They are valued for their enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication.
Our partnership’s focus is addressing poverty as it impacts youth and families in the greater Seattle area. Our view through a lens of social justice keeps an eye on our overarching goal of youth empowerment. We do this by providing space, figurative and literal, for youth self-expression, encouraging youth’s academic achievement, and guiding them to take their place in their communities.
The partnership is beneficial on many levels. By functioning as a team, our members have ample opportunities to develop their professional and personal skills. Our training sessions and discussions have large scale impact because members bring the presented ideas and learned skills to their host organizations. The team not only functions as a disseminator of powerful ideas, but also as a support system for the members. Team meetings are a place where members share the best and worst of their year of service.
Sound Youth VISTA is a program of the Church Council of Greater Seattle. Sound Youth VISTA does not provide services with any religious content or affiliation.