AmeriCorps College Access Coach (ATX)
College Forward seeks AmeriCorps*Texas members to serve as College Coaches at our Austin and Houston, Texas sites from January 3, 2016 – July 7, 2017. The applicant must possess a sincere interest in empowering youth and a passion for higher education. Applicants should also possess the ability to carefully and strategically plan individual work goals in order to meet organizational objectives in a timely manner; ability to closely monitor progress towards these goals and take appropriate remedial action when necessary. Successful applicants are leaders with strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
Members must serve a minimum of 900 hours of service (an average of 40 hours/week) and complete their full contractual term of 6 months in order to qualify for the Eli Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.
NOTE: Mandatory AmeriCorps training for this position will start on January 3, 2016 for pre-service orientation unless otherwise specified. This position will have access to vulnerable populations.
In the event of a local, state or federal disaster declaration, AmeriCorps members may occasionally need to deploy to an affected area (in-state or out-of-state) to participate in response or recovery operations for up to 60 days. During this time, service hours spent in response to that event may be counted towards the total required member hours of a given members. Any given member will be given no more than 120 days on disaster related activities in a given member year without the prior consent on the OneStar Foundation unless otherwise specified in the program’s approved grant and program design (in the case of programs with a Disaster area focus.
In addition to meaningful service experience, College Forward AmeriCorps members receive…
- a bi-weekly living stipend of $522.08 (pre-tax)
- an Eli Segal Education Award ($2,907.50)
- free medical insurance and low-cost dental and vision insurance
- monthly mileage reimbursements and cell phone use stipends
- the opportunity to forbear qualified student loans during service
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Teach after-school, college preparatory classes for 40-50 economically disadvantaged and/or first-generation high school students at local high school campus(es)
Ensure that students consistently receive the highest quality of services, that client needs are met, and that each student makes satisfactory progress toward program goals
Gain and maintain knowledge of all students’ interests, needs and backgrounds
Perform follow-up parent/student phone calls and/or home visits as required
Collect, organize, and maintain student and program documents
Plan and organize student recruitment process for any schools partnered with College Forward
Update the database and spreadsheet files on a weekly basis; maintain student records and statistics
Provide mid-year and end of year-end progress reports for 40-50 students
Conduct research and understand higher education norms and trend for the state of Texas as necessary pertaining to students’ college and financial aid needs and interests
Grade and provide feedback on classroom assignments, including ACT/SAT diagnostic tests
Chaperone students on events such as college visits and the Summer Tour of Colleges
Coordinate with the College Completion Team to provide college transition services to graduating high school seniors
Submit weekly timesheets, periodic reports (i.e. monthly reports, self-evaluations, and supervisor evaluations), and other service-related documentation as required
Attend required programmatic and community service events
ANCILLARY FUNCTIONS:
Serve on project teams on the following subjects, including but not limited to: program events, student communications, financial aid and literacy, AmeriCorps member recruitment, parent services, curriculum revision, and community service activities
Adhere to program and organizational calendars for on-time task assignment and completion
Coordinate with the supervisor to order, maintain, and inventory program supplies.
- Maintain excellent working relationships with supervisors, fellow AmeriCorps members, school district and college personnel, students and families, volunteers, donors, and the greater community
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. College Coaches must also submit to and pass a comprehensive criminal background check before a final placement offer can be made, and annually thereafter.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: This position requires at least a baccalaureate degree from an accredited, academically-recognized four-year college or university, and a minimum of one year related experience.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this position, the member is regularly required to communicate with and present information to others and access information using a computer for several hours at a time. Members must have mobility throughout the office and must frequently drive or ride up to 30 miles to high school campuses and other service locations to monitor service delivery. Members may infrequently be required to drive or ride distances of up to 250 miles, with occasional air travel necessary.
EMOTIONAL DEMANDS: The member must be emotionally mature and be able to handle difficult and complex team member and student situations. Candidates must demonstrate an ability to solve practical problems and deal with frequently changing variables. The member must demonstrate strong interpersonal and coaching skills.
INTELLECTUAL DEMANDS: Excellent writing and communication skills are essential; English/Spanish bilingualism is strongly preferred. Candidates must be able to read, analyze, and interpret general educational and business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures and governmental regulations. They must exhibit an ability to professionally write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. They must be able to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. They must be able to effectively present information and respond to questions from the general public, clients, students, partners, and managers. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to understand and apply standard, high school-level mathematical concepts for the purposes of administering the program’s ACT and SAT test-preparation component and compiling program statistics.