Seeking AmeriCorps Members for New Part-Time, Short-Term Positions

Completed applications are due Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017.

The Grinnell AmeriCorps Partnership has received AmeriCorps grant funding for 2017-18 through the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service to fund 50+ short-term, part-time positions to support community education initiatives.

Currently, the program is seeking individuals who love education and want to make a difference in the community together with other community stakeholders. Additional positions will be posted in the winter and spring of 2017-18.

Current Positions

For the openings currently available, applications will be accepted through Tuesday, Sept. 5. Positions will begin in early October and end in early June 2018.

Of the positions now available,

• five will be responsible for providing on-site enrichment for elementary-aged students before and after-school.
• Others will convene community taskforce groups to advance initiatives in areas such as school readiness (early childhood education), and healthy readers (nutrition, health, and wellness).
• The remaining posts will focus on strengthening the community’s ability to engage volunteers, families, and the community at large.

AmeriCorps members will serve at community host-sites with experienced supervisors in their respective focus areas and have the opportunity to connect with other community stakeholders working on similar initiatives. When the positions begin in October, all AmeriCorps members will receive an in-depth orientation and training.

Successful applicants will receive an AmeriCorps living allowance and, upon successful completion of service, a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. They may also receive loan forbearance for qualified student loans.

The AmeriCorps Experience

Here’s what previous AmeriCorps members had to say about their AmeriCorps experience:

Samantha Ramsey – Skill Gap Taskforce Coordinator 2016-17

I got far more out of my AmeriCorps experience than I ever imagined I would. The connections I made during my service term not only led me to wonderful new friends and a full-time job, but they also served to change my perspective on central Iowa, a place that I had known my whole life.

Indeed, my service with AmeriCorps exposed me to the professional and educational interworkings of the county that I had never seen before. I saw car parts manufactured in Montezuma, specialized polyurethane wheels made in Brooklyn, and high school interns collaborating with teachers and professionals in Grinnell. Seeing these interesting and valuable activities gave me a distinct sense of pride; it made me want to give back to my community even more.

Doug Cameron – Student Attendance Taskforce Coordinator, 2015-16 and 2016-17:

I really enjoyed my two years with AmeriCorps very, very much. My service with AmeriCorps involved helping with chronic absenteeism. I have always said that one of the easiest ways to increase student achievement is to come to school and arrive on time each day.

I enjoyed greatly assisting each day the parents, students, teachers, school counselors, administrators and administrative assistants in increasing student attendance. AmeriCorps also provided an opportunity to work with service providers in other areas who were also with AmeriCorps. They were terrific colleagues.

Applications

Completed applications are due Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017.

Regardless of previous professional experience, applicants should:

• be interested in education and community,
• have demonstrated an ability to bring people together to get something done,
• have strong project management skills, and
• interact well with people, especially youth, from diverse backgrounds.

Past AmeriCorps members have included recent college graduates looking to build leadership experience as well as recently retired individuals wanting to stay, or become, involved in community life.

The online application includes detailed service descriptions, benefits, qualifications and the application form.

Completed applications are due Tuesday, Sept. 5. Email your application or mail it to Community Enhancement and Engagement at 733 Broad St., Grinnell, Iowa 50112.

For more information about the Grinnell AmeriCorps Member Service positions email americorps@grinnell.edu or call 641-269-3900.