What are the responsibilities and job description for the AmeriCorps Teen Engagement Specialist position at City of Dubuque?
Position Summary
Example Contract dates:
- September 5, 2023 –August 17, 2024 (50 Week Contract);
- September 11, 2023 –August 24, 2024 (50 Week Contract);
- Contract start and end dates are flexible and rotate on a bi-weekly schedule
1700 Hours Contract - Minimum of 36 hours/week
Compensation: Living Allowance Total: $ 22,100 ($884 -taxes every 2 weeks over 50 weeks) Education Award: $ 6,895.00*
Closing Date: Open until filled
AmeriCorps is a national service program that takes a different approach to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. AmeriCorps Members commit their time to address critical community needs. In Dubuque, AmeriCorps Members serve at the intersection of education and mental health to help youth understand their emotions, reactions, and relationships through social-emotional learning to improve academic, career, and social success. City of Dubuque AmeriCorps Members implement key skill-building programs to have the following impacts:
- Youth experience programs promoting healthy lifestyles resulting in decreased youth risk-related behaviors.
- Youth development skills to build meaningful and healthy relationships while experiencing inclusion and belonging.
- Providing every young person with the opportunity to grow up safely and access their best possible future.
The AmeriCorps Teen Engagement Specialist serves at the Multicultural Family Center and works closely with the Teen Empowerment Coordinator and the AmeriCorps Academic Advocate. This position's goal is to provide Dubuque's teenage youth with community connections, healthy opportunities, and engaging activities year-round. This vital role involves developing programs, implementing them, evaluating their impact, and reaching out to diverse youth populations. The Teen Engagement Specialist focuses on supporting students and families from marginalized communities, helping them navigate their out-of-school time in meaningful ways. This position will lead Teen Night programming for high school students, engage middle school students, build relationships with disadvantaged youth and their families, connect talents and interests to potential careers, and create sustainable support systems within the community.
Benefits:
- Education Award received upon successful completion of their term of service.
- Living Allowance
- Health care
- Childcare coverage if the member qualifies
- Student loan forbearance and interest payments for eligible loans
Job Duties
Service Responsibilities
- Program Development and Implementation:
- Collaborate with the Teen Empowerment Coordinator to develop and implement engaging programming and outreach initiatives for teen-aged youth in the Dubuque community.
- Design program curricula that focus on community engagement, healthy choices, and positive social skill development for teenagers.
- Collaborate closely with AmeriCorps members serving at program partners (Mentor Dubuque, Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Arts & Cultural Affairs, and Engineering) to establish collaborative teen-focused programming efforts.
- Collaborate with community partners, local businesses, and community leaders to create and execute "Teen Night" programming throughout the school year and summer months.
- Plan and facilitate activities that engage teenagers, promote learning, and foster a sense of belonging and community.
- Recruit and engage youth to participate in Teen Empowerment Programs throughout the school year and summer.
- Teen Night Programming:
- Develop individualized success plans for Teen Empowerment participants focus on individual needs/supports. IE: Social-Emotional Learning, Healthy Habits, Life-skills.
- Follow up with Teen Empowerment participants for updates to their success plan on a quarterly basis and make changes/new goals as necessary.
- Develop and implement weekly Teen Night Programs for groups of approximately 20-30 students.
- Coordinate monthly experiential learning opportunities focused on new experiences, local 'hidden gems', creating community, exploring identity.
- Coordinate bi-weekly visits from program partners to lead programs around trending teen engagement activities.
- Develop and implement weekly mentoring services, while seeking volunteer mentors to expand the program capacity.
- Host quarterly "try-it" sessions in partnership with local sports, cultural, arts, civic/volunteering and leisure organizations and networks.
- Teen Coaching and Support:
- Coach teenagers on appropriate behaviors, conflict management, de-escalation and self-regulation practices.
- Provide guidance and mentorship to teens during activities, programs, and events.
- Encourage academic engagement, recreational participation, and positive peer interactions among at-risk youth.
- Carry out developmental activities that promote skill-building in areas such as such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, personal responsibility, goal directed behavior, decision-making and optimistic thinking.
- Create opportunities for teens to enhance their social, emotional, and life skills through workshops, discussions, and experiential learning activities.
- Volunteer Management:
- Recruit, manage, monitor, train, and document volunteer involvement with teen programming.
- Coordinate with volunteers to support the implementation of activities and ensure a safe and supportive environment for participants.
- Collaborate with local colleges and community leaders to recruit volunteers and mentor to support Teen Empowerment programming throughout the school year and summer months.
- Impact Assessment and Documentation:
- Document and maintain records of the impact on area youth who participate in the teen empowerment programs through weekly data reporting processes.
- Collect data and feedback to evaluate program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
- Conduct the DESSA assessments to measure students' social-emotional competencies.
- Disaster Response (AmeriCorps-Disaster Response Team)
- Participate in A-DRT training(s) to ensure the member has knowledge and ability to respond to disasters
- Complete other training necessary to support disaster deployments, including but not limited to Volunteer Reception Center (VRC), first aid, mental health first aid, and chainsaw training.
Qualifications
Physical Requirements:
- Walk and carry materials up and down steps
- Stand and walk for extended periods of time
- Lift 30 pounds
- Bend, squat, and kneel
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
- Must be competent in working with at-risk youth, teenaged youth, and marginalized populations and discussing topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Applicant must have reliable transportation.
- Applicant must be creative, energetic, dependable, and a self-starter.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must have a high school diploma or equivalent OR agree to obtain one while under service to the AmeriCorps Program
- Be 17 years or older at the start of service (no upper age limit)
- Pass a national service criminal history check prior to the first day of service due to reoccurring access to vulnerable populations
- Hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US national, or Lawful Permanent Resident
Supplemental Information
The Teen Engagement Specialists’ scheduled hours may fluctuate based on Teen Programming scheduled throughout the year. Typical schedule: Mon - Thurs: Serve flexibly between the hours of 9am - 8pm, with three days/week served during the 12pm - 8pm timeframe, with one day from 10am to 6pm; Friday: 9am - 5pm. During the summer, 4 nights/week (typically Mon-Thurs) must be served during the 12pm – 8pm hours. Opportunities for weekend hours or special events may become available during the year.
Example schedule for illustrative purposes:
- Monday: 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday: 12pm – 8pm
- Wednesday: 12pm – 8pm
- Thursday: 12pm – 8pm
- Friday: 9am – 5pm
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
Sick leave, personal leave, and holiday leave are allowed, but such time off does not count towards the required number of hours needed to successfully complete the term of service. There are additional benefits offered if the member has a compelling personal circumstance.
Disaster Deployments: Members who opt-in to be engaged in disaster deployment/activities will need to ensure availability for the term of the disaster deployments, generally 2-4 weeks. Make plans for pets, family members, other employment, and responsibilities that need regular attention.
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