BHCC Federal Work Study-Jumpstart/Americorps Team Member

Jumpstart AmeriCorps members have the unique opportunity to inspire young children to learn, serve in a local community, collaborate with others on a team, and build professional skills. All Jumpstart AmeriCorps members receive high quality training to help them implement Jumpstart’s outcome-based program, promote children’s school success, and build family engagement. This position serves vulnerable populations, i.e. preschool children.

JUMPSTART AMERICORPS MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

AmeriCorps members complete an intensive commitment and make a substantial impact in the life of young children. During the school year, AmeriCorps members serve 300 hours, 8-12 hours per week by fulfilling the following responsibilities in two main settings:

• Able to verbally communicate with peers, Jumpstart staff, children, children’s families and classroom teachers.

• Able to arrange their own transportation to service site in a timely and reliable fashion. In the classroom

• Able to interact with preschool-age children at their level in a classroom setting with high activity and noise levels and other varying environmental conditions. Interaction includes being able to move around the classroom to participate in various activities with the children.

• Able to participate fully in Jumpstart programming preschool-age children– two times per week for two hours each, totaling four hours a week. This classroom time includes a variety of activities in a consistent routine that includes reading, small and large group activities, and facilitating centers. • Able to participate fully in 2-5 hours each week in additional individual classroom service, implementing individualized activities with children and supporting teacher-led activities. This participation involves working with preschool-age children and other adults in a preschool classroom.

• Able to see both print and illustrations in order to read children’s books.

• Able to hear children and adults in order to participate in back and forth conversations.

 • Able to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to implement Jumpstart programming. Includes reading children’s books, song charts, and materials in the classroom.

• Able to demonstrate effective writing skills in English in order to implement the Jumpstart program. Includes writing children’s names and demonstrating how to write words and letters for children. 

Outside the classroom • Able to participate fully in 30+ hours of pre-service and 10+ hours of on-going in-service trainings, broken down in 1/2-8 hour increments/ exact increments will vary. Trainings are delivered in a variety of formats including web-based trainings, group in-person trainings, PowerPoint presentations, small group discussions, and role-plays. • Able to participate fully in 1+ hour team planning meetings and classroom activity preparation 2- 5 times per week, which includes planning, reflection, and/or training, for a total of 2-5 hours per week, working with other Jumpstart members in a small group to reflect on and plan for weekly classroom activities.

• Able to complete 1-5 hours weekly of individual planning and preparation for Jumpstart classroom activities. This includes preparing children’s books, writing reflection papers on Jumpstart service, and gathering materials for classroom activities.

• Able to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to participate in the Jumpstart program. Includes reading lesson plans and training manuals.

• Able to demonstrate effective writing skills in English in order to participate in the Jumpstart program. Includes writing reflections and written responses to questions in training.

• Able to attend periodic service days and events outside of regularly scheduled service, occasionally held on weekends. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience working with young children, and/or a desire to learn more about early childhood education

• Strong language and communication skills

• Ability to communicate and collaborate with children’s families

• Willingness to learn about Jumpstart program implementation and planning

• Willingness to implement Jumpstart’s research based curriculum with integrity

• Community service experience and/ or a desire to serve in the community

• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds

• Ability to fulfill a yearlong community service commitment

• Enthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others

• Ability to work well on a team to collaborate, communicate, and problem solve

• Desire to seek opportunities for self and team growth

• Willingness to receive and provide feedback in an effort to improve quality of one’s service in the

program.

• Availability, dependability, and willingness to be flexible in different contexts, such as in training, scheduling, in the classroom, with unexpected changes

• Professionalism and good judgment in relating to Jumpstart peers, children, partners, and families 

AmeriCorps members will be eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion of their 300 hour service term.