About us:

Minnesota Alliance With Youth is looking for our next cohort of passionate and dedicated individuals to serve as AmeriCorps Groundwork Fellows. This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to making a lasting impact on communities by addressing education-related challenges. As a Groundwork Fellow member, you will play a crucial role in building capacity, fostering sustainable solutions, and creating lasting change.

AmeriCorps Groundwork Fellows serve at nonprofits, schools, and government agencies. This position is placed at The Minnesota Urban Debate League, a program of Augsburg University. They provide academic competitive debate programming to more than 1,300 middle and high school students in the Twin Cities Metro. Their mission is to empower students through competitive academic debate to become engaged learners, critical thinkers, and active global citizens who are effective advocates for themselves and their communities.

Why debate? Because decades of research across the nation has shown debate participation significantly improves academic outcomes and social and emotional learning among urban students (Schueler & Larned, 2023) (Ko & Mezuk, 2021) (Shackelford, 2019) (Anderson & Mezuk, 2015) (Anderson & Mezuk, 2012) (Mezuk, Bondarenko, Smith & Tucker, 2011) (Mezuk, 2009).

Their work serves as a pipeline for career-ready students to enter Augsburg University, the most ethnically diverse college in the Midwest, as capable undergraduate students. They take the standard debate model and innovate it to serve historically underrepresented students. Their programs include MSHSL Debate, Middle School Debate, East African Debate, Spanish Debate League, Financial Literacy Leadership Debates, and Summer Speech & Debate Camp.

You Serve:

Through their service, Groundwork Fellows implement three key strategies:

• Build capacity at their host site organization to help address education inequities such as the achievement and opportunity gaps

• Coordinate efforts that bridge and build the integration of school and community wide support for youth, focused on providing and sharing resources that increase a young person's school attendance, behavior and/or course performance (all indicators with a strong link to academic engagement and high school graduation)

• Actively engage youth as agents of change in closing the opportunity and achievement gaps in their communities

Groundwork Fellow Duties:

The Program Development Fellow will build capacity for the Minnesota Urban Debate League by supporting constituents at area debate tournaments, influencing debate curriculum development, and improving coach support and relations. This role requires strong written communication skills, research skills, organizational skills, and the ability to collaborate in a larger team. This is a great role for someone who dreams of working in the education field, as there’s hands-on look at developing educational curriculum and program design. Deep knowledge of Speech and/or Debate would be helpful for this role.

Groundwork Fellow must commit to:

• Engage actively in onboarding training and continuous professional development.
• Maintain regular and effective communication with program staff and site personnel.
• Input data into online systems promptly and accurately.
• Exhibit consistent, punctual attendance and adhere to scheduled hours.
• Dedicate to serving the full-service term, fulfilling the total 1200-hour requirement within the specified term.
• Attend all mandatory Alliance-sponsored training sessions, meetings, and coaching sessions; travel as required.

Groundwork Fellows will earn:

• AmeriCorps Living Stipend: $1066 twice per month.
• AmeriCorps Education Award: $5,176.50 Education Award upon successful completion of service. This award can be used toward federally qualifying student loans or future qualified post-secondary education.
• Benefits: Health and dental insurance, qualified student loan forbearance, qualified child care assistance, AmeriCoach life coach, TAP transportation card (metro area), support applying for SNAP benefits.
• Training: Equity in education. Effective leadership skill development including public speaking and facilitation, resource mapping, inclusive spaces and language, and other relevant topics. Professional development goal setting.

Minimum requirements:

• 18 years or older
• High School graduate with a Diploma or GED
• A U.S. Citizen, U.S. National or Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States
• Not have served more than the allowed number of AmeriCorps terms before this term—eligibility based on AmeriCorps term limitations.
• Able to pass a complete National Service Criminal Service History Background check (including National Sex Offender Registry, State of service and State of residence, and FBI checks) - eligibility requirements listed here.

Learn more & apply today - www.mnyouth.net/AmeriCorps

Please note: This program is available to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Reasonable accommodations are provided upon request for interviews and service activities. This document is available in alternative formats.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $16.00 per hour

Expected hours: 35 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Minneapolis, MN 55454