What are the responsibilities and job description for the AmeriCorps Teen Education Specialist position at City of Dubuque, IA?
Position Summary
Contract start and end dates are flexible and rotate on a bi-weekly schedule
Example Contract dates
Start Date 1: March 31st, 2025 - October 25th, 2025 (30 Week Contract)Start Date 2: April 14th, 2025 - November 8th, 2025 (30 Week Contract)
900 Hours Contract - Minimum of 35 hours/week
Compensation: Living Allowance Total: $ 11,700 ($780.00 every 2 weeks over 30 weeks) Education Award: $ 3,697.50
Opening Date: March 5th, 2025
Closing Date: April 10th, 2025
GENERAL SUMMARY:
AmeriCorps is a national service program that takes a different approach to improve 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 program 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 Teen Education Specialist will play a pivotal role in implementing Hillcrest Family Services’ teen public health education curriculum. This position will develop and implement prevention education around risk-related behaviors to high school populations. The AmeriCorps Member will also engage junior high students in similar activities that are targeted for a younger audience. This position engages with and builds relationships with youth and their families, helping them develop key life-skills.
BENEFITS:
- Education Award received upon successful completion of their term of service.
- Living Allowance
- Healthcare
- Childcare coverage, if the member qualifies.
- Student loan forbearance and interest payments for eligible loans
Job Duties
- Collaborate with the Community Outreach Manager to implement educational curriculum focusing on:
- Teen Mental Health First Aid
- Sexually Transmitted Disease education
- Romantic relationship safety education
- Smoking cessation education and prevention
- HIV education and Opioid Education
- Trauma-Informed Care and Adverse Childhood Experiences Education
- Provide referrals to community resources to youth and families, including, but not limited to accessing government resources (WIC, SNAP, Medicaid/Medicare, Section 8/supplemental housing assistance), brain health services and counseling, domestic violence services, adolescent parenting support groups, post-partum support services. Under no circumstances will members be asked to provide referrals for services that would violate AmeriCorps prohibited activities.
- Foster youth skill-building in key areas such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, personal responsibility, goal directed behavior, decision-making and optimistic thinking.
- Collaboration and Partnership:
- Collaborate closely with AmeriCorps members serving at program partners (Arts & Cultural Affairs, Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Mentor Dubuque, Multicultural Family Center, and Engineering) to establish collaborative programming efforts.
- Collaborate with community organizations that engage Teen populations to incorporate health and wellness education into their programs and curriculum.
- Coordinate with the Dubuque Community School District to schedule learning opportunities for students.
- Volunteer Management:
- Recruit, manage, monitor, train, and document volunteer involvement with health education 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 mentors to support health education 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 health education programs.
- 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
- Walk and carry materials up and down steps.
- Stand and walk for extended periods of time.
- Lift 30 pounds.
- Bend, squat and kneel.
- Must be competent in working with at-risk youth, teenaged youth, and marginalized populations.
- Applicant must have reliable transportation.
- Applicant must be creative, energetic, dependable and a self-starter.
- 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 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
Example schedule for illustrative purposes:
- Monday: 8am - 5pm
- Tuesday: 8am - 5pm
- Wednesday: 8am - 5pm
- Thursday: 8am - 5pm
- Friday: 8am - 5pm
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
Sick leave, personal leave, and holiday leave is 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: Member 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.
Evaluations and Alternative Service:AmeriCorps Members are required by the program to complete Self-Evaluations.
Mid-Term Evaluations: At the member’s halfway point during their term of service, the member will complete a self-evaluation and their Site Supervisor will complete an evaluation on the member through AmericaLearns. The member and site supervisor will meet, with or without Program Staff, to discuss the evaluations in-depth. These evaluations must be submitted to the AmeriCorps Program.
End-Term Evaluations: Upon the completion of their AmeriCorps Contract, all members will complete an End-Term Evaluation through AmericaLearns. The End-Term Evaluation must be completed, signed, and submitted to the AmeriCorps Program within 30 days of the member’s final date of service. Non-submission of this document within the 30-day timeframe will lead to the member being exited for cause (see section 9 of the Member Service Agreement) and will forfeit the member’s right to the Education Award.
Members may engage in other allowable activities that are not specifically outlined in the position description, but that support the AmeriCorps program design, and which will help the Program meet its goals. Under no circumstances will members be asked to perform prohibited activities. Volunteers recruited and/or managed by AmeriCorps members will not participate in prohibited activities as outlined in the approved grant application.
Our Commitment to You
We are committed to using a merit-based system in which recruiting, selecting, and advancing employees is based on their relative knowledge, skills, and abilities. The City of Dubuque values a culture of equity, diverse perspectives, and life experiences. Our organization embraces innovation, collaboration and work-life harmony. We offer job stability, a comprehensive benefits package, and an opportunity to serve and support our diverse community. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity and an inclusive workforce. Women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Salary : $780
