Brian Coyle Center
Youth Education Technology Coordinator
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Position: CTEP Academic Achievement Member
Program: Community Technology Empowerment Project
Partner Agency: Brian Coyle Center of Pillsbury United Communities
Location(s): 420 15th Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55454
Name of Site Supervisor: Abdirahman Muktar, Youth Program Manager
CTEP Program Description
The AmeriCorps Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) bridges the “digital divide” for new Immigrants and low-income communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Join AmeriCorps CTEP and help make the information age accessible to all. CTEP is a project of Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).
Site History and Mission
The Brian Coyle Center, a neighborhood center of Pillsbury United Communities (PUC), is located in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. PUC is a century old social service provider established to address the root causes of poverty in Minneapolis. PUC’s mission is Creating Choice, Change and Connection. The Brian Coyle Center is a central hub for Somali and East African refugee community services throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area. Cedar Riverside has a population of 7,545 people, of whom 2,420 live below the federal poverty level. Census data documents that the median household income is just $14,367 a year and the unemployment rate is 17 percent. Riverside Plaza apartments, across the street from the Brian Coyle Center, provide the highest density of affordable rental housing between Chicago and Los Angeles. Over 4,000 people live in this part of the neighborhood, of which 92% are immigrants and 1,190 are under age 18.
Along with Pillsbury United Communities, other organizations that have their offices in the Brian Coyle Center include the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota, Oromo Community of Minnesota, EMERGE Community Development, Cedar Riverside Neighborhood Revitalization Program, the West Bank Community Coalition, Somali Education and Social Advocacy Services, East African Economic Development Center, Haboon Magazine, and Somalia Family Advocacy Group. All are non-profit organizations.
As is the case with other neighborhood centers of PUC, the Brian Coyle Center includes a Community Technology Center used by the community for job search purposes, homework help, computer skill development, and access to the Internet. Activity in the CTC is often linked with other PUC programs, such as adult employment search, housing search, and school success for k-12th graders. The Brian Coyle Center utilizes the CTC to teach immigrants and residents 21st Century technical skills. Brian Coyle Center’s CTC is equipped with assistive technology software and peripherals, making them assessable to users with a wide variety of abilities.
Staff, volunteers and AmeriCorps Members previously assigned to the Coyle Center have taken a leadership role in addressing Digital Divide issues locally. More information about PUC and its neighborhood centers can be found on puc-mn.org.
Preferred Site Schedule for Member
The preferred schedule for the Employment and Education Assistant is Monday through Friday at 10:00 am to 8:00 pm; however the schedule allows for some flexibility based on the needs of the member. The CTC is open Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 7:30 pm, and Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
In addition, members attend professional development days with their fellow CTEP members to enhance service-readiness skills, personal attributes at the service site, and citizenship skills. These Corps days take place twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Fridays from 9 AM to 4 PM, and these trainings are mandatory. Members also attend statewide AmeriCorps events, such as the Martin Luther King Day celebration, and/or serve on the statewide InterCorps Council.
Site Specific Responsibilities
The Brian Coyle Center is a central hub for Somali and East African refugee community services throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area. The CTEP member will be working with those ages 9 to 18 who are enrolled in our youth program to improve school success through skill building, learning, recreation and organized activities. As program participants have time in the computer lab, the CTEP Member will assist them in homework completion and learning computer skills to increase academic success. The Brian Coyle Center is a highly diverse and energetic environment. The Member needs to be comfortable in this environment, and especially interested in a multiculturalism.
Unique Qualifications Sought
Bilingual in Somali, or other East African language (preferred, not required)
Site Environment
The Brian Coyle Center is a heavily used building in a culturally and linguistically diverse neighborhood. Multiple programs are offered at this site, including adult education, refugee resettlement services, employment and training, a food shelf, emergency financial assistance, Computer Technology Center, health and wellness support, and a wide range of youth programs for k-12th graders. The Employment and Education Assistant will contribute to positive outcomes for adults and youth as they increase technology literacy that helps them in employment search and school success.
The Brian Coyle Center is fully accessible, near bus lines, and within one block of the Cedar Riverside Light Rail Transit stop.
How to Apply
Apply online at my.americorps.gov and click on “Apply to Serve” (be sure to enter 06ACHMN0010008-0 as the “Program Listing ID,” or search for the Community Technology Empowerment Project). Contact: Joel Krogstad, joel@technologypower.org, 651.556.1384
We are committed to recruiting and engaging individuals without regard to disability, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request. Alternative formats of this document are also available.