Neighborhood House
POSITION DESCRIPTION
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Position: AmeriCorps Member
Program: Community Technology Empowerment Project
Partner Agency: Neighborhood House
Location(s): 179 Robie Street E, St Paul, MN 55107
Site Supervisor: Kara Schommer, Adult Education and College Access 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:
Providing services to more than 11,000 participants annually, Neighborhood House is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual center with programs in basic needs, education and youth leadership. We are committed to the success of refugees, immigrants, youth and the neighborhoods we serve.
Founded in 1897 on Saint Paul’s historic West Side, Neighborhood House has a long history of fulfilling the settlement house tradition of helping immigrants and low-income individuals integrate into society, connect with community and achieve a better quality of life.
Mission
To help people, families and organizations develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in diverse communities.
Vision
Communities will embrace all people to create strong families and a bright future.
Values
Mutual Enrichment: We believe passionately that we will do better when we all do better. We recognize that everybody has something to learn, something to teach, something to give and something to receive.
Service: We believe that service beings with commitment to and compassion for all people with whom we come in contact.
Cultural Diversity: We celebrate diverse languages and cultures and the contributions all people make to our communities.
Opportunities: We believe that, with access to the right resources, all people have the capacity to thrive socially, economically and physically.
Tradition: We respect, honor and continually build upon our settlement house tradition and rich history on the West Side of Saint Paul. We are the place that welcomes new residents and serves as the neighborhood’s home away from home.
Civic Engagement: We understand that authentic community exists only to the degree that members are empowered to participate.
Preferred Site Schedule for Member
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30am-3:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 12:30am-7:30pm, very flexible
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.
Essential Functions:
- Develop and lead enriching technology literacy programming offered to Latino, Southeast Asian, East African adult immigrants and refugees and U.S. born native English speakers
- Identify learners’ technology education needs; develop, replicate and enrich programming to meet these needs
- Collaborate with Adult Basic Education (ABE) sites throughout Twin Cities, Workforce Centers in Ramsey and Dakota County and other Public Computer Centers to acquire and implement best practice technology training and employment service models
- Prepare participants to enter competitive workforce by helping them develop employment search skills and employability skills
- Develop partnerships with area businesses and employment placement agencies to help participants achieve employment goals
- Maintain and update training model to guide future staff and volunteer orientation to best practices for integrating technology instruction activities
- Recruit, train and support volunteers to facilitate large group, small group and one-on-one computer literacy lessons
- Work one-on-one with learners who require extra support to gain computer literacy skills
- Track learner progress through attendance and goal achievement
- Perform outreach to Neighborhood House programs and community partners
Minimal Functions:
- Meet regularly with supervisor
- Attend staff meetings and trainings
Required Qualifications:
- At least 17 years old
- U.S. citizenship, naturalization, or permanent residency
- Ability to travel within the Twin Cities
- High school diploma or GED (or progress toward while serving for special circumstances)
- Basic personal computer skills (word processing, internet, email, etc.)
- Experience working with low-income and/or recent immigrant populations, especially in education or mentoring
- Must be able to work effectively with diverse socioeconomic and multicultural populations
- Dependable and prompt
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Must be proactive and able to work independently and as part of a team
- Patient and respectful of confidentiality
- Capacity to spend long periods of time at a computer
- Ability to move up to 25 pounds
Preferred Qualifications:
(One or more of the following are desired but not required):
- Post-Secondary Education
- Bilingual in Hmong, Somali, Spanish or other
- Experience in volunteer management
- Advanced technology skills, especially in web design, video production, or computer applications
- Experience in staff training, especially technology
- Experience with English Language Learners and/or Adult Basic Education learners
Site Environment:
In 2006, Neighborhood House moved into its new home in the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building. At its new location, Neighborhood House continues to serve its participants and the community. Staff members are highly motivated and innovative; staff value teamwork and strive to create a fun and supportive environment.
Service Term:
Full-time: 1700 hours. Start Sept 7, 2010; complete by Aug 31, 2011.
Members Receive:
Full-time: A living allowance (approximately $450 bi-weekly), an educational award of $5,350.00 (upon successful completion), health and dental insurance plan including reimbursement of deductible charge, child care (d.o.q) and ongoing training.
How to Apply:
Apply online at https://recruit.cns.gov/ (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.