Commonwealth Corps Family/School Liaison

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The mission of the Commonwealth Corps is to engage Massachusetts residents of all ages and backgrounds in service to strengthen communities, address unmet community needs, and increase volunteerism.

Commonwealth Corps members with Homework House will serve 10.5 months in a half-time capacity. What they have in common is a desire to put their talents and ideas to use in the service of their communities and the Commonwealth.

Homework House is a place where children growing up in Holyoke’s most economically challenged neighborhoods can experience learning success. Our free after school tutoring and mentoring program has transformed the lives of hundreds of kids, boosting their engagement with school and learning while improving their reading and math skills. The Commonwealth Corps Family/School Liaison’s objectives will be to significantly increase parent engagement and support a parent advisory council.

Responsibilities:

Essential

• Complete a minimum of 750 hours of service, serving through June 30,2018
• Attend all required Commonwealth Corps trainings and service events held by MSA (minimum of 6 total, post orientation) and Homework House including a new member orientation on August 15 & 16, 2017.
• Participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of MSA-related activities each week (in person or virtually)
• Recruit, train and support parents to form a parent advisory board.
• Develop programming to encourage and promote parent volunteerism throughout the program.
• Produce monthly parent newsletter.
• Welcome parents to program sites as visitors, observers and participants.
• Identify appropriate educational, social, and other support services in the school, district, and community for parents and families.
• Maintain accurate data, records, and files to document all activities conducted and services provided as relevant to this service position.
• Participate in weekly staff and site meetings and weekly supervision meetings with Education Coordinator.

Qualifications:

Required

• Massachusetts residency and legal authorization to work in the United States
• 18 years of age or older
• Bilingual/Fluent Spanish-speaker
• Experience with or interest in volunteerism and community engagement
• Ability to balance service commitment with other family/work/school/community commitments in a sustainable way
• Access to reliable transportation.

· Strong written and oral communication skills

Preferred

· Strong interpersonal and human relations skills. Member Benefits:

• Stipend of $270.83 every other week while in service up to $6,500 minus taxes and withholdings;
• Completion award of up to $1,250 upon successful completion of service, minus taxes and withholdings;

• Training and other professional development opportunities;

• Limited reimbursement for travel to Corps-wide MSA-sponsored activities;

• Limited travel reimbursement for certain service-related travel away from their usual service location, according to that agency's policies;

• The opportunity for at least or 5 days of planned absences (may include holidays); and

• Opportunity to join with others with a common sense of purpose as part of the Commonwealth Corps.

Pleasenote that receipt of these stipends/benefits may impact an individual’s eligibility for certain public benefits.

Term of Service:

• PositionStart Date: August 15, 2017
• PositionEndDate: June 30, 2018
• Service commitment will average 18-20 hours per week during the following days/times:

M, TH 10am-2pm; TU-W 12:30-5:30pm with 1-2 evenings/month until 7PM with advance notice. No weekend service expected, except for Holyoke Bound during initial orientation period

Application Instructions:

• To apply, submit a cover letter and resume by June 1, 2017 to Tracy Trial at ttrial@homeworkhouseholyoke.org

Accepted members will be required to undergo a criminal offender and sexual offender background check.

Homework House will recruit and select persons in all positions to ensure a diverse and inclusive climate without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, color, political affiliation, creed, national origin, marital status, or any other status as protected by federal, state, and local laws. Homework House welcomes applications from individuals with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations for interviews and for service upon request.