Help kids navigate the American school system and rise to their potential by dedicating just two and a half hours of your time each week!

PURPOSE AND IMPACT

The Catholic Charities Atlanta office of Refugee Resettlement provides numerous support services for newly-arrived refugees. Our Refugee School Impact program is a crucial segment of these services and volunteers play a vital role in sustaining this work with refugee children and youth. Specifically, CCA's Refugee Youth After School Program (ASP) provides academic and social support to 30 second grade students at Indian Creek Elementary in Clarkston, GA. The students recently arrived in the US, are predominantly from Burma, Congo, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia, and have been identified by the school as needing additional educational support. The program runs from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM every Monday through Thursday during the school year.

TRAINING

Specific training for this opportunity is provided by CCA staff prior to the start of the volunteer's service and consists of a standard application process, which includes a background and reference check, an agency volunteer orientation and one additional 3 hour training to promote a safe environment for our kids.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

After school volunteers work with kids in academic and social/emotional capacities. The afterschool program is structured to offer volunteers the opportunity to explore and alternate between a variety of roles. These roles and duties include but are not limited to:

• Social and emotional support: Foster student accountability and provide individualized support to students by completing student progress monitoring and administering one-on-one check-ins regarding both social and academic concerns with a designated small group of students. Model and reinforce positive behavior.
• English-language acquisition, homework assistance and tutoring: Provide guidance and instruction to designated student small groups in daily academic activities. By scaffolding student knowledge, volunteers encourage students to work confidently and independently. Volunteers record and communicate student progress by submitting brief reports on monthly goal trackers.
• Project and lesson facilitator: Volunteer as desired to lead daily classroom activities including academic lessons, art and enrichments activities, and group games. Volunteers are encouraged to share their personal skills and expertise by taking on a leadership role for activities and curriculum of their choosing.
• Intake and administrative aid: Gain behind the scenes experience in the resettlement process by assisting with important administrative tasks including student intake paperwork, submitting academic progress documentation to student case files, and by assisting in student home visits.

VOLUNTEER BENEFITS:

• Develop and strengthen English As A Second Language instruction, communication, tutoring and other transferable skills.
• Form meaningful relationships with refugees and gain a broader cultural understanding of our local community.
• Positively impact the student and their family’s progress towards self-sufficiency.
• Gain firsthand insight into the daily challenges of the resettlement process and be able to spread awareness about refugees to the larger Atlanta community.

ACCOUNTABILITY: The volunteer reports to the Refugee Resettlement Volunteer Education and Refugee Support Specialists.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: The Volunteer Education Specialist will provide a volunteer orientation, in-depth training on refugee resettlement, student behavior management, and tutoring and will remain a logistical point of contact for volunteers throughout the course of the school year. On-site supervision and feedback is overseen by the Refugee Support Specialists.

COMMITTMENT: Attendance commitment of at least one day per week is requested of all program volunteers. Volunteers are responsible for submitting and consistently updating their weekly availability with the volunteer coordinator at the start of their volunteer tenure.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Interested parties must be 18 years of age, otherwise will need parental consent to volunteer
• Respect and empathy for students in a multi-cultural classroom
• Sensitivity to vulnerable populations
• Openness to feedback provided by peers and supervisor(s)
• Willingness to complete agency application process, which includes a background and reference check and agency volunteer orientation, as well as an additional 3 hour training to promote a safe environment for our kids.

LOCATION: All volunteers will report to the after school site; volunteers may also elect to perform duties at the CCA Northlake office location.

After School Program Site

Indian Creek Elementary

724 North Indian Creek Dr.

Clarkston, GA 30021

CCA Northlake Office

2305 Park Lake Drive, Suite 150

Atlanta, GA 30345

Contact Victoria Gaines for more information:

phone: 678-222-3953
email: vgaines@catholicharitiesatlanta.org