Literacy Director, Hopeworks N Camden

Posted by on March 25, 2005

[emailed 3/23/2005]

Job Title: Literacy Director

Hopeworks (<a href="http://www.hopeworks.org">http://www.hopeworks.org</a>) is a youth development organization situated in North Camden, New Jersey?a city where 2 out of 3 youth never make it through high school and half of the young people live in poverty. The mission of Hopeworks is two-fold: to reduce the high school dropout rate for African-American and Hispanic youth in Camden and to create hope for the future, good-paying jobs, business development and educational opportunities for Camden’s young people. Hopeworks targets primarily African-American and Hispanic youth between the ages of 17 and 25 who have dropped out of school. There are 8,000 such young people in Camden.

The central task of Hopeworks is to empower youth with the skills and confidence necessary to build their future. Hopeworks accomplishes this mission through a three-part program:
? An advanced technology training program with two tracks?web site design and geographic information services (GIS)
? Two non-profit businesses that generate revenue and provide trainees with opportunities to work on real client projects as part of their training:
A web site design business
A geographic information systems services (GIS) business
? A comprehensive and trainee-centered literacy program designed to help youth overcome previous inhibitions to academic success and equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to finish high school or pass the GED and then move on to college.

The Hopeworks environment is friendly and personable and consists of six full-time staff and around twenty to thirty trainees, all working together in a three-story row house in the center of North Camden. The staff is made up of five program directors (Computer Training, Web Production, GIS, Formation, and Literacy) and the Executive Director. While trying to accomplish a variety of different goals, the program areas are all integrated around the overarching goal of providing every trainee with a set of academic and work-related skills that will help them find success, either at college or in the workforce.

The goals of the Literacy Director are to foster within each Hopeworks? trainee a sense of the value of academic success and to help each trainee gain the skills and knowledge necessary to perform well in both reading and mathematics. Hopeworks is committed to making sure that every trainee can perform at the 8th grade reading and math level as a minimum. (On average, trainees come into the program with the abilities of a typical 6th-grader.) The Literacy Director is expected to accomplish these goals by designing curricula tailored to the specific needs of each trainee and then providing direct instruction to the trainees in either one-on-one or small group settings. On any given day the Literacy Director can expect to be teaching reading, writing, and math to trainees about six hours out of the day. The other two hours are dedicated to planning and administrative expectations.

The skill levels of the trainees vary widely, from early middle school through early college. Therefore, the Literacy Director must be able to be flexible in his or her approach. Also, because many of the youth that come to Hopeworks have had negative experiences in traditional educational settings, the Literacy Director must be a person who is patient, eager to give affirm, persistent, resourceful, and creative. The Literacy Director is also expected to be capable of networking with various academic institutions who are involved with Hopeworks trainees, including local area high schools and Camden County College.

In hiring for the position of Literacy Director, Hopeworks will be looking for the following skill sets and experience:

Essential
? Capable of teaching reading, writing, and math for grade levels five through twelve
? Bachelor?s degree
? Courteous, respectful, and encouraging personality
? Innovative, self-motivated, and flexible
? Good communication skills
? Desire to work in small groups as opposed to classroom settings
Important
? Experience teaching in an inner city environment
? Professional education training and experience
Helpful
? ESL Experience
? Special education background
? Experience working with litigated youth
? Computer experience
? Experience teaching toward GED
? Familiarity with TABE test
? Experience writing and working with grants

The position of Literacy Director is a full-time, year-round job. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Salary is based on skills set and experience. Benefits include medical, dental, and paid vacation. The position opens in May, but we are willing to accommodate a candidate who, because of contract commitments, would not be able to commit fulltime until June.

Interested applicants should send their complete resume, 3 references and complete transcripts to:

Hopeworks
543 State Street
Camden, NJ 08102
Attention: Literacy Director Search