PHENND Seeks School-Community Partnership Coordinator VISTAs

Posted by PHENND on January 25, 2022

Join a cohort that works to strengthen communication, collaboration and community in local Philadelphia schools. PHENND seeks 20 full-time AmeriCorps VISTAs:

• 16 serve as Community Partnership Coordinators at 16 different schools all across the city
• four work in the School District of Philadelphia main offices

About this project:

This is the tenth year of an AmeriCorps VISTA project in which VISTAs are placed in selected Philadelphia public schools and offices at the School District of Philadelphia to help manage, develop, and track external community partners. (We also have another cohort of VISTAs placed with local nonprofit agencies.  See separate postings for those positions.)

About the school-based positions:

The AmeriCorps VISTAs sought for this coming year will coordinate and facilitate partnerships between their school and existing and/or potential outside community partners with the goal of integrating their services into the school’s schedule and meeting major school needs, thereby ensuring that these partnerships are mutually beneficial, sustainable and serving students effectively.  The VISTAs will work directly with administrators and teachers to ensure strong communication between and among external partners and key school leadership.

Primary Goals:

The school-based VISTA will build their school’s community partnership capacity in four major areas through specific initiatives:

The Community Partnerships Coordinator will build their school’s capacity in four major areas through specific initiatives:

1) Documentation/Needs Assessment – collect information on current partners; assess needs of the school from various school constituencies;

2) Communication/Relationship Building – assist in communication strategy for the school (monthly calendar, newsletter and/or social media, etc.), provide support for communication between school and partners as well as inter-partner relations, facilitate a once-monthly stakeholder meeting to discuss events, strategies, and collaborative efforts;

3) Strategic Planning – work to create systems within the school to further the strength of relationships in and outside of the school, support leadership in working to incorporate partners to address school needs;

4) Evaluation – track number and type of community partnerships, engage partners in evaluation of the school-community partnership landscape.

Apply for a school-based position here (please note you will need to build an online profile on the AmeriCorps website before applying to this position):

https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=85435

Requirements for all positions include:

•    Outstanding oral and written communication skills
•    Ability to network and build relationships with diverse constituencies
•    Comfort with a school-based work environment and interactions with teachers, students and staff on a daily basis
•    Passion for improving educational opportunities for low-income youth
•    Familiarity with the general landscape of urban schooling and the role of community partnerships  in Philadelphia
•    Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as needed
•    Facility with word processing and managing databases
•    Willingness to navigate public transit

Preferred, but not required:

•    Spanish proficiency (for some placements)
•    Web design skills
•    Interest in STEM and the health sciences
•    Interest in the visual and performing arts

Timeline
•   Today-May 15– Online applications accepted on a rolling basis
•   March 15-May 15 – First round telephone interviews completed
•   May 1-June 1– Second round interviews and school matching meeting
•   June 15 – Latest date candidates notified
•   June 30 – Latest date candidates’ commitment expected
•   August 1, 2022 – VISTA term start date
•   July 31, 2023 – Service year ends

Compensation:
AmeriCorps VISTAs commit to a full-time year of service for a minimal living stipend of approximately $15,001.50 per year. VISTA members are provided health coverage and loan forbearance for any current federal student loans. Upon completion of the full year, they also receive an AmeriCorps Education Award of approximately $6,495 that can be used to pay for future educational expenses and/or pay off federal student loans. SEPTA Transpass provided during normal times; high-speed internet reimbursement available during extended tele-service.

Post-service benefits include: (1) Schools of National Service tuition discounts at select colleges (2) Employers of National Service and (3) AmeriCorps Alumni Network

If you have any questions, please contact Eden Kainer at ekainer87@phennd.org or Jordan Burgh at recruitmentVL@phennd.org.