VISTA, Office of College and Career Readiness, School District of Philadelphia

Posted by PHENND on November 12, 2019

PHENND seeks a full-time AmeriCorps VISTA to serve in the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of College and Career Readiness to start in early February. This year-long position is part of a larger cohort of PHENND K-16 VISTAs that work to strengthen communication, collaboration and community in local Philadelphia schools.

About this project:

This is the seventh 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.

This first year VISTA in the Office of College and Career Readiness at the School District of Philadelphia will address the need for Philadelphia high school seniors to better understand the college financial aid process to make more informed college choices and have better college retention. The VISTA will 1) help develop a District-wide FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) completion strategy and a financial aid timeline, 2) organize FAFSA resources and trainings for counselors and partners, and 3) create initiatives to increase awareness around scholarship opportunities and the higher education financial aid process. The VISTA will also identify volunteer support from the financial aid community and partner organizations to assist with FAFSA/financial aid initiatives. The VISTA will maintain SDP’s comprehensive scholarship database housed within the Naviance college and career readiness solution. In addition, the VISTA will be responsible for maintaining and updating the SDP Counselor Resource Drive.

Apply for this position directly through the AmeriCorps portal: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=85342&fromSearch=true

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

Timeline

Please create an account on http://my.americorps.gov and apply no later than January 1.  The idea candidate will be available to start late January/early February.

Compensation:
AmeriCorps VISTAs commit to a full-time year of service for a minimal living stipend of approximately $14,136 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 $6095 that can be used to pay for future educational expenses and/or pay off federal student loans. SEPTA Transpass provided.

If you have any questions, please contact Eden Kainer at ekainer87@phennd.org or Dana Kayser at dana@phennd.org.