JumpStart Tutors

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Type of Position:Clerical

Workstudy Position:

No

Job Type:Temporary (Fixed Term)

Work Shift:

Sponsorship Available:

No

Institution Name: University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is a vibrant mid-sized public university dedicated to breaking the higher education mold by bringing truly transformative, hands-on experiences to every student. From high school seniors to senior professionals, first-generation students to second-chancers, our goal is to provide a high-quality, future-focused education that honors each student's unique, personal situations and goals. Our tiered approach to learning offers students access to more than 80-degree plans and programs including certificate, associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. We seek to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse population of Arkansas, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, and perspectives.

Located on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border and situated in a region of lakes, Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and features a vast array of cultural activities, shopping, dining, and entertainment, including a thriving downtown entertainment district. Parks, trails, and water recreation are all within the city limits, and true outdoor enthusiasts will find the area’s lakes, streams, and mountains offer adventure only minutes away from campus. Fort Smith was recently named by Forbes as the number one city in America for the cost of living, and a top city in the nation for the highest-paying tech jobs. The city is within easy driving distance of Tulsa, Kansas City, Dallas, Little Rock, and Memphis.

Thank you for your interest in joining our university. Below you will find details for the position including any supplementary documentation and/or questions you should review before submitting your application. For general application assistance or if you have questions about a job posting, please contact Human Resources at (479) 788-7080.

If you have a disability and need assistance with the hiring process please contact Human Resources at 479-788-7080. Applicants are required to submit a request for each position to which they have applied.

Department:SOE Jumpstart Program

Department's Website:

Summary of Job Duties:In teams of 4-6, EngageAR AmeriCorps Jumpstart members will conduct two-hour sessions which include welcoming pre-school children, leading small group work such as shared reading experiences and vocabulary development, providing large group meetings to develop content knowledge, and offering support for oral language and social-emotional development during center time.
Teams will serve approximately 160 children with a goal of gains in language and literacy development as demonstrated by increased knowledge and observable changes in the behavior of preschoolers.
Members will reduce the adult to child ratio giving children the opportunity to experience individualized learning opportunities from caring adults.
*The above functions may be completed with or without reasonable accommodations. Qualified candidates and members may request an accommodation at any time during their consideration and/ or term of service.
(Service may be face-to-face, virtual, or hybrid based on the needs that arise due to the pandemic. The number of members per team, children served goal, and ratios may require adjustments due to the COVID 19 pandemic.)
Essential Functions of Position:
Overall
•tAble to arrange their own transportation to and from service site in a timely and reliable fashion and able to transport materials needed for sessions without the assistance of other team members
•tAble to interact with preschool-age children at their level in a classroom setting with high activity and noise levels and other varying environmental conditions. Interaction includes being able to move around the classroom to participate in various activities with the children.
•tAble to participate fully in Jumpstart programming with preschool-age children – two times per week for two hours each, totaling four hours a week. This classroom time includes a variety of activities in a consistent routine that includes reading, small and large group activities, and facilitating centers.
•tAble to participate fully in 2-7 hours each week in additional individual classroom service, implementing individualized activities with children, and supporting teacher-led activities. This participation involves working with preschool-age children and other adults in a preschool classroom.
•tAble to see both print and illustrations in order to read children’s books.
•tAble to hear children and adults in order to participate in back and forth conversations.
•tAble to verbally communicate with peers, Jumpstart staff, children, children’s families, and classroom teachers
•tAble to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to implement the Jumpstart program. Includes reading children’s books, song charts, and materials in the classroom.
•tAble to demonstrate effective writing skills in English in order to implement the Jumpstart program. Includes writing children’s names and demonstrating how to write words and letters for children.
Outside the classroom
•tAble to participate fully in up to 60 hours of on-going in-service trainings, broken down into half-hour to eight-hour increments/ exact increments will vary. Trainings are delivered in a variety of formats including web-based trainings, group in-person trainings, PowerPoint presentations, small group discussions, and role-plays.
•tAble to participate fully in 1 hour team planning meetings and classroom activity preparation 2 times per week, which includes planning, reflection, and/or training, for a total of 2 hours per week, working with other members in a small group to reflect on and plan for weekly classroom activities.
•tAble to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to participate in the Jumpstart program. Includes reading lesson plans and training manuals.
•tAble to demonstrate effective writing skills in English in order to participate in the Jumpstart program. Includes writing reflections and written responses to questions in training.
•tParticipate in additional service projects as approved by the program director including days of service: 9/11 Day of Remembrance, MLK Day, AmeriCorps Week, and Juneteenth.
•tAmeriCorps members may not participate in prohibited activities.
Marginal Functions of Position:
•tWhen called upon, members may be asked to support disaster response and/or recovery efforts as needed by the State of Arkansas.
•tCOVID-19 Response Activities. Members may assist with classroom/equipment sanitization, student health entry screening, or provide virtual support to students learning from home. If the pandemic causes the need for additional teleservice or alternative service, we will follow the guidelines in the teleservice and alternative service policies. Tele-service and/or alternative service hours may include, but will not be limited to:
otVirtual team planning sessions
otVideo creation and editing for our YouTube channel
otCreation of parent involvement packets
otCommunity service at a local organization such as non-profits that assist low-income families, children, and other vulnerable populations when safe to do so
otServe at the UAFS Dave Steven Food Pantry or Antioch Food Pantry
otAll tele-service activities require prior approval of the Jumpstart Coordinator.
tMember must maintain documentation of the organization’s name; address; phone number; hours served; activity; signature and contact information of program supervisor.
•tCommunity Outreach Activities. Members may assist with future member recruitment; public relations to introduce the AmeriCorps program to the community and develop community partnerships; and with efforts to build a culture of service in Arkansas.

This position does not duplicate work of previous or existing employees or volunteers, supplant the hiring of workers, or include service or duties that have been performed or were performed by a current employee, an employee who recently resigned or was discharged, an employee subject to a reduction in force, or an employee who is on leave.

Access to Vulnerable Populations: The Arkansas Service Commission has determined that the probability of access to vulnerable populations is so great that all members will undergo and pass all required criminal history checks: NSOPW, FBI, and Arkansas State Police, as well as other states, as necessary.
AmeriCorps Eligibility: AmeriCorps eligibility requires that participants must be at least 17 years of age at the commencement of service; be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States; be high school graduates, GED recipients, or working toward attaining a high school diploma or GED during their term of service; and satisfy the National Service Criminal History Check criteria.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:
Dedication to early childhood education
•tExperience working with young children, and/or a desire to learn more about early childhood education
•tStrong language and communication skills
•tAbility to communicate and collaborate with children’s families
•tWillingness to learn about Jumpstart program implementation and planning
•tWillingness to implement Jumpstart’s research-based curriculum with integrity
Commitment to service
•tCommunity service experience and/ or a desire to serve in the community
•tAbility to work with people from diverse backgrounds
•tAbility to fulfill a yearlong community service commitment
•tEnthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others
Professionalism
•tAbility to work well on a team to collaborate, communicate, and problem solve
•tDesire to seek opportunities for self and team growth
•tWillingness to receive and provide feedback in an effort to improve the quality of one’s service in the program
•tAvailability, dependability, and willingness to be flexible in different contexts, such as in training, scheduling, in the classroom, with unexpected changes
•tProfessionalism and good judgment in relating to Jumpstart peers, children, partners, and families
Academic and Experience Qualifications: Members providing Jumpstart Arkansas activities must be enrolled in an institute of higher learning or be a community member willing to participate in all activities. All members must have a high school diploma.
Service Conditions: Service is performed in a local pre-school setting or virtually as needed due to COVID-19.
Commitment Required: Program begins August 23, 2022 and continues through May 26, 2023. Members serve 300 hours generally serving 10-15 hours per week.
Orientation and Training:
•tOrientation (prohibited activities, CNCS and program policies, member position descriptions, reporting member hours in OnCorps, performance measure data, timesheets, safety)
•tDisaster training (provided by EngageAR)
•tEarly literacy skills training
•tSocial-emotional strategies training
•tEquity and inclusion training
AmeriCorps Program Benefits:
•tSegal AmeriCorps Education Award up to $1,374 after successful completion of the service term
•tLiving allowance of $2,025 over 9-month period while actively serving unless FWS
•tStudent loan forbearance
•tProfessional training in early education
•tTeam building skills development
Evaluation and Reporting:
•tWeekly time sheets
•tMonthly observations of members by Jumpstart Site Supervisor
•tEnd-of-term evaluations
•tFor more information: Contact Kimberly Taylor at kimberly.taylor@uafs.edu or 479-788-7962 for more information. For more information about AmeriCorps State and National, go to https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-state-national/become-member.

Qualifications:

Grant Funded

Additional Information:

Salary Information:

Grant Funded- AmeriCorps Jumpstart members do not receive a salary but a stipend for a living allowance.

Required Documents to Apply:

None

Optional Documents:

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Recruitment Contact Information:

Kimberly Taylor 479-788-7962

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

This position may be subject to a pre-employment criminal background check, sex offender registry check, financial history background check, and/or drug screening. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication and/or adverse financial history alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background checks and drug screening information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The university welcomes applications without regard to age, race, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, religion, marital or parental status, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sexual orientation or gender identity. Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment. All applicant information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:Hearing, Talking

Frequent Physical Activity:N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:N/A

Benefits Eligible:No