Jumpstart Team Leader
Position Description
Click here to Download this page as a PDF (teamleader.pdf)
About Jumpstart
Jumpstart's mission is to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. To this end, Jumpstart trains and supports college students to serve as part-time Corps members, working individually with young children to build skills crucial to school success. Jumpstart focuses on three program areas: building School Success for young children by fostering their early language, literacy, social, initiative skills; encouraging strong Family Involvement to help families support children's learning; and training college students to be Future Teachers and leaders in early childhood education. Jumpstart serves young children in more than 60 communities nationwide.
About the Position
The team leader prepares a team of Corps members to provide educational activities to young children and families. Responsibilities include planning and implementing effective Jumpstart sessions, facilitating team meetings, and coaching Corps members to use developmentally appropriate practices with young children. The team leader plays a variety of roles, including coach, trainer, observer, and administrator, and is essential to making Jumpstart a high quality program.
The Jumpstart team leader position is open to Jumpstart Corps members and alumni who have completed at least one year of service. In some cases, it is also open to students who have early childhood education backgrounds and can serve in a team leader role.
Team leaders have the following option for participation in Jumpstart:
- 300-hour term: serve part-time during the school year
Team Leader Responsibilities
School Success
- Lead planning and implementation of Jumpstart sessions 2 times per week
- Support Jumpstart's ongoing assessment efforts
- Build strong relationships with preschool staff
- Ensure high-quality service delivered to children by Corps members
Family Involvement
- Assist Corps members in developing strong relationships with children's families
- Model appropriate interactions with children's families
- Ensure that all Corps members communicate regularly with families and develop alternative means of communication (notes, newsletters, etc.) to support Corps members relationships' with families
Future Teachers
- Support school year start-up, including Corps member recruitment and training
- Delivering various Corps member trainings, and facilitate ongoing reflection
- Encourage Corps members to document Jumpstart children's progress using Jumpstart's School Success Guide
- Participate in all Jumpstart Corps member training and additional team leader training
Community Engagement
- Lead team during service days and other service events
- Represent Jumpstart at partner early childhood center and other community meetings
Communication and Administration
- Participate in weekly team leader meetings with site staff
- Serve as communication link between site staff and Corps members
- Manage administrative tasks such as Corps member and child attendance and other documentation
Time Commitment
- Serve 10-14 hours per week during the school year including:
- Jumpstart sessions with team, 4 hours per week (two afternoons a week for two hours each)
- Team planning meetings, which include planning, reflection, and/or training, 2+ hours per week
- 2+ hours each week in a preschool classroom during the regular school day
- Weekly meetings with team leaders and site staff
- Participate in trainings, including September Leadership Institute (over a weekend)
- Attend periodic service days, often held on weekends
Qualifications and Experience
Team-building experience
- Ability to lead a team of diverse Corps members to effectively plan and implement Jumpstart sessions and various program elements
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to facilitate meetings and trainings
- Experience in a leadership role, preferably with college students
Early childhood knowledge and practice
- Experience working in an early childhood setting and/or knowledge of early childhood development
- Ability to coach Corps members in working effectively with children and families
Commitment to service
- Community service experience
- Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
- Ability to fulfill a yearlong community service commitment
- Enthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others
Professionalism
- Dedication to Jumpstart's mission and program areas
- Willingness to represent Jumpstart to outside groups
- Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
- Maturity and good judgment in relating to Jumpstart peers, partners, and families
- Availability, dependability, and willingness to be flexible
Compensation and Benefits
- Invaluable opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young children
- Experience leading a team of your peers
- Potential to earn Work-Study award during term of service
- $1,000 AmeriCorps education award (scholarship) upon completion of service term
- Opportunity to earn Academic Credit through seminars and general education 350.
- Extensive training in the field of early childhood education
- Unique opportunity to join a national network of individuals serving young children
- Qualify for Pearson Teacher Fellowship, a program designed exclusively to inspire and assist high-caliber college graduates to become full-time early childhood education teachers. Pearson Teacher Fellows receive intensive training; ongoing professional support; a $12,500 stipend over two years (in addition to teaching salary); résumé, interviewing, and employment-seeking assistance; and professional and classroom resources. Visit www.jstart.org/pearson for more information.
Jumpstart is an equal opportunity organization and encourages applications from all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, amnesty, political affiliation, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws. Qualified individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Jumpstart will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals. Accommodation requests should be directed to the Jumpstart office to which you are applying. Jumpstart is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. Please note that not all Jumpstart sites are directly supported by AmeriCorps. Please contact the site to which you are applying for more information.
