Jumpstart
Volunteer Coordinator
Position Description
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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, and 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.
In addition to supporting the work of college students as Corps members, Jumpstart also engages a variety of community members as volunteers who contribute their time and talent to enhance Jumpstart's service to our partner early childhood centers and the community at large.
About the Position
The volunteer coordinator recruits, assists in training, and manages volunteers for various Jumpstart service projects that address specific program and community needs. The volunteers recruited by the volunteer coordinator should reflect a balance of college students, local community service organizations, and others who can participate in a range of volunteer service projects. Basic volunteer service project categories include one-day, short-term, and long-term service projects
Volunteer coordinators will serve a 300-hour term during the school year
Volunteer Coordinator Responsibilities
Volunteer Recruitment and Training
- Recruit required number of volunteers (varies by site)
- Recruit volunteers to commit to one-day, short-term, and long-term volunteer projects (details of the size and scope of these projects will be provided by Jumpstart staff)
- Present Jumpstart to campus and local community organizations, student groups, faculty, and staff to obtain volunteers, and collaborate on service events
- Co-facilitate and support training of all volunteers. Site staff will work with the volunteer coordinator to make sure that all volunteer trainings meet Jumpstart quality standards
Planning and Implementation
- Assist site staff in identifying volunteer projects through needs assessment and ongoing communication with partner early childhood centers
- Assist site staff in implementation of events and support volunteers for service days held at partner early childhood centers
- Research relevant community organizations to coordinate additional volunteer opportunities for Corps members
- Work with site staff and Corps members to plan annual volunteer appreciation event
Volunteer Management and Tracking
- Establish and regularly update volunteer schedule and list of events
- Communicate regularly with volunteers through check-in phone calls, e-mails, and personal appreciations for their efforts
- Document and log volunteer hours in volunteer tracking system and report hours to Jumpstart regional office
Evaluation of Volunteer Activities
- Collect and manage feedback from all parties involved in volunteer activities, including volunteers, partnering early childhood center staff, and community members through written reports, testimonials, and verbal comments
- Share feedback with site staff to acknowledge strengths, successes and to make improvements for future volunteer activities
Time Commitment
- Serve 8-12 hours a week during the school year
Qualifications and Experience
Dedication to volunteerism and coordinating volunteer activities
- Experience in leadership role
- Experience recruiting, training, managing, and supporting groups of people to address community needs through service projects
- Ability to build relationships and work with volunteers, Corps members, and community members
- Track record of planning and implementing events
- Desire to learn about Jumpstart practices, including early childhood best practices
Communication
- Strong language and communication skills (written and oral)
- Ability to give presentations to large groups
- Desire to share the Jumpstart mission with the community
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
- Ability to work well independently and on a team
- Maturity and good judgment in relating to Jumpstart peers, partners, and families
- Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
- Availability, dependability, and willingness to be flexible
- Demonstrated ability to solve problems and think strategically
- Enthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others
Compensation and Benefits
- Invaluable opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young children
- Potential to earn Work-Study award during term of service
- $1,000 AmeriCorps education award (scholarship) upon completion of 300 hours
- Extensive training in the field of early childhood education
- Opportunity to earn Academic Credit through General Education 350.
- Professional training and support to implement volunteer activities and events
- 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.
