AmeriCorps Summer Playground Enrichment Specialist

AmeriCorps is a national service program that takes a different approach to improve lives and fostering civic engagement. AmeriCorps Members commit their time to address critical community needs.  In Dubuque, AmeriCorps Members serve at the intersection of education and mental health to help youth understand their emotions, reactions, and relationships through social-emotional learning to improve academic, career, and social success. City of Dubuque AmeriCorps Members implement key skill-building program to have the following impacts:

1. Youth experience programs promoting healthy lifestyles resulting in decreased youth risk-related behaviors.

2. Youth development skills to build meaningful and healthy relationships while experiencing inclusion and belonging.

3. Providing every young person with the opportunity to grow up safely and access their best possible future.

The Summer Playground Enrichment Specialists are a team of AmeriCorps Members that will serve at rotating locations to provide enrichment activities to underserved youth in Dubuque. Members will develop activities around Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, Music, and Math and deliver the activities to youth between the ages of 7 – 12.

1. Collaborate with the Playground Coordinator to provide programming and outreach to the Parks and Recreation Playgrounds;  focused on providing a drug-free, educational, nurturing and safe supervised environments for community youth:

1. Design and deliver a comprehensive and engaging program curricula that focuses on STREAM, community engagement, education and positive social skill development for students during the summer program.

2. Implement age-appropriate activities, workshops, and lessons that foster 8 key competencies: self awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, personal responsibility, goal directed
   behavior, decision-making and optimistic thinking.

3. Adapt curriculum materials to meet the unique needs and interests of the students in the summer program.

2. Foster a positive and inclusive environment:

1. Create a safe, nurturing, and inclusive atmosphere where students feel comfortable exploring and expressing their emotions.

2. Implement team-building activities, ice breakers, and cooperative games to foster positive relationships and community.

3. Promote a sense of belonging and community by encouraging positive behavior, facilitating collaborative projects, and mutual respect among students.Model constructive participation in all daily activities.

3. Provide individual and group support:

1. Individual and small-group service to children with disabilities who are having difficulty participating in the program.

2. Offer guidance and support to help students develop coping strategies, navigate social interactions, and build resilience.

3. Attend field trip activities to enhance child safety;as well as expand upon the child’s knowledge of community resources.

4. Disaster Response (AmeriCorps-Disaster Response Team)

1. Participate in A-DRT training(s) to ensure the member has knowledge and ability to respond to disasters.

2. Complete other training necessary to support disaster deployments, including but not limited to Volunteer Reception Center (VRC), first aid, mental health first aid, and chainsaw training.