AmeriCorps Member Bay Area

Company: Playworks
Location: Richmond
Posted on: June 8, 2021

Job Description:

Apply to be an AmeriCorps Playworks Coach today to change the lives of kids in your community tomorrow!

Do you believe in the power of play to bring out the best in every kid? Do you possess a desire to support kids to create healthy school communities? Join our team and bring your passion for play to a school near you.

Playworks is the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to get kids physically active and transform children's social and emotional health. We believe in the power of play to bring out the best in every kid and are changing school climates by leveraging the power of safe, fun, and healthy play at school every day.

Playworks Coaches are AmeriCorps members. As an AmeriCorps member you will join nearly 300,000 other members and over one million alumni nationally who have committed their time and talents to strengthen communities. Partnership organizations, like Playworks, engage with AmeriCorps members to improve the communities they serve.

How you'll make an impact as an AmeriCorps Member serving at Playworks

You will improve the school climate at a local elementary school by ensuring that every kid gets to play every day. You will engage kids and educators every school day, making a positive impact on the playground, in the classroom and in the school community. We will train you and support you on this journey so that you can:

• Create opportunities for safe and inclusive play, on the playground and throughout the school, by being an effective facilitator and a caring, consistent adult to ensure that every kid has the opportunity to play every day.
• Implement a youth leadership program by providing student leadership opportunities at recess and implementing curriculum for a cohort of students before or after school.
• Lead individual classes to build youth leadership skills, promote cooperation, and introduce new games that kids can play on the playground, including the rules and boundaries.
• Enlist and coach students in interscholastic/developmental sports leagues that might include basketball, volleyball, or soccer.
• Work with the school to create opportunities to engage families and the wider school community.
• Recruit and coordinate volunteers who will assist with your programming to strengthen school climate.
• Develop a strong school culture by influencing, motivating, and building rapport with faculty, administrators, parents, and volunteers.
• Participate in national days of service and some weekend service projects in the greater community.

Essential Qualifications

• 18 years of age or older
• US Citizenship or Permanent Resident status
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Commitment to fulfilling your entire term of service with the ability to serve your scheduled hours consistently
• An interest in volunteering, learning, and growing while giving back to the community

Nice to have

• Experience working with or teaching groups of children with the ability to engage and inspire youth
• Be an organized self-starter exhibiting good judgment with the flexibility to adapt to shifting priorities and demands
• Previous commitment to national and community service as demonstrated through volunteerism or other service work
• Experience interacting with diverse communities and the ability to integrate into an existing school community
• Ongoing access to reliable transportation to and from your assigned school

Benefits of being an AmeriCorps member at Playworks:

• A modest living stipend paid out semi-monthly, with amounts varying by region
• Medical health insurance at no cost
• Access to Dental and Vision insurance at a low cost
• Education award that can be used for eligible student loans, tuition, and other education related expenses after successful completion of your service year. More information here: www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/alumni/segal-americorps-education-award
• Child care expense reimbursement if you qualify. Learn more: www.americorpschildcare.com
• Enrollment as an AmeriCorps service member. For more information, visit www.americorps.gov
• Leadership skill development and valuable experience for a career in education and youth development
• Professional development opportunities
• You'll make a lasting difference in children's lives and your community

Playworks is a hands-on, creative, playful and fun-loving place to be, all while contributing to the success of our nation's youth. If you're ready to immerse yourself in the education sector, take on a rewarding set of challenges, and if you've got the skills, experience, passion, and team spirit, apply!

For more information about AmeriCorps service with Playworks, check out www.playworks.org/coach

Service Environment: This position operates in a K-12 school environment both indoors, outdoors, and virtually. The position interacts with children on playgrounds and in classrooms on a daily basis.

Typical physical and mental demands:

This position requires sufficient physical ability and mobility to navigate on a school site in various weather conditions; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach and twist and, dependent on assignment, to occasionally lift, push, pull and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Requires a range of hearing, vision, and speech that enables the member to hear and locate the source of a sound in a noisy environment, to see effectively to monitor student activities and to exchange information.

Playworks provides reasonable accommodations to applicants, members, and employees as required by law. Applicants with disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation at any point in the interview, service, or enrollment process.

Playworks is changing the way children experience school every day by leveraging the power of safe and healthy play. We create a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills. Our ambitions demand that we invest in recruiting, developing and managing a team that reflects the broad diversity of our communities.

Our core values of inclusion, respect, healthy community and healthy play are the foundation of our organization and are infused in all aspects of our work, including recruiting and retaining the best talent we can.

As an equal opportunity program, Playworks encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis. Playworks evaluates all candidates on a merit basis.

Keywords: Playworks, Richmond , AmeriCorps Member Bay Area, Other , Richmond, California