Position Description
ABOUT JUMPSTART
Jumpstart is a national early education organization working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. We provide language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from under-resourced communities and promote quality early learning for all children. Join us to work toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. Learn more at jstart.org.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Jumpstart Corps members have the unique opportunity to inspire young children to learn, serve in a local community, collaborate with peers on a team, and build professional skills. All Corps members receive high quality training through a Child Adolescence Development (CAD) course to provide an understanding of the foundations and best practices in early childhood education. The courses are designed to increase participants’ knowledge about the importance of high quality early childhood education, and the specific types of environments and interactions that support the development of children’s social-emotional, cognitive, and early academic skills. This position serves vulnerable populations, i.e. preschool children.
CORPS MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES
San Francisco State University Jumpstart Child Development Corps members make an academic year commitment to make an impact in the lives of young children. During the school year, Corps members will serve a total of 450 hours, which includes training, reflection and community service in an early childhood setting. While also fulfilling the following responsibilities in two main settings:
Essential Functions
- Overall
- Able to verbally communicate with peers, Jumpstart staff, children, children’s families and classroom teachers.
- Able to facilitate connections between with classroom teachers and children’s families including multiple means of communication (notes, newsletters, in-person conversations, etc.).
- Able to professionally represent Jumpstart at partner early childhood center when questions and concerns arise for the team.
- Able to arrange his/her own transportation to service site in a timely and reliable fashion.
- In the classroom
- Able to interact with 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.
- Able to participate in a preschool classroom for one full day a week for a total of eight hours a week. Support Mentor Teacher in all aspects of the classroom schedule. Engage in, support and lead activities such as reading in large group or small groups, group time discussions, and activity stations during center time
- Able to participate fully in classroom assistance time, which involves activities such as helping with snack time, assisting teachers with children’s activities, and engaging children in outdoor play. This participation involves working with preschool-age children and other adults in a preschool classroom.
- Able to use a video camera (provided by Jumpstart) in the classroom to film activities.
- Able to see both print and illustrations in order to read children’s books.
- Able to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to implement reading activities. Includes reading children’s books, song charts, and materials in the classroom.
- Able 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.
- Able to fully participate in team meetings with both classroom teachers and peers in implementing Jumpstart activities with preschool-age children.
- Outside the classroom
- Able to enroll in a Child Adolescence Development (CAD) course for the Fall and Spring semester . The course is 3 hours in the Fall and Spring semester. The course is delivered in a variety of formats (such as lectures, PowerPoint presentations, small group discussions, and role plays), with other Corps members in a classroom room.
- Able to review and reflect on video recordings taken in the classroom at least 2 hours per week.
- Able to participate fully in team planning meetings with classroom teachers on-site and peer planning meetings on a weekly basis.
- Able to practice skills of self-reflection, critical thinking, writing, and lesson planning.
- Able to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to participate in the Jumpstart program. Includes reading session activities and articles.
- Able to demonstrate effective writing skills in English in order to participate in the Jumpstart program. Includes writing reflections and written responses to questions in course training.
Marginal Functions
- Able to attend periodic service days and events outside of regularly scheduled service, occasionally held on weekends.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Dedication to early childhood education
- Experience working with young children, and/or a desire to learn more about early childhood education
- Strong language and communication skills
- Ability to communicate and collaborate with classroom teachers and children’s families
- Willingness to learn about early literacy activity implementation and planning
- Willingness to implement Jumpstart’s research based activities with integrity
- Commitment to service
- Community service experience and/ or a desire to serve in the community
- 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 on a team to collaborate, communicate, and problem solve
- Desire to seek opportunities for self and team growth
- Willingness to receive and provide feedback in an effort to improve quality of one’s service in the program
- Availability, dependability, and willingness to be flexible in different contexts, such as in training, scheduling, in the classroom, with unexpected changes
- Professionalism and good judgment in relating to Jumpstart peers, children, partners, and families
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- Potential to earn a Federal Work-Study award during term of service
- Potential to receive a stipend for your service
- AmeriCorps members will be eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion of their 450 hour service term
- Extensive training in the field of early childhood education
- Unique opportunity to join a national network of individuals serving young children
- Invaluable opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young children
- Work with a Mentor Teacher and a Support Specialist to gain professional training
- Participate in a future teacher hiring pipeline for preschool teachers
- Gain experience to enhance your professional resume
Jumpstart is available to all, without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, religion, or other legally protected status as recognized by federal, state, or local law.
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.
How to Apply
