Team Leader

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

A Jumpstart team leader collaborates on a team of Jumpstart members to provide educational activities to young children and families. Responsibilities include planning and implementing effective Jumpstart classroom activities using the Jumpstart curriculum, facilitating team meetings, and coaching members to use developmentally appropriate practices with young children. The team leader plays a variety of roles, including coach, trainer, and observer and is essential to making Jumpstart a high quality program. This position serves vulnerable populations, i.e. preschool children.

TEAM LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES

Team leaders complete an intensive commitment and make a substantial impact in the life of young children. During the school year, Team Leaders serve 300 hours, 12-16 hours per week by 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 and model appropriate interactions for team members, both in person and over virtual settings.
• Able to facilitate connections between members and children’s families including multiple means of communication (notes, newsletters, in-person conversations, virtual meetings, etc.).
• Able to professionally represent Jumpstart at partner early childhood center when questions and concerns arise for the team.
• Able to arrange their own transportation to service site in a timely and reliable fashion for any in person service activities.
• Able to use technology effectively to access systems and platforms for electronic documents, communications, trainings, and any delivery of virtual service activities.

In the classroom (in person or virtual)

• Able to interact with preschool-age children at their level and potentially with their families/teachers in a classroom or virtual setting with high activity and noise levels and other varying environmental conditions. Interaction includes being able to move around the classroom or virtual setting to participate in various activities with the children and families/teachers.
• Able to participate fully in and lead a team of peers in implementing Jumpstart programming – two times per week for two hours each, totaling four hours a week. This classroom or virtual time includes a variety of activities in a consistent routine such as reading, small and large group activities, and facilitating other learning based activities. Team leaders lead and/or manage some of these activities and ensure that programming follows Jumpstart guidelines.
• Able to see both print and illustrations in order to read children’s books.
• Able to hear children and adults in order to participate in back and forth conversations.
• Able to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to implement Jumpstart programming. Includes reading children’s books, song charts, and materials.
• 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.

Outside the classroom (In-person or virtual)

• Able to participate fully in 30+ hours of pre-service (including additional team leader training) and 10+ hours of on-going in-service trainings, and weekly team leader meetings, broken down in 1/2-8 hour increments/ exact increments will vary. Trainings are delivered in a variety of formats including web-based trainings, group in-person or virtual trainings, PowerPoint presentations, small group discussions, and role-plays.
• Able to lead a team of peers during 1+ hour team planning meetings and classroom activity preparation 2-5 times per week, which includes demonstration, planning, reflection, and/or training, for a total of 2-5 hours per week, working with other members in a small group to reflect on and plan for weekly classroom activities.
• Able to complete 1-5 hours weekly of individual planning and preparation for Jumpstart service activities. This includes preparing for team leader-led elements, practicing activity facilitation and flow, gathering/creating activity materials, assembling family/classroom learning kits and newsletters.
• Able to demonstrate effective reading skills in English in order to participate in the Jumpstart program. Includes reading lesson plans and training manuals.
• 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 training.

Marginal Functions

• Able to participate fully in 2-5 hours each week in additional individual classroom or virtual service, implementing individualized activities with children, families, and/or supporting teacher-led activities. This participation involves working with preschool-age children and other adults in a preschool classroom or virtual setting and may include creating/delivering online content through live or recorded methods.
• Able to attend periodic service days and events outside of regularly scheduled service, occasionally held on weekends, either in person or virtually. May involve leading one’s team in these activities.
• Able to professionally and accurately represent Jumpstart at community meetings, if requested.

A Jumpstart team leader is NOT a supervisor of their peers.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Leadership

• Strong language and communication skills
• Experience in a leadership role, preferably with college students/peers
• Ability to lead a team of diverse members to effectively plan and implement Jumpstart classroom activities in accordance with Jumpstart guidance
• Ability to manage and prioritize time and multiple responsibilities

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 children’s families
• Willingness to learn about Jumpstart program implementation and planning
• Willingness to implement Jumpstart’s research based curriculum 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
• AmeriCorps members will be eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award in the amount of $1,374.60 upon completion of their 300 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

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 throughout the application process and during Jumpstart service. 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.