OCFWS : Generation Citizen Democracy Coach Fall 2018

Sunday, September 23rd from 12:00am to Friday, December 14th, 2018 12:00am (ET)
The application period has ended or been marked as full. If you attended, let the organizer know by recording your Impact!

About

Generation Citizen (GC) Democracy Coaches (DCs) are much more than college volunteers.  They are dedicated and energetic leaders who get off their college campus and into the community to coach local students in making change in their communities now, and for the rest of their lives. Democracy Coaches engage twice per week for an entire semester with secondary school teachers to lead students through our action-oriented curriculum.  They serve as peer-to-near-peer mentors for students and capacity builders for teachers. In the end, DCs create a community of curious, active young learners who take action to solve some of society's most pressing problems. 


COMMITMENT

As a Democracy Coach, you commit to approximately 6-8 hours per week:

·               Leading two 60 minute lessons per week for one semester in a local school that engages students in GC's action civics curriculum. By operating within school hours, GC ensures that all students learn about their role in the political process. Your actual class length may vary slightly based on the school. You'll also spend 30-60 minutes traveling to/from your school. 

·               Adapting and preparing GC's standard lesson plans. GC provides you with a standard curriculum and action project resources.  However, it's your responsibility to work with your Co-DC (if you have one) and teacher to ensure the lessons address your students' ability and interests. The lessons become less structured over time as students pick their issue and plan their action. You must conduct outside research on your students' action project. During the second half of GC, you'll also decide how to use the Tactic Toolkit to support students in taking action. A successful DC spends at least one hour preparing for each lesson.

·               Engaging in weekly, one hour chapter meetings on your college campus.  These meetings are a time for you to share best practices, trouble-shoot challenges, and connect to other students from you college who are also participating in GC.

·               Participating in at least two 15 minute brainstorming sessions with GC staff after they observe you and your class in action. This is a chance for you to receive personalized support and to ask us questions for greater impact.

·               Engaging in one weekend training on Sept 23 and Sep 24

·               Encouraging your students at Civics Day, the culminating event of the semester. At Civics Day, students present their projects to local leaders in a science-fair type format and receive awards. Civics Day typically falls during the beginning of December and beginning of May. 

·               Appreciating your work at an end of the semester celebration for our volunteers.  We know that being a DC isn't easy. It takes commitment and we want to thank you!

 

QUALIFICATIONS

GC is one of the few programs that allows college students to co-lead an actual classroom. Thus, our selection process is competitive, and our DCs are dedicated and accomplished student with:

·      Civic and Advocacy Interest Expertise. DCs are interested or have experience in working within the community to make change. They use this experience to motivate their students.

·      Flexibility and Positive Attitudes. It can be challenging to work in an urban classroom. Our DCs recognize that GC is hard work, and that the ability to weather the roller coaster of the classroom with a smile will lead to positive results in the classroom.

·      A Commitment to Service. GC is a semester-long experience with life-long ramifications. Our DCs are committed to working to end educational and political inequity in this country.

 

BENEFITS

Generation Citizen is not your typical campus organization. DCs gain significant experience in peer leadership, community organizing, classroom management, networking, and much more that leads to strong professional skills!

  • Project management. Think about your students and class as your project team. You'll keep them on track, support them by providing research guidance, and celebrate their successes. You'll manage partnerships with your classroom teacher and local experts on your focus issue. You'll also practice coaching and facilitating skills every day you're in the classroom.
  • Public speaking. Gain confidence speaking with diverse audiences. You will be leading two class sessions a week for 20-30 students. You will conduct presentations or workshops for your peers in Chapter Meetings. There are also opportunities to speak at Civics Day in front of hundreds of the city's students and political leaders.
  • Real in-class teaching. You will lead the classroom with a full-time teacher in the classroom to support you. You will have ample access to GC staff who have teaching experience in TFA, GC, Breakthrough Collaborative, and other education programs.
  • Diverse partnerships. Learn through immersion. You will work with a wide variety of people, including secondary students, other college students, public school teachers, community leaders, and young professionals.
  • Community organizing. You will learn the process of running grassroots campaigns. You will learn to identify and develop student leaders, build community coalitions, and leverage student power to influence elected officials and others administrators through advocacy.
  • Networking. You will arrange guest speakers for your class, create strong partnerships with other campus organizations and nonprofits, and interact with local leaders at GC events. Former DCs have gone on to teach, attend law school, or join nonprofits. GC staff and chapter peers often serve as references for job and internship opportunities.

APPLY

Are you ready to take the lead? Apply online at https://generationcitizen.formstack.com/forms/dc_application 
Any questions can be emailed to kkomprathoum@generationcitizen.org

Supervisor(s)
Hiring Manager
Paid
Paid
Timeframe
Fall
Credit
No