Teaching Assistant and Small Group Instructor, AmeriCorps

We at Notre Dame Mission Volunteers/AmeriCorps believe that education is the fundamental tool in the struggle for human dignity, self-esteem and self-determination. This unique site is located just 10 miles northwest of Orlando in the City of Apopka and reaches out to the community of farmworkers, immigrants, and other marginalized peoples and their families. These families are primarily of Hispanic, Haitian, and African-American descent. Members in Apopka have a primary work site where they do the majority of their AmeriCorps service. In addition, members have the opportunity to serve at each other's placements and participate in team service projects. In Apopka, members serve with a collaborative, supportive, and highly diverse team. There is a focus on learning and understanding the root causes of poverty and injustice. We serve others and, in the process, we ourselves are enriched. In the world today, collaboration, negotiation, respect of our differences and the skills to find common ground seem in short supply. The Apopka team meets every other Friday to reflect on our service experiences, support one another, do service projects and work to develop our own capacities to collaborate, negotiate and respect and appreciate our differences. Our members serve in a variety of capacities including at schools and non-profit organizations in Central Florida. Among these nonprofits are Hope CommUnity Center, The Farmworker Association of Florida, and Grace Medical Home. Please visit our website (www.ndmva.org) for more information about the specific service sites available in Apopka and the full application process.

For this opportunity in particular, the Notre Dame AmeriCorps member will be placed at a K-12 school. NDA member will work in small groups of 6 students on reading skills and provide any additional support in the classroom as needed.

Each Notre Dame AmeriCorps member has a primary service site (either in a school or with a local non-profit organization). Some of the non-profits include: Hope CommUnity Center, the Farmworker Association of Florida, and Grace Medical Home. In K-12 schools, members work one-on-one and in small groups providing academic and behavioral support to children. If the member is bilingual, often they are placed with students learning English. In non-profit organizations, members work with youth and/or adults. They may provide: academic support and/or out-of-school enrichment, community outreach/education, and adult education (for example, assisting learners of English as a second language). While they are placed at different sites for their day-to-day service, NDA members in Apopka form a strong team that meets bi-weekly and often organizes group projects that meet other needs as expressed by the community they serve.