Commonwealth Corps Service Internship Position Description
Boston Cares Allies For Immigrants
Commonwealth Corps Program Coordinator
The mission of the Commonwealth Corps service internship program is to engage Massachusetts residents of all ages, backgrounds, and identities in direct service to strengthen communities, address critical needs, and increase volunteerism. Through hands-on experience, Commonwealth Corps members gain professional skills and valuable knowledge while positively impacting diverse communities in our state.
The Massachusetts Service Alliance (MSA) is a private, nonprofit agency that oversees the program and supports host site partners and members to find success throughout the program year. The two Commonwealth Corps members with Allies for Immigrants will serve 10 months in a full-time capacity. They will join a diverse corps of members across Massachusetts who share a common desire to discover their passion and build their network in service to their communities and the Commonwealth.
Boston Cares recruits, trains, and deploys individual and corporate volunteers who strengthen communities and improve the lives of people in need. Two Commonwealth Corps members will serve as part of Boston Cares’ Allies for Immigrants program in partnership with English for New Bostonians. The Boston Cares member will serve as a Commonwealth Corps Program Coordinator, supporting the growth and development of the Allies program by recruiting, training, and supporting volunteer ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) tutors, and developing systems and tools to facilitate stronger engagement, including the continued development of the Allies Peer Leadership Program a peer leadership program to build sustainable capacity. The Boston Cares member will also collaborate closely with the Commonwealth Corps member at English for New Bostonians to recruit and train new volunteer tutors and provide support to an active tutor base of 110 tutors serving with 11+ programs in Dorchester, East Boston, Roslindale, Allston, Chinatown, South End, and Quincy.
What You’ll Do:
Essential Responsibilities:
- Complete a minimum of 1,500 hours of service, serving through June 21, 2025
- Attend a minimum of 6 Commonwealth Corps trainings and service events held by MSA post orientation.
- Participate in a minimum of 1 hour of MSA-related activities each week. This include filling out timesheets, completing a bi-monthly reflection or check-in, or other MSA-related tasks or activities.
- Recruit, train, and support volunteer tutors serving in ESOL programs around Boston.
- Support new tutor recruitment efforts bringing in and training new program tutors 2 to 3 times annually.
- Support students as a tutor at one or more program sites.
- Communicate with volunteers via phone, email, and in-person to address questions and support engagement.
- Engage in community meetings to meet community leaders and ESOL program students, understand community priorities and develop relationships with Allies for Immigrants ESOL Tutor Corps program sites, including monthly site visits and neighborhood roundtables with Allies tutors.
- Support data entry and management in HandsOn Connect, a Salesforce based system for volunteer management; ensure volunteer opportunities are posted to the system and volunteer tracking is completed in a timely manner.
- Continue development of the Allies Peer Leadership Program that engages volunteers in regular communication and support between students, programs, and Allies for Immigrants staff:
- Define the role and responsibilities of a peer leader in a virtual capacity and in-person service capacity.
- Assess program needs for Peer Leaders at each site as needed throughout the service term.
- Deepen the current recruitment plan and training program for leaders.
- Create and facilitate regular meetings of Peer Leaders across program sites to build the network of leaders and deepen connections.
Marginal Responsibilities:
- Serve as a full member of the Boston Cares team – attend staff and department meetings.
- Represent Boston Cares and Allies for Immigrants in the community.
- Lead New Volunteer Orientations for general Boston Cares members, promoting Allies as an opportunity.
- Be a part of the greater Commonwealth Corps community, including participating in cross-site learning groups, writing a short profile for the CC newsletter, connecting with other members on our online platforms, and attending optional social/service events.
Who You Are:
You must be:
- A Massachusetts resident with legal authorization to work in the U.S.
- 18 years of age at minimum (member age range is 18 – 70+ years old)
- Excited to give back to your community and interested in developing your skills and gaining new professional experiences
- Able to balance service internship commitments with personal commitments in a sustainable way.
- Excited to give back to your community and help others.
- Interested in developing your skills and gaining new professional experience and knowledge.
- Able to balance service internship commitments with personal commitments in a sustainable way.
- Familiar with Microsoft Office and Google Suite
- Able to serve as part of a small team in a fast-paced environment.
- Able to take initiative and work independently on projects.
- Passionate for community-based development.
- Able to communicate clearly with diverse groups.
- Able to serve in a shared office environment.
It would also be great if you:
- Have experience working or volunteering in diverse community settings and comfortable learning new neighborhoods and traveling/visiting programs across the Boston area.
- Have experience speaking in front of a group, serving as a mentor, teacher, or tutor.
- Interested in a career in the nonprofit sector.
- Speak a language other than English -- multi-lingual candidates encouraged to apply.
Term of Service:
- Position Start Date: August 19, 2024
- Position End Date: June 21, 2025
- Service commitment: 40 (full-time) hours per week during the following days/times
- Service commitment will average 38-40 hours per week with hours primarily Monday-Friday with a typical day being 9am-5pm (8 hours).
- You will be required to work in person in the office Tuesday and Thursday, the other three days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) will be working remotely unless a special project or training is planned for those days.
- Occasional evening and weekend commitments at minimum of two weeks advance notice will be provided.
- The schedule will be arranged with the supervisor with some opportunity for flexibility.
- Potential for occasional evening and weekend commitments at minimum of two weeks advance notice will be provided.
Accepted members will be required to undergo a criminal history check.
Boston Cares will recruit and select persons in all positions to ensure a diverse and inclusive climate without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, color, political affiliation, creed, national origin, marital status, or any other status as protected by federal, state, and local laws. Boston Cares welcomes applications from individuals with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations for interviews and for service upon request.