After-School Elementary Literacy & STEAM Volunteer - Volunteer Position (US Applicants)

Position Title: After-School Literacy & STEAM Volunteer

Organization: Liberia Economic Development Initiative (LEDI)

Location: Knight Elementary School, Gwinnett County, GA (In-Person)

Position Type: Volunteer Literacy & STEAM Coordinator

Commitment: 3-4 hours, 1 day per month (6-month total program commitment with option to renew)

🌟 About the Program

LEDI will host our inaugural "One World, Many Stories: A Global STEAM Literacy Initiative" 6-session after-school program designed for 20 Grade 1–2 students at Knight Elementary School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Our program combines multicultural children's literature with hands-on engineering challenges to foster academic enthusiasm, global citizenship, and creative problem-solving. Most importantly, volunteers help build meaningful connections, enabling students to build their own home libraries and connect with peers in Liberia!

🎯 Core Goals

• Provide a nurturing, structured, and fun environment for young learners to explore global cultures and hands-on STEAM concepts.
• Empower students to build confidence in reading comprehension, collaboration, and critical thinking.
• Help facilitate memorable global literacy exchanges between local students in Gwinnett County and children in Liberia.

📋 Volunteer Responsibilities

As a Volunteer, you will work alongside LEDI program coordinators in a small-group setting to ensure every participant is learning, growing, and thriving:

• Read-Aloud Partner: Engage small groups of 1st–2nd graders with authentic multicultural picture books.
• STEAM Activity Facilitator: Guide students through inquiry-based engineering design challenges (e.g., food science, transportation, and conservation projects).
• Global Explorer Guide: Help students document their journey in their Global Explorer Passports and prepare letters/literacy gifts for students in Liberia.
• Session Support: Assist with room setup, welcoming students, materials management, and cleanup.

🔑 Qualifications & Requirements

• No prior professional childcare experience required! Just enthusiasm, patience, and a desire to encourage kids.
• Must be located in or able to commute to Gwinnett County, GA.
• Reliable Commitment: Ability to commit to 3-4 hours, 1 day per month across the 6-session initiative to ensure consistency for the students.

🔐 Required Volunteer Credentials & Onboarding

To ensure child safety and alignment with school district standards, all candidates will complete:

1. Brief Screening / Interview (Virtual or Phone call)
2. Standard Background Check
3. Reference Check
4. Brief Online Training Session & LEDI Volunteer Policy Agreement
5. Preference Given to Education Background, Experienced School Volunteers, and/or Residents of Gwinnett County

🎁 Volunteer Benefits

• Direct, meaningful impact on young elementary students in your local community.
• Hands-on experience facilitating integrated literacy and STEAM activities.
• Official verification of volunteer hours / letter of recommendation upon program completion.

📞 How to Apply & Next Steps

Once you sign up through Idealist.org, a member of our team will reach out to you to discuss program scheduling, location details, and onboarding!

• Email: info@ledinow.org
• Phone: 678-661-1334
• LEDI Website: www.ledinow.org
• Cancellation Policy: If you are unable to attend a scheduled session, please give at least 24 hours' advance notice so we can ensure proper coverage for the children.