Team Leader

About Jumpstart

Jumpstart’s mission is to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. To this end, Jumpstart trains and supports caring adults to serve as part-time Corps members, working with young children to build skills crucial to school success. Jumpstart focuses on three program areas: building School Success for young children by fostering their early language, literacy, social, initiative skills; encouraging strong Family Involvement to help families support children’s learning; and training college students to be Future Teachers and leaders in early childhood education. Jumpstart serves young children in more than 60 communities nationwide.

About the Position

The team leader prepares a team of Corps members to provide educational activities to young children and families. Responsibilities include planning and implementing effective Jumpstart sessions, facilitating team meetings, and coaching Corps members to use developmentally appropriate practices with young children. The team leader plays a variety of roles, including coach, trainer, observer, and manager, and is essential to making Jumpstart a high quality program.

Team Leader Responsibilities

School Success

  • Lead planning and implementation of Jumpstart sessions 2 times per week, this includes the facilitation of elements of the session
  • Build strong relationships with preschool staff
  • Ensure high-quality service is delivered to children by Corps members
  • Support Jumpstart’s ongoing assessment efforts

Family Involvement

  • Assist Corps members in developing strong relationships with children’s families
  • Model appropriate interactions with children’s families
  • Ensure that all Corps members communicate regularly with families and develop alternative means of communication (notes, newsletters, etc.) to support Corps members relationships’ with families

Future Teachers

  • Support school year start-up, including Corps member recruitment and training
  • Deliver various Corps member training and facilitate ongoing reflection
  • Participate in all Jumpstart Corps member training and additional team leader training

Communication and Administration

  • Participate in weekly team leader meetings with site staff to gain an understanding of high quality session implementation and support problem-solving efforts with other team leaders
  • Facilitate bi-weekly team planning meetings to allow for adequate planning and preparation for each session implementation, team building, group development and accountability
  • Serve as communication link between site staff and Corps members
  • Manage administrative tasks such as Corps member and child attendance and other documentation

Community Engagement

  • Lead team during service days and other service events
  • Represent Jumpstart at partner early childhood center and other community meetings

Time Commitment

  • Serve 12-16 hours per week during the school year including:
    • Jumpstart sessions with team, 4 hours per week (two times a week for two hours each)
    • Team planning meetings, which include planning, reflection, and/or training, 2-4 hours per week
    • Weekly meetings with other team leaders and site staff, 1.5-2 hours per week
    • Preparing for Jumpstart sessions, 2-4 hours per week
    • 3-5 hours each week in a preschool classroom during the regular school day
  • Participate in intensive training, including September Leadership Institute (over a weekend)
  • Attend periodic service days, often held on weekends

Qualifications and Experience

Team-building experience

  • Ability to lead a team of diverse Corps members to effectively plan and implement Jumpstart sessions and various program elements
  • Strong communication skills, including the ability to facilitate meetings and training
  • Experience in a leadership role, preferably with college students/peers

Management

  • Ability to manage and organize multiple tasks and people
  • Attention to detail
  • Ability to manage and prioritize time and responsibilities

Early childhood knowledge and practice

  • Experience working in an early childhood setting and/or knowledge of early childhood development
  • Ability to coach Corps members and model working effectively with children and families

Commitment to service

  • Community service experience
  • Ability to fulfill a yearlong community service commitment
  • Enthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others

Professionalism

  • Dedication to Jumpstart’s mission and program areas
  • Willingness to represent Jumpstart to outside groups
  • Willingness to seek and use available resources to support problem-solving efforts
  • Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
  • Maturity and good judgment in relating to Jumpstart peers, partners, and families
  • Availability, dependability, and willingness to be flexible

Compensation and Benefits

  • Potential to earn Work-Study award during term of service
  • AmeriCorps education award upon completion of service term (up to $1,175)
  • 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

Contact site manager Jenessa Flores Parker or call (909) 607-9290

For information or to apply online, visit www.jstart.org