Servant Leader Intern and Site Coordinator

Nature and Scope:
The East TN Freedom Schools (ETFS) program is based on the Children Defense Fund's (CDF) national Freedom Schools program. CDF’s mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. ETFS' mission is to "leverage literacy with a diverse community of children to (1) reduce summer learning loss, (2) increase their love of learning, and (3) develop thoughtful and engaged citizens...one neighborhood at a time. In addition to serving the whole child, we seek to support the whole family with opportunities to learn and engage.

Our program serves children in grades kindergarten through eighth for six weeks. The activity based Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC), which is aligned to the Common Core State Standards, integrates reading, conflict resolution, and social action, and is designed to promote social, cultural, and historical awareness. A multi-year assessment of CDF Freedom Schools program sites continuously demonstrates the effectiveness of the IRC, which has proven to avert children’s summer learning loss in reading achievement. 

Servant Leader Intern Position Description

College-age young adults and recent college graduates play a key role in the CDF Freedom Schools program in the position of Servant Leader Intern. Each CDF Freedom Schools Servant Leader Intern serves as the teacher for a maximum of 10 scholars. Servant Leader Interns have access to further leadership development and networking opportunities geared toward continued direct service and advocacy on behalf of children and families.

SLI Responsibilities:

• Deliver the Integrated Reading Curriculum to a class of no more than ten students for 6 weeks during the summer months, according to the standards developed by the Children's Defense Fund and the local program sponsor.
• Set up and break down his/her classroom space, including securing and organizing the appropriate materials.
• Collaborate with staff to establish and maintain a supportive and structured environment for the children entrusted to their care.
• Serve as a Harambee! leader each day of program operation.
• Serve as a leader of afternoon activities and other special events; chaperone field trips.
• Participate fully in the National Training.s or concerns regarding program operation to the Site Coordinator.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 19-30 years of age, have completed at least one year of college, and have plans to complete the college degree
• Maintain or have graduated with at least a 3.0 GPA
• Experience managing large groups of children, college-age young people, and parents
• Solid commitment to children’s advocacy and enthusiasm for the CDF Freedom Schools program
• Ability to motivate others and work as part of an intergenerational team
• Strong appreciation and understanding of individual cultural history and the willingness to be open and respectful of all cultures
• Willingness to strive for excellence in all areas and ability to think critically and analytically
• Exhibit positive behavior and attitude; model a mature and professional demeanor; possess excellent written and verbal skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to the ethics of good character, humility, and servant leadership
• Current voter registration (as eligible by law)
• Authorization for background check for criminal and child protective findings

Visit our website to learn more! https://www.easttnfreedomschools.com/

Site Coordinator Position Description

The site coordinator should be experienced in working with large groups of children and in partnerships with young adults. He or she must be responsible, energetic, able to think on his or her feet, well organized, and a strong role model.  The site coordinator should have strong leadership skills with empathy for children and their parents. He or she should be familiar with the culture and dynamics of the community, committed to the goals of the CDF Freedom Schools program, and able to work collaboratively with all program constituents.

SC Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day activities of the site and ensure servant leader interns have necessary materials and supplies for the classroom and students.
• Provide guidance, support, encouragement, and constructive feedback to servant leader interns.
• Maintain team spirit among site staff and conduct debrief-sessions at the end of each day. 
• During the debrief sessions, provide technical assistance and feedback to the servant leader interns on all aspects of their work.
• Design and coordinate parent workshops and other parental involvement initiatives, or assist the parent coordinator or other designee.
• Work with the project director to keep the lines of communication open between parents, staff, and sponsor organizations.
• Ensure responsible management of servant leader interns employed by his/her local program site while at CDF Freedom Schools National Training in June.
• Attend Orientation and Training if new to the site coordinator position and the National Training.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 21 years of age and have completed at least one year of college
• Experience managing large groups of children, college-age young people, and parents
• Solid commitment to children’s advocacy and enthusiasm for the CDF Freedom Schools program
• Ability to motivate others and work as part of an intergenerational team
• Strong appreciation and understanding of individual cultural history and the willingness to be open and respectful of all cultures
• Willingness to strive for excellence in all areas and ability to think critically and analytically
• Exhibit positive behavior and attitude; model a mature and professional demeanor; possess excellent written and verbal skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to the ethics of good character, humility, and servant leadership
• Current voter registration (as eligible by law)
• Authorization for background check for criminal and child protective findings