Capacity-Building Children’s Literacy VISTA

RIF VISTA members will improve education outcomes for Pre-K through 8th grade students–including those attending schools with low educational achievement levels and those in communities with higher-than-average poverty levels—by bolstering support for literacy programs and increasing the capacity of local partners. The VISTA member identifies and implements strategies aimed at strengthening the capacity of communities to engage in literacy activities. These tactics support the theory that a more literate community leads to a reduction in poverty rates. VISTA members will enhance partnerships and capacity-building related to children’s literacy in two cities: Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Each member will develop and lead a professional learning community (PLC) in one of these cities and will develop a communication plan for ongoing outreach to community members. VISTA members will have the opportunity to travel to their designated city at least once during their term. Members will have the opportunity to participate in general professional development, as well as training in the areas of education and children’s literacy.

VISTA members will identify current children’s/family literacy efforts in the designated community, identify the literacy curricula used by the school districts in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD and develop literacy-related content to support those curricula on RIF’s Literacy Central. VISTA members will also conduct outreach to share about the availability of this new content. VISTA members will deliver effective educator/parent engagement strategies and create resources to drive student reading engagement, motivation, frequency and joy, which includes disseminating new and existing content and evaluating community feedback on content and resources. VISTA members will also contribute to RIF’s digital library, Skybrary, by adding new books to its book-authoring tool.

RIF seeks two VISTA members with a background in communications, education, or related fields. Candidates should have excellent writing/communication skills, strong computer and multi-tasking skills, and interest in research.

RIF is located in the NoMA neighborhood of Washington, DC and offers a dynamic and collaborative work environment. For more information please see https://www.rif.org/.

RIF does not offer additional salary support beyond what is offered by the VISTA program.

Schedule: This position is a full-time commitment (40 hours/week) and lasts for one year (12 consecutive months). The VISTA will work a Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm or 10 am-6 pm schedule. RIF operates on a hybrid schedule of 3 days in-person and 2 days remote, although this will be at the discretion of the direct VISTA supervisor.

Qualifications:

• Desired education level: Currently enrolled or graduated from college
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; basic coding experience a plus
• Excellent ability to communicate orally and in writing to a wide range of people
• Effective planning, time management, and organizational skills
• Knowledge about the U.S. education system, teaching, youth development, and/or childhood literacy preferred
• Proven ability to maintain good working relationships with a variety of people and groups
• Highly resourceful, self-directed, and flexible with excellent team coordination abilities
• Must be able to meet strict deadlines and adapt to changing deadlines
• To serve in AmeriCorps VISTA, applicants must have one of the following citizenship statuses: U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, Lawful Permanent Residents, or persons legally residing in a state that have the following legal residency classifications: refugee, asylum or asylee, temporary protected status or deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status. This is a requirement set by AmeriCorps.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

• Work Environment: The job operates in a hybrid office work environment with regular work at RIF office and remote work from home office.
• Travel Requirements: No travel required
• Physical Demands: This is largely a sedentary role. Physical requirements include operating standard office equipment. Communicating orally with stakeholders, management, direct reports, and other co-workers is essential. Regular use of the telephone, computer and e-mail for communication is essential. Light lifting of up to 25 pounds may be required. Continuous typing and viewing of a computer screen required.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, veteran or disability status.