Paid Opportunity - School Partnerships Fellow for DC Public Schools

Position Description:

George Washington University (GW) is seeking a VISTA to serve as a School Partnerships VISTA in the Office of Engagement and Partnerships (OEP) at DC Public Schools (DCPS). The VISTA will increase the capacity of the School Partnerships Division through new research, identification of best practices, and creation of new tools. The VISTA will work for one year with GW and DCPS staff and community members and will be able to build education-related knowledge and experience, as well as partnership development, project management, and communication skills. The year-long project term is somewhat variable, based on the start date, but will likely begin in January 2025. We are seeking candidates who excel in relationship-building, are results-oriented and comfortable taking initiative, and have strong communications and project management skills. This is a full-time (40hrs a week) 12 month service term with the GWServes AmeriCorps VISTA Program.

Benefits for Members:

Benefits include a monthly living allowance of $2,145 (before tax), an education award ($7,395) or stipend ($1,800) at the completion of your term, health coverage, childcare assistance, relocation reimbursement, deferral or forbearance of school loan repayments, personal and medical leave, potential eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, travel payment to attend the Preservice Orientation, and reimbursement for some other work-related travel expenses. You will also receive regular support, training, the chance to collaborate with other VISTAs in the program, and the unique benefits and opportunities of living and working in Washington, D.C.

Key attributes:

A successful School Partnerships VISTA will need these skills to perform successfully:

• Ability to commit to a full-time 12-month term of AmeriCorps VISTA service
• Experience drafting communications for external audiences
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and achieve goals
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to develop and execute detailed project plans

Primary responsibilities:

The successful School Partnerships VISTA candidate will have to perform:

• Support with activities related to DCPS’ new strategic plan, particularly DCPS Partnerships Team efforts to standardize afterschool offerings across schools
• Plan and execute a series of partner engagement opportunities in Spring 2025
• Codify the partner intake and vetting process
• Additional capacity-building activities as assigned

Project goals and outcomes:

It is projected that the following impacts will accrue from the program:

• Design and produce a suite of resources to support partners in the successful completion of DCPS’ compliance processes (e.g., clearances, memorandums of agreement, etc).
• Strengthened relationships between DCPS and school program providers
• Increased partner satisfaction with DCPS and improved feelings of engagement
• More financial, human, and in-kind resources as well as strengthened infrastructure to meet school and partner needs

Special skills and knowledge:

The candidate should possess the following skills to meet the responsibilities, goals, and outcomes of this position:

• Knowledge of Microsoft office suite
• Relationship building
• Written communications
• Project management
• Experience translating complex topics into understandable language or resources
• School-community partnerships