Academic Engagement and Youth Development Specialist - Granite State Education Corps

In the Granite State Education Corps, direct service AmeriCorps members serve youth, grades 4-12 across New Hampshire. Many Granite State youth have been impacted by trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which, without proper support, can negatively affect success, health, and functioning long-term.

The good news? The impacts of ACEs can be counteracted, and one of those “counter-ACEs” is relationships. The Granite State Education Corps aims to introduce stability and positive relationships into the lives of at-risk middle and high school youth by pairing them with AmeriCorps member mentors, who regularly meet one-on-one or in small groups with a caseload of ten students to increase their resiliency, social and emotional skills, and self-sufficiency—in essence, serving the “whole child.”

Members are placed at host site organizations across the Granite State, from the Seacoast’s Dover and Rochester to Tilton, by the lakes and mountains, to southern New Hampshire’s cities of Concord, Manchester, and Nashua. Host sites include schools like Next Charter School and Kreiva Academy; community organizations such as the Dover Housing Authority and Nashua Police Athletic League; and afterschool programs like the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester.

Daily Duties:

-Members mentor and provide academic support to a caseload of at least ten students that have been impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

-Members use individual student data to inform practice, meeting one-on-one with youth to build relationships and set goals for the students' growth

-Members facilitate experiential learning activities, including outdoor education and adventure-based programming

-Members may create and lead lessons or after school clubs such as drama, environmental, community service/leadership, chess, culinary, robotics, debate, etc. - depending on their skill set and interests

-Members implement Social Emotional Learning best practices when interacting with students