Americorps Volunteer: Mercer Slough Polliwog Preschool Project
Posted by: Pacific Science Center
Description
Position Start Date: September 1, 2012
Opportunity: Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center (MSEEC) is an extraordinary collaboration between Pacific Science Center and the City of Bellevue, Washington. Located in a 320 acre Nature Park, MSEEC delivers experiential education programs. The new Polliwog Preschool program enables MSEEC to serve early learners and families in an innovative and interactive manner that educates the whole child while initiating them into a lifelong, meaningful relationship with the natural world.
MSEEC seeks an Americorps Volunteer to work on the Polliwog Preschool Project. The Americorps Volunteer will inspire curiosity and awareness of nature while providing premier developmental education for early learners through Polliwog Preschool at Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center. Assist with design, development and instruction of a nature-based preschool curriculum. Partner with key organizations to assist with program outreach for preschool family extended learning opportunities. Develop evaluation tools to measure program effectivenes and develop a volunteer component for program support. Ensure a pleasurable experience for all program participants by following through with all paperwork as needed, responding to participants concerns as quickly as possible, and communicating in a clear manner with supervisors, peers and program participants. Ensure professional manner in delivery of programs by arriving on time for program service and adhering to program schedule and daily cleaning and upkeep of program materials. Assists in the improvement of programming by giving feedback on curriculum, adpating and expanding the curriculum, developing new curriculum, taking on service related projects as assigned. This is a stipend position with an education award at the completion of the service term.
Organization: MSEEC is an extraordinary and rich educational resource and LEED Gold certified facility and collaboration between Pacific Science Center and the City of Bellevue, Washington. The facility with visitor center, community room, office space, classrooms and laboratories is located within the Mercer Slough Nature Park, a 320 acre freshwater wetland preserve. As an outdoor laboratory, Mercer Slough is ecologically diverse and the largest remaining wetland contiguous to Lake Washington. Mercer Slough's location in an urban environment is an excellent example of how urbanization and nature can co-exist and be easily accessible to youth and families. The MSEEC capitalizes on this unique opportunity to engage citizens in experiential education focusing on environmental stewardship, wetland ecology and nature awareness.
Major Challenges/Special Conditions:
Car Recommended
Uniforms provided and required
Education Requirements:
Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in field related to early childhood education and/or environmental education. Experience teaching and working with early learners preferred.
Skill/Experience Requirements:
Education
Teaching/Tutoring
Other: Environmental Science and Early Childhood specialization and interest
AmeriCorps Eligibility Requirements
Selected member(s) should demonstrate the skills and commitment required to successfully serve in the position, serve 40 hours a week and meet the 1700 minimum hour requirement for a full-time term of service. At a minimum, the following criteria required by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) must be met:
- Be a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident (must submit proof as defined by CNCS regulation)
- Be 18-25 years of age at the start date of their service
- Pass required criminal background checks
- Not be listed on the National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR)
- Living stipend of $1,125 per month provided by Washington Service Corps (before taxes)
- Training and experience
- Subsidized childcare provided by GAP Solutions Inc. (if qualified)
- Health Insurance (member only)
- Student loan forbearance (on qualifying loans)
- $5,550 Education Award provided by National Service Trust (upon successful completion of service term)
