Position Name:“Climate and Environmental Education Specialist- AmeriCorps member”

Number of individual AmeriCorps members serving in this position:The Program aims to recruit 8 (eight) full-time AmeriCorps members to serve in our Langley Park office. Half-time and quarter-time positions may be available, based on the interest of candidates and grantor’s approval.

Member Immediate Supervisor Name:

The Site Supervisor will provide day-to-day supervision and evaluate the AmeriCorps member’s performance according to the Program policies and procedures.
CASA’s Education Manager, Edwin Mejia, is the on-site supervisor at Langley Park. He can be reached at emejia@wearecasa.org.

Position Start Date:

The Program launch will be on September 3, 2024. If there are any position available after that day, members may start as agreed with the Program Supervisor. The actual start date for each individual will be identified on the Service Agreement.

Position End Date: August 14, 2025

Days/ Hours of Service

Full-time AmeriCorps members’ schedules are flexible but will serve approximately 40 hours per week.

Should prospective candidates be interested in part time positions and CASA receive GOSV consent, a half-time member schedule is flexible but will serve approximately 20 hours per week.

Regular service time will occur Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 7:00pm. Some evening and weekend service is required.

Individual schedules are agreed upon by the AC member and the Program Supervisor at the beginning of the program. The schedule may be changed upon agreement, based on program- or member’s need.

Host Sites. Locations:

Members may serve at the following locations:

CASA Multicultural Center, 8151 15^th Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20793

CASA Silver Spring Welcome Center, 734 University Ave, E, Silver Spring, MD 20903

CASA Wheaton Welcome Center, 11425 Grandview Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20902

CASA Rockville Welcome Center, 14645 Rothgeb Dr, Rockville, MD 20850

The main service location for each member will be identified on the individual Service Agreement.

CASA’s Mission and goals.

CASA’s Mission is to create a more just society by building power and improving the quality of life in working-class Black, Latino/a/e, Afro descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities.

CASA’s Visions is that, rooted in the collective power of our community, our inclusive, permanent, member-led movement radically transforms communities and systems to ensure the needs, dreams, and aspirations of members are fully met as we strive for justice and full liberation at home and in solidarity with others across the world.

Project Mission and Goals:

CASA’s Climate Stewardship Program is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, safe housing, and climate justice empowerment for all residents of Maryland, with a particular focus on working-class individuals from Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. We are committed to preventing the replication of existing inequities in the new green economy by prioritizing the inclusion of these communities and securing the benefits of the novel transition towards a sustainable green economy for those who have been disproportionately affected by climate change. CASA has strategically formulated a three-pronged approach to address this pressing matter. First, AmeriCorps members will lead climate education sessions for targeted marginalized communities to empower them in the transition to a green economy. Second, they will support CASA's existing Climate Justice Fellows program, in which emerging leaders are educated in climate change and environmental justice issues and trained in community-based solutions. Third, AmeriCorps members will provide wraparound services for students of CASA's green vocational training courses. This proactive approach positions individuals to access new opportunities in the green job sector and potentially start their own businesses.

Community Need:

Poverty, energy infrastructure, and housing converge to create unique inequities in health and quality of life for working-class Black, Latino/a/e, Afrodescendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities across Maryland. The use of hazardous and environmentally detrimental energy sources in substandard and deteriorating housing conditions, which are experienced by low-income residents across Maryland, including many that CASA serves, makes it clear that housing and energy significantly intersect with climate justice and public health. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, low-income households have an energy burden (the percentage of a household's monthly income spent on energy expenses) that is, on average, three times higher than higher-income households. An additional variable in the problem of poverty, energy infrastructure, and housing is the increased rate of environmental disasters caused by climate change. Multiple studies of heat, extreme cold, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires, find evidence that people of color, including Black and Latino/a/e communities, are at higher risk of climate-related health impacts than Whites. Studies of adults have found evidence of racial disparities related to climatic changes with respect to mortality, respiratory and cardiovascular disease, mental health, and heat-related illness. Collectively, this raises concerns that climate change will exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities and worsen racialized health disparities among both children and adults. The counties that our AmeriCorps program will serve are ranked high in many areas of the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), which makes them more vulnerable in times of disaster. However, Green workforce development opportunities for the people of marginalized communities is a multifaceted solution, simultaneously addressing the climate, energy infrastructure, and poverty, which lead to secondary effects in housing equity.

Member Position Summary:

Climate Stewardship Program Members will conduct monthly environmental awareness and climate action workshops tailored to the community's needs, develop related educational materials, and engage in culturally proficient outreach. Climate Workshops will be integrated into and provided alongside a variety of existing services at CASA including adult ESOL and youth leadership programs in addition to Vocational Training Courses. Members will be expected to conduct a variety of enrollment assistance and outreach tasks to navigate prospective students to ESOL and vocational training opportunities at CASA. Through this work, members will refine their abilities in communication, teaching and education, and community empowerment. Members will participate in a two-week AmeriCorps Pre-Service Orientation and initial training, covering various topics, including serving immigrant, LEP, and working-class community members. Program members will be assigned to CASA’s Education Department and assigned a specific CASA Welcome Center from where to conduct and integrate their workshops. They will also support the creation of new curriculum materials and engage in program outreach.

Required training prior to Member Placement:

CASA will provide a two-week orientation program at the beginning of the Service Year. The trainings will include an overview of CASA’s existing Climate Justice, ESOL and Vocational Training curricula, in addition to concepts related to racial equity, classroom management, program facilitation as well as best practices on outreach, record keeping, and other relevant issues. The training will also include an overview of National Service, the role of CNCS and the Maryland’s GOSV, as well as training on prohibited activities as described by CNCS.

Member Impact:

Members will assist program participants in demonstrating knowledge gains from environmental workshops, including helping community members understand how to take action in their community to address climate challenges, and choosing a career on a green pathway should they choose. Through assisting program participants enroll in educational and vocational training opportunities at CASA, AmeriCorps members will help participants build their leadership skills, develop their self-confidence, problem solving abilities, and engage their families in their own learning process. Members will be evaluated on outcomes including: number of students enrolled in educational opportunities; number of attendees at environmental workshops; number of participants who successfully complete coursework; knowledge gains attained by workshop and course participants, etc. In addition, members will be evaluated on attainment of a variety of soft-skills including public speaking, teamwork, communication, and professionalism.

Essential Functions of Position:

Conduct culturally and linguistically tailored community outreach for CASA’s educational programs through phone banking, street outreach, tabling community events, and developing a network of community partners to refer students.
Create and disseminate multilingual educational materials such as flyers, training presentations, and brochures for green vocational courses.
Assist with student enrollment and individual course placement at the start of each class session.
Outreach students with poor attendance via telephone to encourage them to return to class; support strong student attendance and retention by providing referrals to services with the potential of alleviating barriers to consistent program participation.
Create a database of CASA’s green-skilled workers, including newly-certified vocational training students.
Create a database of local minority-owned green businesses.
Keep students informed of CASA services and events.
Serve as teacher’s assistants during class hours including co-facilitating the presentation of new curriculum content and providing instructional support to individual and small groups of students as they practice newly developed language skills
Develop and facilitate culturally and linguistically tailored climate justice workshops that emphasize the unique positioning of CASA’s students to mitigate the impact of climate change and take advantage of professional opportunities within the Green Buildings and the Energy Efficiency Industry
Develop and lead community service activities and field trips for participants;
Conduct weekly phone banking to administer Climate and Green Workforce Surveys.
Support the existing Climate Justice Fellowship Program through the planning and implementation of training activities
Provide wraparound support for students attending green vocational training courses such as the following: prep for job interviews, resume writing, assistance with job fair navigation and job placement
Create engaging, practical and culturally relevant ESOL lessons and supplemental materials to educate working adults on a variety of topics related to climate justice
Administer, grade and record student assessments to track progress and learning gains
Administer student surveys and support student feedback sessions to identify opportunities for curriculum updates and improvement to overall program quality
Support Program Coordinators with daily logistics and implementation of CASA’s educational programs

Note: The AmeriCorps member will not be allowed to perform duties that violate the AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities or fall outside of the program goals.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and abilities:

Bilingual in Spanish and English; additional language proficiency, particularly French, beneficial but not required
Experience performing duties in multicultural environments.
Highly organized and efficient, “can-do” attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and attention to detail; high degree of initiative.
Fast learner.
Some experience as a facilitator a plus
Highly organized and efficient with attention to detail, deadlines and punctuality
Team-oriented with a “can-do” and flexible attitude; high degree of initiative
Highly computer literate including proficiency and experience with Google Suites (PowerPoint/ Google Slides, Google Forms, Excel Sheets/ Google Sheets, Microsoft Word/ Google Docs)
Energetic and effective in community outreach
Supportive of diverse learning styles and enthusiastic about developing curriculum materials that ensure all students progress at the same pace
Energetic and extremely patient when working with self-conscious learners
Access to personal transportation.

Required Academic and Experience Qualifications:

A high school diploma or GED or agree to obtain one during the service year.
Associates degree or higher preferred.

Other requirements:

Ability to perform all of the duties outlined above.
U.S. Citizen or U.S. Legal Permanent Resident (recently naturalized citizens are encouraged to apply).
At least 17 years old.
Pass a national service criminal history check of the national sex-offender registry, state repository check (Maryland and state of residence), and FBI fingerprint check, before starting national service.
Express commitment to complete one full year of National Service.
COVID-19 vaccination: CASA has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy effective July 1, 2021 requiring COVID-19 vaccination(s) for all employees and prospective employees, AmeriCorps members, and paid or non-paid internships. In accordance with CASA's duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards, we are adopting this policy to safeguard the health of our employees, AmeriCorps members and interns, and their families, CASA members and visitors, and the community at large from infectious diseases that may be reduced by vaccinations. In making this decision, the executive leadership team reviewed recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and local health officials. All prospective employees will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or appropriate medical/religious accommodation documentation prior to the first day of employment with CASA. AmeriCorps member candidates will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or appropriate medical/religious accommodation documentation at the time of presenting proof of citizenship and SSN eligibility.

Placement Type:

The position is not a reassignment from a previous Host Site/Agency.

Prohibited Activities:

Citations:

45CFR § 2520.65 - http://www.americorps.gov/help/ac_sn_all_2012/WebHelp/index.htm
2012 AmeriCorps Provisions IV.D.3 - https://egrants.cns.gov/provisions/ACProvisions2012.pdf

While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or CNCS, staff and members may not engage in the following activities:

Attempting to influence legislation;
Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes;
Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing;
Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements;
Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office;
Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials;
Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization;
Providing a direct benefit to—
1. A business organized for profit;
2. A labor union;
3. A partisan political organization;
4. A nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 related to engaging in political activities or substantial amount of lobbying except that nothing in these 9 provisions shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and
5. An organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph 3.g. above, unless CNCS assistance is not used to support those religious activities;
Conducting a voter registration drive or using CNCS funds to conduct a voter registration drive;
Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services; and
Such other activities as CNCS may prohibit.

AmeriCorps members may not engage in the above activities directly or indirectly by recruiting, training, or managing others for the primary purpose of engaging in one of the activities listed above. Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the activities listed above on their initiative, on non-AmeriCorps time, and using non- CNCS funds. Individuals should not wear the AmeriCorps logo while doing so.

Benefits:

Full-time commitment (1700 hour/year):

Biweekly living allowance of $1,140.00 , health care coverage. Member may apply for child-care allowance.

Member will be entitled to a $7,395.00 education award upon program completion.

Three-Quarter Time Commitment (1200 hour/year):

Biweekly living allowance of $855.00.

Member will be entitled to a $5,176.50 education award upon program completion.

Half-Time commitment (900 hours/year):

Biweekly living allowance of $570.00.

Member will be entitled to a $3,697.50 education award upon program completion.

Quarter Time Commitment (450 hour/year):

Biweekly living allowance of $285.00.

Member will be entitled to a $1,956.35 education award upon program completion.

Living allowance will be paid bi-weekly by direct deposit and is taxable.

Individuals may be eligible to have the repayment of their qualified students loans postponed while serving. This postponement is called forbearance. While interest may continue to accrue during your service, if you successfully complete the term of service the National Service Trust will pay all or a portion of the qualified loan's interest that accrued during your service. Most federally-guaranteed student loans are eligible for forbearance.

CASA offers a variety of free-, high quality- training courses on Financial Education, Taxes and Citizenship.

Selection Process:

To be considered for the New Americans Opportunity Project program, interested individuals must submit a current resume and cover letter in the CASA website (https://wearecasa.org/join-us/). Staff will review the application, request an interview and application (if appropriate), conduct three reference checks, and match a potential applicant with a host site. After the applicant has met with the site supervisor at the host site, the applicant will be responsible for getting a three-part criminal history check. Individuals will not be allowed to start orientation or be enrolled in the program until all appropriate background check and paperwork is received by CASA.

Contact: For more information, contact:

Visitwww.americorps.gov for more Information on AmeriCorps programs, and www.wearecasa.org to know more about CASA, Inc.

Langley Park, Maryland

Edwin Mejia

Education Manager

emejia@wearecasa.org

Casa Inc

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AmeriCorps Climate & Environmental Education Specialist