AMERICORPS*STATE MEMBER POSITION DESCRIPTION
- Site Name: College Possible Texas
- Position Title: AmeriCorps College Access Coach or AmeriCorps College Success Coach
- Department: Program
- Reports to: Program Manager
- FLSA Status: N/A (Exception)
College Possible Texas seeks AmeriCorps*Texas members to serve as a College Access Coach or a College Success Coach at our Austin site from August 2025 to June 2026. The applicant must possess a sincere interest in empowering youth and a passion for higher education. Applicants should also possess the ability to carefully and strategically plan individual work goals in order to meet organizational objectives in a timely manner; ability to closely monitor progress towards these goals and take appropriate remedial action when necessary. Successful applicants are leaders with strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
Members must serve a minimum of 1200 hours of service (an average of 32 hours/week) and complete their full contractual term of 10 months in order to qualify for the Eli Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.
AmeriCorps Benefits:
- a bi-weekly living stipend of $950* (pre-tax)
- an Eli Segal Education Award ($5,176.50)
- free medical and low-cost dental and vision insurance
- monthly mileage and cell phone use reimbursements
- the opportunity to forbear qualified student loans during service
NOTE: Mandatory AmeriCorps training for this position will start in August 2025 for pre-service orientation unless otherwise specified. This position will have recurring access to vulnerable populations. Members must wear the AmeriCorps logo, visibly, daily.
In the event of a local, state, or federal disaster declaration, AmeriCorps members may be asked on a volunteer basis or be required by OneStar to activate to assist in disaster response and recovery activities within their communities. This may involve virtual service opportunities or in-person service opportunities. This may include service opportunities outside of the member's standard service hours or in place of their standard service duties. In the event of a large-scale, high needs local, state, or federal disaster, AmeriCorps members may voluntarily or be required by OneStar to deploy to an area outside of their service area to assist in disaster response and recovery activities.
COLLEGE ACCESS COACH ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Teach after-school, college preparatory classes for 40 or more underserved high school students at local high school campus(es)
- Ensure that students consistently receive the highest quality of services, that school partner needs are met, and that each student makes satisfactory progress toward program goals
- Gain and maintain knowledge of all students' interests, needs, and backgrounds
- Perform follow-up parent/student phone calls and/or home visits as required
- Collect, organize, and maintain student and program documents
- Plan and organize student recruitment process for any schools partnered with College Possible Texas
- Update the database and spreadsheet files on a weekly basis; maintain student records and statistics
- Provide mid-year and end of year-end progress reports for all students
- Conduct research and understand higher education norms and trend for the state of Texas as necessary pertaining to students' college and financial aid needs and interests
- Grade and provide feedback on classroom assignments, including ACT/SAT diagnostic tests
- Chaperone students on events such as college visits and the Summer Tour of Colleges
- Coordinate with the College Success Team to provide college transition services to graduating high school seniors
- Submit weekly timesheets, periodic reports (i.e. monthly reports, self-evaluations, and supervisor evaluations), and other service-related documentation as required
- Attend required programmatic and community service events
ANCILLARY FUNCTIONS:
- Serve on project teams on the following subjects, including but not limited to: program events, student communications, financial aid and literacy, AmeriCorps member recruitment, parent services, curriculum revision, and community service activities
- Adhere to program and organizational calendars for on-time task assignment and completion
- Coordinate with the supervisor to order, maintain, and inventory program supplies.
- Maintain excellent working relationships with supervisors, fellow AmeriCorps members, school district and college personnel, students and families, volunteers, donors, and the greater community
COLLEGE SUCCESS COACH ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Contact one's assigned collegians once per month by phone, email, online messaging, and possible personal meeting to address specific needs and troubleshoot problems that may arise
- Provide students direct high school to college transition coaching and support in areas including, but not limited to: new student orientation, course registration, financial aid/FAFSA issues, college transfers, career development, and other miscellaneous issues. Conduct research, provide referrals, arrange meetings, and accompany students to appointments as necessary
- Provide extended support and create personalized action plans for students in red flag situations, including loss of financial aid, family crises, drop-outs, stop-outs, deferrals, MIA students, and students enrolled in two-year colleges
- Utilize national college enrollment databases and request school transcripts to confirm college enrollment; track, document and report collegian progress toward college graduation
- Coordinate campus gatherings and student mentor programs for students attending select campuses throughout Texas, and maintain on-campus visibility and presence.
- Orient College Possible Texas' high school students to the College success program and its services by assisting the High School Program team in preparing and administering college success and transition curriculum to graduating high school seniors; ensure that students successfully enroll in college success services
- Organize and maintain up-to-date student information on student progress including milestones and deliverables in databases and physical files; monitor success program statistics; produce reports as needed
- Submit weekly timesheets, periodic reports (i.e. monthly reports, self-evaluations, and supervisor evaluations), and other service-related documentation as required
- Attend required programmatic and community service events
ANCILLARY FUNCTIONS:
- Provide recognition and leadership opportunities to collegians as appropriate, including giving internal/external awards, writing recommendation letters, and composing recognition articles for newsletter and press releases
- Evaluate college success efforts quantitatively and qualitatively for future program improvement by conducting research on best practices in college success initiatives and gathering qualitative collegian feedback (via collegian surveys, retreats, events and/or meetings)
- Maintain excellent working relationships with supervisors, fellow AmeriCorps members, school district and college personnel, students and families, volunteers, donors, and the greater community
- Update and monitor College Possible Texas' online social networking sites; respond frequently
- Assist and attend events and programs and assist non-program students on campuses as requested by the college administration
- Serve on project teams on the following subjects, including but not limited to: AmeriCorps member recruitment, mentor program, students who are undocumented, program monitoring and evaluation, community college students, students who are parents services, and community service activities
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
College Possible Texas is a dynamic, progressive and youth-focused working environment. The noise level in the work environment can be moderate to loud. Responsibilities may frequently require an adjusted work schedule and/or evening/weekend hours in order to meet deadlines or satisfy program requirements.
AmeriCorps service at College Possible Texas involves a significant on-campus presence, where members engage directly with students and faculty. In addition to on-campus duties, AmeriCorps members will have hybrid time to work from home for a few hours each week.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. College Access Coaches must also submit to and pass a comprehensive criminal background check before a final placement offer can be made, and annually thereafter.
- EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: This position requires at least a baccalaureate degree from an accredited, academically-recognized four-year college or university, and a minimum of one year related experience.