Visiting Teacher Program Volunteer
From AFSWiki
AFS-USA Volunteer Position Description
Visiting Teacher Program Volunteer
Responsible to: Visiting Teacher Program Coordinator
General Description: The Visiting Teacher Program Volunteer is responsible for assisting in the overall experience of the Visiting Teacher within the Team.
Time Required:
- 10-20 hours per month depending upon your Team
- Length of service time : 1 year minimum commitment
Competencies Required:
- Detail oriented
- Flexible
- Dependable
- Excellent relationship and team-building skills
- Negotiating, mediating, recognizing others, problem-solving, listening
- Ability to maintain open lines of communication with other volunteers within the Team as well Regional and National Staff.
- Capacity to work in collaborative environment with variety of personalities and cultures
- Capability to assess needs and then plan accordingly
- Access to personal computer required and necessary (specifically online services)
Training:
- Minimum
- Introductory Orientation & training
- Participation in regional or national conferences or training events
- Database training
- Opportunity to attend Visiting Teacher Arrival and End-of-Stay Orientation in NY
Materials/Resources Provided by AFS:
- Volunteer Registration materials & manual available online at afswiki.org
- Visiting Teacher Handbooks (host family, mentor teacher, liaison, and VT pre-arrival)
- Marketing materials related to the Visiting Teacher Program
Works with:
- Staff
- Visiting Teacher Program Coordinator (in NY National Service Center)
- Regional Hosting Staff
- Regional Support Staff
- Regional Travel and Logistics Staff
- Volunteer
- Team Leadership
- Team and Chapter/Local Unit Volunteers
Responsibilities: With the assistance of the Team and Visiting Teacher Program Coordinator, the volunteer in this position is responsible in part for coordinating the following while working within the structure of the Team:
- Recruiting schools and mentor teachers, liaisons and host families
- Training of mentor teachers, liaisons and host families
- Monthly contact of visiting teachers and host families (or monitoring that other liaisons make that contact)
- Planning activities specific to the visiting teachers for ongoing orientation and support
- Organizing opportunities for visiting teachers to speak to community groups: Girl and Boy Scouts, 4H, Rotary (and other service clubs), church groups and youth groups
- Finding people in the community to take an interest in the teachers to plan day trips, invite the teachers to dinner or to a concert (advocating the VTP)
- Planning opportunities for the teachers which help promote cultural exchange.
- Providing an additional layer of intercultural support for the teachers and families.
- Approving Independent Travel for Visiting Teachers
Benefits to Volunteer:
- Develop lifelong relationships with volunteers, staff, and participants
- Share the power of the AFS mission with many communities, individuals and families
- Enhanced knowledge and understanding of other cultures and the impact on the American perspective
- Play a leading role in developing AFS as a strong international education organization serving local and regional parts of the country
