The Global Links Library & Literacy Campaign
Volunteer Student Coordinators
Job Description
The Global Links Library & Literacy Campaign seeks two volunteer student coordinators. The GLLC forms one of several service projects developed in 2007 as part of Elon University’s winter term study abroad course to South Africa. The program establishes and or develops the resources of libraries in schools, crèches (nursery schools/kindergartens) and community centers in low-income areas in South Africa, the United States, and any other region of the world that asks for our help. In 2010, the program joined forces with the “It Takes a Village” tutoring program, another service-learning project created by Dr. Jean Rattigan-Rohr, a professor in the School of Education. Together, It Takes a Village and The GLLC are designed to: improve literacy, foster a love of reading and cross-cultural understanding among constituents, promote libraries as central to community development and the cornerstones of democratic ideals, offer tutorial and technological support to librarians, struggling readers and their families, and provide students with virtual and mortar-and-brick environments through which they can create and share original artistic pieces, such as poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and other original works of art. The GLLC Volunteer Student Coordinators report to Dr. Prudence Layne, Associate Professor in the Department of English.
Projects may include: planning and marketing GLLC recruitment, fundraising, and awareness events; creating displays; grant-writing; building relationships with on-campus and off-campus financial, educational, and literacy resource organizations; recruiting and organizing student volunteers, updating information for the GLLC portion of the South Africa Study Abroad website, contributing in the development and sustainability of the GLLC through new and existing programming, and more.
Qualified candidates should:
• commit to working the full academic year;
• be currently enrolled as Elon University students;
• demonstrate the ability to prioritize and balance their academic responsibilities and commitment with the position;
• demonstrate knowledge or interest in event planning, and community outreach
• show strong leadership, initiative, and the ability to work with minimal supervision;
• show strong written and oral communication skills;
• show a strong interest in literacy, education, librarianship, or a connected interest;
• have knowledge and access to a personal computer, printer, email, and phone with a familiarity of Microsoft Office and publishing software;
Job Responsibilities
• Work with community partners to establish or develop age-appropriate reading lists, materials, guidelines and schedules of readings.
• Provide weekly updates to their supervisor and written monthly reports on the status of ongoing projects and initiatives;
• Secure sustainable funding and partnerships for establishing and developing books and technological resources at the recipient library.
• Recruit enough volunteers to assist with the packing of books for distribution
• Send out the work roster for each assignment, to the volunteers, with a carbon copy to the faculty coordinator of the GLLC project
• Meet with the volunteers as needed for a debrief and update on the project
• Ensure that all donated books are stamped and inventoried
• Prepare summary reports, maintain records of the GLLC project activities, process incoming requests for library materials and tutoring.
• Solicit book donations
• Advertise and promote GLLC programs and events.
• Provide written updates/material for the GLLC portion of the SASA website.
• Work with GLLC program librarian to develop assessment instruments, outreach programs, and promote the library resources through reading groups, forums, and homework tutorial services. (The goal is to provide homework helpers. reading partners, tutorial services, and strategies to help struggling readers succeed at home and in the classroom.)
This transcontinental, multicultural, literacy initiative attempts to bridge the disconnection between what students learn in the classroom to the real world, other cultures, and their own realities.
Student Outcomes:
The program is designed to:
• create a positive atmosphere in which literature is used to improve reading competency and literacy
• get families to read together
• link students from different countries to share opinions and views on the books they read
• foster multicultural awareness and understanding through literature
• increase communication among students around the globe about crises, events, and lifestyles in other areas of the world
• develop student technological competencies with computers, software, and learning tools like blogs and the internet
• prepare students for the 21st century
• foster friendship among students of similar ages in various countries and communities
• help students accept differences and find commonalities with others
• demonstrate the power an function of literature to change oneself and the world
Community Outcomes:
The program is designed to:
• increase patron usage at the recipient library
• develop libraries as agents of community development and sites of democratic values
• improve literacy and reading competencies among elementary, middle school, and high school student participants in the program
• bridge the gap between institutions of higher learning and local and global community partners
Time Commitment
The positions are for the full academic year, beginning September 1st – May 31st. Hours will include office work hours, events, meetings and some independent hours. In addition, this includes, but is not limited to a one hour weekly meeting with the GLLC Faculty Coordinator. Expect to work a minimum of 3-10 hours per week. If you are interested in the position, please send a letter of interest to Dr. Prudence Layne at playne@elon.edu by September 16TH at 5:00 pm.