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DEVELOP A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM AND STUDENT COUNCIL AT A CREE HIGH SCHOOL
Job Title: Leadership Project Coordinator (Student Council)
Discipline: Community work, human relations, education, political science, etc.
Terms: 4 or 10-month paid internship
Job Location: James Bay Cree Nations (Northern Quebec)
Salary: $475/week, housing and transportation are provided
Application Deadline: April 1st 2012
Dates: August 20 – December 21, with option to renew from January-June.
Job Description:
Youth Fusion is an award-winning, non-profit organization that aims to empower youth, create an engaging school environment, reduce absenteeism and increase academic success. Youth Fusion has been working in James Bay Cree Communities since January 2010. In this context, we have four main areas of activity:
- Organizing extra-curricular activities;
- Working with teachers to develop and animate classroom activities that help make school learning more relevant for teenagers;
- Working with local organizations to help create links between the school and community;
- Providing academic support for at-risk students.
The selected candidate will live in a Cree community and work with the local high school for 4-10 months. Transportation and a shared accommodation will be provided.
The Leadership Project Coordinator will oversee a student election process, organize weekly student council meetings and assist the council in organizing events for their peers. You are encouraged to develop and lead workshops that foster teamwork, communications skills, respect, and peer mediation skills among the student council members.
In collaboration with the student council, you will develop and implement events and initiatives to increase school spirit and attendance (for example: intramural sports tournaments, theme-dress days, mural project, talent show, movie nights, etc). Furthermore, you will work with other Youth Fusion project coordinators towards organizing a regional Leadership conference in the Spring. You may also be responsible for overseeing student council fundraising activities as needed.
Additionally, you will work with another Youth Fusion project coordinator to animate a welcoming space where students can drop in and hang out between classes or after school. You will plan and animate daily extra-curricular activities for high school students (secondary 1-5) in order to create a more positive, engaging school atmosphere. Examples may be sports, outdoor & cultural activities, healthy cooking, etc.
Finally, you will spend 5-10 hours per week providing academic support (tutoring, homework help, study-skills workshops, etc). This may be done during class hours, in collaboration with teachers, or after school.
We are looking for a candidate who is open to learning about Cree culture and adapting Youth Fusion’s program to the realities of a Northern community. You are encouraged to become and active participant in school life and you are welcome to propose additional activities according to your strengths and interests.
Our mission at Youth Fusion is to counter drop out rates by engaging the youth in projects that motivate them, and by creating a sense of belonging and school spirit. You will be working closely with school administration, other local organizations, and Youth Fusion’s Director of Operations to involve at-risk youth in the activities and to ensure that this project meets these objectives.
Duties:
- Oversee weekly student council meetings and assist the student council with organizing events for the student body
- Plan and animate daily activities to promote school spirit and healthy lifestyles
- Help supervise and animate a drop-in space for students
- Collaborate with local organizations such as radio station, youth centre, cultural department.
- Provide individual tutoring and homework help
- Respect the school’s code of conduct;
- Survey students to get feedback about activities
- Communicate with Youth Fusion’s Director of Operations and school administration on a weekly basis
- Bi-weekly reports, mid-term and final evaluations, and contribution to Youth Fusion’s blog.
Requirements:
- Must be a student or recent graduate from a Montreal University in a relevant discipline
- Must have experience working with youth
- Must have a strong desire to be a role model for the school’s students and to act as an agent of social change
- Must be able to take initiative and work independently
- Experience with First Nations communities and knowledge issues that affect First Nations in Canada is an asset
- Experience working in a cross-cultural context is an asset
- Must be fluent in English; French is an asset
- Motivation, initiative, persistence, communications skills, vision and imagination are essential for this internship
** We are open to discussing how this position can be credited as an internship within your program of study**
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