Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellows

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Accepting applications for Fellowship Year 2020-2021!

Become an AmeriCorps Fellow

Our AmeriCorps Fellows play leadership roles in delivering our Middle School Academy program, the core, intensive element in our Pathway to Post-Secondary Success. Fellows lead literacy and tennis/fitness lessons, work with students’ families, help students select and prepare for high school, and more. As a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow, you will develop career skills in teaching and beyond, expand your network, and become more prepared for wherever your career takes you. And along the way, you will change the lives of Boston youth, helping them make their dreams come true.

Mentor.

Model the way!

Our AmeriCorps Fellows serve as positive role models, engaging families, and helping students prepare for high school. Fellows develop leadership skills and expand their own networks of mentors and advisors.

Teach.

Bring learning to life!

Our AmeriCorps Fellows deliver core curriculum in our Middle School Academy. Our whole-child approach includes literacy, tennis/fitness, and life skills. Fellows build skills in teaching students in group and individual contexts.

Coach.

Inspire student success!

Our AmeriCorps Fellows help middle school students build confidence and develop communication and teamwork skills both on and off the court. In the process, Fellows hone their own communication skills.

Searching for your first full-time job after college can be a daunting task. For me, one thought persisted amid the uncertainty: I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. Thankfully I found Tenacity while searching through the AmeriCorps Jobs Portal, and immediately knew it would be a great fit.

During my time as an AmeriCorps Fellow, I was able to harness multiple passions—for sports, for teaching, and for serving youth—in order to become a better professional. I learned from multiple mentors, was able to teach during and after school, and cultivated great friendships with my cohort of Tenacity Fellows.

Throughout the year, I constantly felt inspired by Tenacity’s mission and the impact we made on students and families. I worked with students not just as a teacher, but as a coach, and an advisor—in a way that was truly unique. For that reason, after a few years of teaching and furthering my education, I returned to Tenacity in order to be part of this exceptional and impressive community.

Patrick Moriarty

Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow 2014-2015

My Tenacity fellowship was a transformative opportunity that offered me meaningful professional development and long-standing mentorship. I gained critical classroom and youth development experience that has made me a competitive candidate in my current career field. This year, Tenacity welcomed me back as a volunteer for my fifth consecutive school-year – I keep returning to the program because the staff at the Curley School have created a fun workspace and an engaging learning environment. I truly feel like I’ve become a part of the community. The guidance I’ve received at Tenacity as an AmeriCorps member and as a part-time staff member and volunteer has been invaluable, I owe so much to the staff that I’ve had the opportunity to work under.

Anthony Contreras

Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow 2015-2016

As an AmeriCorps fellow at Tenacity, I had opportunities to share my passion about reading and writing with the kids, practicing tennis with them and going on lots of fun field trips with them. As fellows, we also had opportunities to teach our own electives – For my elective group in December, we had an amazing three-week journey exploring the genre musicals and at the same time learning about common themes in the songs. I really enjoy getting to know each one of the kids at Tenacity and listening to their unique stories.

Qiran “Susie” Li

Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow 2019-2020

Although it is my most challenging service yet, my unique position as a teacher, mentor, and coach has enabled me to develop meaningful relationships with students and provide well-rounded support. From creating my own elective classes to facilitating tennis competitions to meeting with families to planning field trips and events, the diversity of experiences I’ve gotten from this position is incredible.

Lucia Brown

Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow 2019-2020

Learn More and Apply!

Click here for a full description of the Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow opportunity

Join Tenacity as an AmeriCorps Fellow!

Teach | Mentor | Coach

Download a PDF copy of the Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow description by clicking below:

AmeriCorps Fellow Description

About Tenacity and the AmeriCorps Fellowship

Tenacity is a Boston-based youth development organization focused on closing the achievement and opportunity gaps. From elementary school through college and beyond, Tenacity offers a unique Pathway with a whole-child approach that combines literacy and life skills instruction, mentoring, family engagement, and tennis/fitness coaching to unlock potential and empower students.

The youth served by Tenacity’s Pathway programs develop self-confidence and positive identities as students, mentors, and leaders. The effectiveness of Tenacity’s approach is striking: a 95% high school graduation rate and 80% rate of enrolling in higher education. Tenacity is a dedicated partner of Boston Public Schools.

Tenacity’s AmeriCorps Fellows power the Middle School Academy, the core and intensive element in Tenacity’s pathway. Small teams of AmeriCorps Fellows serve at each of Tenacity’s 4 partner middle schools, offering individual and group support to students. As part of their service experience from August through June, Fellows:

Develop their teaching, professional, communication, and leadership skills and networks
Attend regular team-building and professional development events
Deliver literacy and tennis/fitness curricula, provide academic and high school planning help, lead field trips, and engage families
Serve alongside and with the day-to-day support of Tenacity’s professional, school-based staff

Core Responsibilities

AmeriCorps Fellows serve a critical role in all parts of the Middle School Academy program, collaborating to ensure excellence in program delivery; specific Fellow responsibilities include:

Developing and delivering curricula for Literacy, High School Selection, Tennis/Fitness, and Tutoring
Planning and leading field trips and high school visits
Supporting students in developing critical social, emotional, and life skills
Engaging families through scheduled visits and workshops, as well as as-needed outreach
Designing and leading an Elective based on each Fellow’s interests and experiences
Serving as a bus chaperone

As a member of a school-based team, each Fellow engages students, families, and members of the school community to represent Tenacity, support school partnership, and drive positive student outcomes.

Life as a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow

As a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow, you can expect to serve:

Full-time from mid-August through June
Mondays – Fridays either during school hours or a later shift that provides after-school hours programming
Primarily at one assigned school
On selected days (with advanced notice), attending training and team-building at the Tenacity office or other locations
From time to time, on evenings and weekends (with advanced notice)
In community projects on service days, with the Tenacity cohort
As a member of Greater Boston’s strong AmeriCorps community

Tenacity is looking for Fellows who:

Are excited about working with youth in schools
Believe that academics and fitness can support one another (but Fellows do not need tennis experience)
Want to build skills, learn new things, and challenge themselves

Benefits to Fellows

$17,000 living stipend over the course of the program year, in bi-weekly installments
An AmeriCorps education award of $6,195 upon successful completion of all requirements (pending eligibility)
A minimum of 32 hours of professional development focused on teaching, youth development, and career planning
Access to healthcare coverage, sponsored childcare, and loan forbearance (as determined by AmeriCorps), and SNAP benefits (pending eligibility)
Generous time away
Monthly MBTA pass
Join the network of over 1 Million AmeriCorps members and alumni who have strengthened their communities and their own skills!

Apply Now!

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Apply now to serve as a 2020-2021 Fellow! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Apply Here

Tenacity does not discriminate toward individuals on the basis of age, race, gender, color, national origin, ability, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation or identity. Tenacity seeks to nurture diversity among its many members. When requested, Tenacity will make reasonable accommodations for individuals with a permanent or temporary disability.

FAQ

What is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs, made up of three primary programs that seek to improve lives and foster civic engagement. Members commit their time to address critical community needs. At Tenacity, members work with middle school students at one of our Middle School Academy sites helping students grow into their best selves inside and outside the classroom.

What are the benefits of service as a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow?

Fellows gain teaching and youth development experience, while mentoring, and coaching students in tennis and literacy. The opportunity includes professional development and supervision focused on teaching, career, and leadership skills, and provides experience with urban education, family outreach, and whole child development.

Specific benefits include:

$17,000 living stipend (paid out semi-monthly)
MBTA pass
Health insurance
Possible child care benefits
A $6,195 AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion of service
Student loan forbearance
Leadership training and development
Future service opportunities
Networking opportunities

How does joining AmeriCorps affect my student loans?

Individuals who are serving in a term of service in an approved AmeriCorps position may be eligible to have the repayment of their qualified student loans temporarily postponed while they are serving. It is through an action called forbearance. While an individual’s loan is in forbearance, the member is not required to make payments. Interest may continue to accrue but if the member successfully completes the term of service and the loan is a qualified student loan, the National Service Trust will pay all or a portion of the interest that accrued during the service period.

What is an Education Award and how do I use it?

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is a post-service benefit earned by individuals who complete an approved term of national service in AmeriCorps programs. The award is named after Eli Segal, a pioneer of national service and the first CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

The award may be used to pay educational expenses at eligible post-secondary institutions, including many technical schools and G.I. Bill approved programs, or to repay qualified students loans. The dollar amount of the education award is equal to the maximum amount of the U.S. Department of Education Pell Grant and may change year to year.

How do Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellows get paid?

AmeriCorps Fellows are paid a living stipend in exchange for their service. The stipend is paid semi-monthly. Tenacity is proud to offer a competitive stipend for its AmeriCorps Fellows.

What do you look for in a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow?

Tenacity is looking for individuals who have a genuine desire and willingness to serve; someone who wants to make a difference in the community; someone who is willing to get out of their comfort zone to meet students on their level; someone who has consistency, drive, and initiative and who is inspired to help students become their best selves inside and outside the classroom.

What happens after your service year? Are there opportunities to grow within Tenacity?

Your impact with Tenacity doesn’t have to stop after your term of service. We encourage and support Fellows to step into full-time staff positions that fit their interests and career goals. We have numerous examples of AmeriCorps Fellows who have worked their way up into leadership positions across the organization—including director level roles. We actively build and retain talent here and are proud of it!