Overbrook School for the Blind is recruiting AmeriCorps members with visual
impairments to serve up to 20 hours per week as instructors in our Next Steps Skills
program. AmeriCorps members will deliver weekly lessons, provide 1 on 1 metoring,
and ultimately improve the work readiness of Pennsylvanians age 16-28 who are
visually impaired. The program is entirely virtual to remove the barriers of transportation
and geography.
Who We Are
The vision of Overbrook School for the Blind is to inspire individuals with visual
impairments to achieve their highest potential. This happens through high quality
programming and meaningful interactions with students.
Why We Do This
Individuals with visual impairments experience a higher rate of unemployment than their
sighted peers. This AmeriCorps program aims to change that and increase the work
readiness of Pennsylvanians who are visually impaired.
What You’ll Do
AmeriCorps members and the students they serve are close in age and share the
experience of living with visual impairments. This creates especially powerful near-peer
mentoring relationships and develops work-readiness skills.
AmeriCorps members serve 20 hours per week preparing and delivering lessons, and in
weekly mentoring meetings. One lesson per week is a topic from the work-readiness
curriculum and one is a social activity – think movie night or online game night. This
encourages socializing and a sense of community that is so important to wellbeing.
Weekly 1 on 1 mentoring dialogues are structured conversations focusing on
relationship building and improving students’ perception of their work readiness.
Lessons and mentoring are afterschool and evenings hours to be most accessible to
students.
What You’ll Gain
AmeriCorps members will make a difference every day! AmeriCorps members will gain
professional and leadership experience, serve up to 20 hours per week, earn a living
allowance and an education award that can be used for future education expenses or to repay student loans. Members must be between the ages of 18 – 28, live or go to
school in PA and have a visual impairment.
Learn more and apply online here or with this link:
https://www.applitrack.com/obs/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=AmeriCorps+at+Over
brook+School+for+the+Blind
Have Questions?
Reach out to Bethany Johnson, AmeriCorps Program Director
Bethany.johnson@obs.org
802.363.0296 (text or voice)