Description
The Education Specialist facilitates educational services to enhance integration of refugee and immigrant adult clients and their children. The Education Specialist works within IRC providing a range of supportive services to meet clients' educational needs. This position is primarily responsible for coordinating and teaching necessary educational classes as well as facilitating individual tutoring and mentoring services provided by volunteers and interns.
Major Responsibilities:
- Educational Service Coordination:
- Facilitate adult education classes, including arrangement of class schedules, enrollment and registration.
- Administer pre and post assessments and enter results into database analysis by program leadership.
- Pair youth participants with volunteers and interns who will provide individual youth tutoring and mentoring services.
- Provide support to tutors and mentors, as needed.
- Teaching & Facilitation:
- Facilitate established educational classes and learning activities for multilingual groups of IRC clients, utilizing approved curriculum and program materials with support from interpreters.
- Incorporate computer-based learning into the education process.
- If insufficient volunteers or interns are recruited, provide direct tutoring and/or mentoring to youth participants.
- Interdepartmental Collaboration:
- Collaborate with Caseworkers to maintain and distribute language specific and culturally appropriate recruitment materials and community resources to all IRC Iowa clients.
- Connect clients to internal and external services through referral systems.
- Reporting and Compliance:
- Track and record attendance, referrals, progress, and other such data points using Microsoft products, digital platforms, and electronic filing systems.
- Participate in all program meetings, staff development activities, and actively engage as a team member.
- Adhere to all policies, procedures, program standards, and grant requirements.
- Other related duties as assigned.
Job Requirements:
- High school diploma or equivalent required; coursework or training in Education or a related field preferred.
- TESOL certification and/or experience in TESOL instruction in a classroom setting for an adult education program, preferred.
- Minimum one year of relevant experience working with refugees, immigrants, or other diverse populations required.
- Fluency in written and spoken English. Bilingual in client language (Swahili, Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Spanish, French, etc), preferred.
- Cross-cultural understanding and strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Computer proficiency with an emphasis on Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook). Experience in web-based data entry systems and databases strongly preferred.
- Able to work through a variety of mediums in presenting and teaching effectively.
- Demonstrated ability to work as a team member in a multi-cultural environment.
- Valid driver's license, reliable vehicle with current insurance, and the ability to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area for remote, home or field-based teaching.
Working Environment:
- Combination of working in a standard office environment and working in the community including meetings with community partners.
- Occasional weekend and/or evening work required.
- May also be needed to provide transportation for clients in personal vehicle or in agency vehicle.
Compensation:
- $21 - $22.80/hr
Benefits:
- 10 paid sick leave
- 10 U.S. holidays
- 20-25 generous paid time off based on role and tenure
- Medical insurance starting at $163/month
- Dental starting at $6.50/month
- Vision starting at $5/month
- Flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, and commuter)
- A 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match (immediate vesting) along with a non-elective employer contribution based on age and years of service (3-year vesting)
- Disability and life insurance
- An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families