Wabanaki Student Support AmeriCorps Member

Washington Academy – Wabanaki Student Support

Position details

Start Date: 09/06/2024

End Date: 08/07/2025

Term Date: 09/06/2024 - 08/07/2025 - Note: Start and end dates flexible. Full and part-time opportunities may be available.

Location: East Machias, ME

Focus Area: Public Health, Youth

This program focuses on providing mentorship and support to students who are transitioning from Maine Indian Education/Bureau of Indian Education schools to a high school setting that is not a MIE/BIE controlled school as well as students experiencing living away from home for the first time. Washington Academy supports both international students and members of the Passamaquoddy tribe to live on campus in a dorm setting while attending classes with students from all over Washington County. The volunteer will provide direct services to native students who make up roughly 10% of the school population. This dedicated mentorship has the intention of increasing their success in school, becoming involved in the WA culture on campus, and perpetuating through to graduation and college. The volunteer will also serve to moderate a Wabanaki Student Alliance on campus that will be a space for Wabanaki students and allies to have an affinity space and share their culture, plan events, and present issues to the administration. Public Health AmeriCorps program places members with community organizations in Maine to address CDC-determined public health needs for the most underserved populations. Goodwill’s PHA program specifically places members in schools and nonprofits to support youth who have been impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences. PHA members work with community partner agencies to develop and carry out localized, evidence-based interventions, directly serving youth while increasing organizational capacity. Throughout their service, members gain the experience and training needed to prepare them for entering the public health and youth development workforce. This program has flexible start and end dates. Less than full-time opportunities may be available if the right fit!

 The member will live in our dorm, providing support to native students (who also live in the dorm) in building community. In “exchange” for free room and board, resident responsibilities include managing a dorm advisory group, chaperoning weekend events once a month, and providing academic support one evening each week. Daily charges include assisting our guidance team in identifying student needs, particularly those from Indian Township and Pleasant Point reservations. The member will also provide academic, social, emotional, and college/career guidance to students; initiate activities to engage student population in exploring culture; moderate/grow Wabanaki Student Alliance on campus; support leadership in planning and executing equity, inclusion, and diversity programming and initiatives; work with JMG teacher to facilitate one module of New Student Seminar; coordinate class team-building days; and identify content around campus to be used in print and social media marketing.