Watsonville, California

Located just miles from the beach, Watsonville is situated on the Monterey Bay between Santa Cruz and Carmel. This is an exciting location where volunteers can make a difference in the lives of residents and enjoy the sunshine and beauty of this coastal town. Volunteer opportunities include one-on-one and small group tutorial, and academic and social support for students and their families. Bilingualism (Spanish) is a plus.

Site Director: Liane Delsuc, SND
Phone: 831-768-9828
E-mail: watsonville@ndmva.org

Moreland Notre Dame School
Watsonville, California

The student population at the school is diverse, drawing on the diverse population of the agriculturally based region. With the goal of meeting the needs of individual children from kindergarten through eighth grade, emphasis is placed on recognizing and addressing learning challenges, one-on-one and small group tutorial, and academic and social support for students and their families. Tthe member would also serve in the newly founded School Extension Prorgram offering homework help and providing creative activities. As a Catholic school, founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, California Province, the faculty and staff, in partnership with parents, work collaboratively to provide students with the foundation of Christ-centered faith and life-long learning.

Pajaro Valley Unified School District

Although members serve in different schools each year depending on the needs of the district, the descriptions of the schools below are typical of those we serve. Volunteers serve as teachers' aides during the school day and as after-school program helpers. The schools serve a primarily Hispanic population and parents are often agricultural workers with poverty level income. Members choose the educational level they most want to serve.
More information is available at www.pvusd.net

Lakeview Middle School was built in 1994 and was once the site of a California Indian village and burial grounds. It is nestled at the foot of the coastal mountains at the edge of the Pajaro Valley. Several small lakes encircle the northern edge of the campus with both Kelly Lake and College Lake providing prominent views from the campus. This public school serves primarily in grades six through eight.

The Notre Dame AmeriCorps members provide small group and individual tutoring as well as support service to students in the classroom and in the afterschool program. There is the possibility of creative planning of a class (music/arts/crafts/yoga/newspaper club/etc) in the after-school program.

More information is available at http://lakeview.pvusd.net/

Calabasas Elementary School is a public school serving about 625 students in grades K-6. The school is located in the countryside just north of Watsonville overlooking apple and berry fields. Students come from low income families and speak Spanish in their homes. The school's enrollment area has one of the last remaining seasonal farm labor camps in the Watsonville area.

NDA volunteers work closely with classroom teachers to provide instructional support in small groups. Members will also work in the school's extensive after school program providing instruction in academic and/or enrichment activities. The school campus includes extensive areas for play and sports, a school garden and computer labs for web-based instruction and games. NDA volunteers may also assist with the parent involvement program.

Pajaro Middle School is a public school serving 6th through 8th grade in the Latino community of Pajaro. 88% of the students are from low income families and half are English language learners, Spanish being their primary language. NDA members will assist classroom teachers, tutor individuals and small groups and participate in the after-school program where both academic and enrichment activities are included.
This site is about 2.5 miles from our community living and a car would be helpful.

Pajaro Valley Shelter Services

Pajaro Valley Shelter Services is a non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter to low-income and homeless women and children, as well as transitional housing and life skills for low-income families as they strive to accomplish agreed upon goals and remove the barriers to self-sufficiency.

The NDA Member Responsibilities

Work in coordination with the Family Supportive Services Manager and the Shelter Manager to plan weekly the needs of the Emergency Shelter and Transition House families’ support needs.
Provides families seeking housing with rental contacts and assists with translation or other contact help.
Assist adults seeking job training with resources and support.
Follow up with families who are having difficulty meeting goals and provide needed support.
Set up the three, six and twelve month follow ups with each family that has graduated from the Shelter and Transition House Programs, visit or interview by phone and make recommendations to Family Supportive Services Mgr.
Meet with shelter staff to report on the progress of graduating families.
Keep statistics on the outcomes of families graduating from the programs.
Work with Property Manager to intervene to resolve client issues arising from monthly inspections
Work with Family Finance Mgr. to monitor progress and communicate with families if there are problems around finances.
Work with other agencies and programs to ensure that families get needed services
Acts as an advocate for clients with other organizations and individuals

Qualifications and skills needed:

Bilingual Spanish/English required
High school diploma or GED
Proficiency in the use of computers, knowledge of Microsoft Office
Good interpersonal skills, strong listening skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects successfully
Good oral and verbal communication skills
Ability to plan and work well without constant supervision
Ability to interact and negotiate with clients and other social service programs
Ability to work with “difficult” clients in a firm, yet respectful way
Good public speaking skills a plus
Ability to represent the agency well in groups

The Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County has been a reliable source of food for families in need on the Central Coast since 1972. Second Harvest's mission is to end hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. But our mission goes beyond simply providing food. Second Harvest staff is a leader in food distribution, outreach programs and nutrition education. NDA members will have the opportunity to support nutrition education efforts by direct involvement in our Food For Children and Passion For Produce programs and our school based nutrition education project. NDA members will also support food distribution efforts and outreach projects in our Agency Relations Program and Community Food Hotline.

NDA members will work in coordination with the Director of Programs on a variety of projects to promote nutrition education, physical activity and food distribution. For individuals working in nutrition education, Spanish is required, and for food distribution some Spanish is desirable. NDA members must have good communication skills, both verbal and written, proficiency in computers with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office, ability to manage multiple tasks, good speaking, and organizational skills, ability to take direction and work well in a team setting. The food bank is a fast paced organization with changing needs and challenging opportunities.

For more information, visit our web page at website at www.thefoodbank.org

Ceiba College Prep

"The Ceiba tree symbolizes family and knowledge. Family, because every new student is a new branch to our tree. Knowledge, because every student and person here at Ceiba is very smart, but needs to try their best. A tree is used to symbolize Ceiba, because we are all family […] I'm a part of the Ceiba tree because I signed up for a school but not just a school, a big, large family with about one hundred and seventy people. I think my branch is going to get bigger every day I try my best." - 6th Grade Student

Ceiba College Prep is a thriving public charter school that prepares historically under-served students for college and beyond. Our middle school program is based on high expectations, a small school setting with personalized attention, a longer school day and school year, and a positive, structured school environment. Ceiba students are enrolled in a challenging academic course load as well as art and physical education classes. At Ceiba, we believe that a student’s background should never determine his or her destiny. We plan to assemble a small and motivated AmeriCorps team that will empower our students with the will and desire to learn and aspire

For more information about Ceiba, please visit: http://ceibaprep.org

Position Each Corps member will be partnered with grade level team in order to foster a strong relationship with staff, students and families. Applicants should be prepared to work independently, as well as alongside teachers and fellow Corps members. Responsibilities include:

Provide small group, targeted support for students
Design and run extracurricular activities
Support grade-level as well as school-wide initiatives
Foster positive relationships with Ceiba families
Do whatever it takes to support the academic skills and character traits necessary to succeed in college and beyond

To be seriously considered for a position you must possess a Bachelor’s degree, resilience and flexibility. Ceiba is a special place to work and to learn. During our year together, you should expect to encounter many of the challenges and opportunities that first-year educators experience, without the pressure of being unsupported while refining your craft. By the end of your time at Ceiba, we expect Corps volunteers to have built a robust toolkit of leadership, analytical and pedagogical skills.

Read about our other California service opportunities in San Francisco and Los Angeles

Notre Dame Mission Volunteers - Americorps
403 Markland Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21212
Phone:(410) 532-6864 - Fax: (410) 532-2418

Phoenix, AZ