Posted: January 20, 2012

About The Posse Foundation: The Posse Foundation, a dynamic youth leadership development and scholarship program, identifies, recruits and selects student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams called "Posses." These teams are then prepared, through an intensive Pre-Collegiate Training Program, for enrollment at top universities nationwide, to pursue their academics and to help promote cross-cultural communication on campus. The Posse Program has demonstrated great success since its inception in 1989, placing over 4,200 students at top colleges and universities. Posse Scholars have won over $480 million in scholarships from Posse partner universities and are persisting and graduating at a rate of 90% — far higher than the national average.

Volunteer Description: The Posse Foundation is currently seeking writing coaches to assist Posse Scholars in honing their writing skills. The writing component of the training program is critical to the pre-collegiate work with Posse Scholars.

Posse needs two types of coaches:
1. Group Writing Session Coach: Coaches who teach and co-facilitate six writing sessions for a Posse of ten students over the course of three months. These coaches will help Scholars bridge the gap between high school-level writing and college-level writing. The Group Writing Coach will conduct each writing session with a Posse staff member.
Responsibilities include:
• Meeting with Posse Scholars as a group biweekly for approximately three months, following a writing curriculum designed to address the expectations of college level writing; these biweekly sessions will occur on either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from 4-6pm
• Being available to Scholars outside of scheduled writing sessions if help is needed
• Providing thoughtful and constructive comments to Scholars on their writing assignments
• Meeting with a Posse staff member to plan each writing workshop

Required Training/Orientation: All Group Writing Coaches must attend a mandatory training and orientation session. (exact date to be determined).

2. Individual Writing Coach: Coaches who create their own “office hours” and tutor Scholars one on one according to their own schedule. These coaches will help Scholars identify their writing strengths and weaknesses and provide tailored feedback. Each Individual Writing Coach will be assigned to a Posse and will work with 1-2 Scholars. Scholars are required to meet with their assigned Writing Coach a minimum of three times during the Writing Program. Once that minimum has been met, it will be up to the Scholar and the Coach to determine whether further meetings are possible and/or necessary. The Coach and the Scholar decide the date, time, and location of their meetings. Posse’s office is available as a meeting location weekdays from 10am to 6pm.

Required Training/Orientation: Individual Coaches who have never been a Posse Writing Coach before must attend a mandatory orientation session. ALL individual coaches will then attend the first writing session with their assigned Scholar(s). (exact date to be determined)

Qualities/Qualifications:
• Professional or significant experience in writing
• Ability to work effectively with a group (for group coaches)
• Ability to work well with youth
• Ability to provide clear and concise feedback on writing
• Ability to work well in a team
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Time flexibility

How to apply
If you are interested, submit your resume and a writing sample to maryc@possefoundation.org Last day to apply: Friday, March 2, 2012.