LiteracyCorps: Lit Street Team Volunteer (Bert Ferguson)

Program: Literacy Mid-South | LiteracyCorps AmeriCorps
Program Type: AmeriCorps State/National
Service Term: 300-hour, minimum-time AmeriCorps service term
Service Location: Bert Ferguson Community Center, 8505 Trinity Road, Cordova, TN 38018
Start Date: 10/19/26 - 7/30/27

Expected Weekly Commitment: 7–9 hours per week
Number of Positions: 1
Age Requirement: 18+

About Literacy Mid-South

For more than 50 years, Literacy Mid-South (LMS) has remained committed to one core belief: literacy changes lives. Founded in 1974 to help adults strengthen essential reading skills, LMS has expanded to serve learners of all ages across the Mid-South.

Our mission is to ensure that individuals and families have access to the literacy skills needed to thrive—academically, economically, and personally. Through direct programming and regional collaboration, LMS works to break cycles of limited literacy and expand opportunity for generations to come.

At LMS, literacy is not simply an educational outcome—it is a pathway to empowerment, equity, and long-term community transformation.

About AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism in the United States. Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, schools, public agencies, and community groups, AmeriCorps members commit to services that address critical community needs such as education, economic opportunity, disaster response, environmental stewardship, and public health.

Members serve in structured programs designed to strengthen communities while gaining valuable professional experience, leadership skills, and workforce development opportunities. In return for their service, members may receive a living allowance, professional development, and an education award to support future educational goals.

Memphis is home to several AmeriCorps programs working collaboratively to strengthen the community, including programs such as Teach For America, City Year, and AmeriCorps VISTA, all of which contribute to addressing critical community needs through national service.

About LiteracyCorps

LiteracyCorps is LMS’s AmeriCorps program that provides valuable service opportunities for members who are passionate about improving literacy in Memphis. Through the program, we provide individuals with the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of families and children by working with community organizations, schools, and other literacy partners.

The program is designed to advance literacy equity across our region. Members work directly with elementary students in low-to-no-cost programs to prevent learning loss and strengthen foundational reading skills through structured, evidence-based interventions.

Position Summary

The LiteracyCorps: Lit Street Team Volunteer will serve children and youth at Bert Ferguson Community Center through Lit Meets Rec programming. The Volunteer will support homework help, literacy intervention, reading engagement, and literacy-rich enrichment while adult learners participate in ELL classes and while older youth participate in a third-day literacy enrichment option. 

This role supports LMS’s family literacy and community-based service model by helping children and youth build reading confidence, complete homework, and participate in engaging literacy-rich activities.

During adult ELL programming, the Volunteer will support children of adult learners through structured activities that may include snack time, homework help, elementary literacy intervention, read-alouds, phonics games, vocabulary activities, book engagement, and small-group reading support. 

The Volunteer will also support an additional weekly youth literacy/enrichment day at Bert Ferguson, likely serving youth ages 10–15. Activities may include makers’ projects, tabletop or trading-card games, manga/anime club, hobby exploration, or other literacy-connected activities that build reading, communication, creativity, and confidence. 

Service Schedule

• Monday and Thursday, 5–7:30 PM: Youth support during adult ELL programming.
• Wednesday, 4–6 PM: Additional youth literacy/enrichment programming for older youth, focused on ages 10–15.
• Additional self-scheduled time for planning, preparation, travel, and check-ins outside scheduled class sessions.
• Expected weekly commitment: 7–9 hours per week. 

Consistent attendance, dependability, and timely completion of service hours and documentation are essential to successfully completing the service term.

Essential Service Responsibilities

• Provide homework help and academic support for children and youth at Bert Ferguson.
• Lead or support structured literacy activities for elementary-age children during adult ELL programming.
• Support an additional youth literacy/enrichment day for older youth, likely ages 10–15.
• Use reading, writing, discussion, games, creative activities, and book-based engagement to strengthen literacy skills.
• Help create a safe, welcoming, consistent, and youth-centered learning environment.
• Coordinate with Bert Ferguson staff regarding room use, youth expectations, meals/snacks, sign-in procedures, and program flow.
• Coordinate with the Adult ELL Tutor when youth programming overlaps with adult ELL classes.
• Track attendance, participation, reading engagement, and other required program/service records.
• Participate in LiteracyCorps orientation, site-specific training, check-ins, coaching, and reflection.
• Communicate regularly with Literacy Mid-South staff regarding youth needs, attendance patterns, site updates, and materials needed. 
• Accurately record service hours and comply with LiteracyCorps and AmeriCorps timekeeping requirements. 
• Follow applicable Literacy Mid-South, LiteracyCorps, AmeriCorps, and service-site policies, safety expectations, confidentiality requirements, and standards of conduct.

Youth Safety and Professional Conduct

This position involves direct service with children and youth. Volunteers are expected to maintain appropriate professional boundaries, protect confidential information, follow site safety procedures, and promptly report incidents or safety concerns.

LMS requires individuals working with children to maintain active supervision, protect confidential student information, follow safety procedures, and comply with applicable reporting requirements. 

AmeriCorps members may not displace or duplicate the work of paid employees or existing volunteers and must comply with all AmeriCorps prohibited-activity requirements. Training on prohibited activities is provided during orientation. 

Minimum Qualifications and Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements.
• Successfully complete required eligibility verification and the National Service Criminal History Check before beginning service.
• Be able to complete the required 300-hour service term.
• Be available for the regularly scheduled Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday service activities.
• Be dependable, patient, encouraging, professional, and comfortable working with children and youth.
• Be able to maintain accurate attendance, participation, and service records.
• Participate in required orientation, training, coaching, check-ins, and reflection activities.

The National Service Criminal History Check includes the National Sex Offender Public Website check, applicable state criminal history checks, and an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history check. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working with children or youth.
• Experience as a tutor, mentor, youth worker, educator, volunteer, or in another youth-serving role.
• Interest in education, literacy, youth development, community service, or family engagement.
• Interest in elementary education, youth literacy, or community-based programming.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Comfort facilitating individual, small-group, and activity-based learning experiences.

The original position also welcomes college students, recent graduates, gap-year students, future educators, youth workers, tutors, mentors, Memphis residents passionate about community service and literacy equity, and individuals who are dependable, patient, encouraging, and comfortable working with children and youth. 

Training Provided

• LiteracyCorps orientation.
• Youth literacy and engagement training.
• Site-specific orientation for Bert Ferguson expectations and procedures.
• Support with activity planning, homework help, read-alouds, phonics games, book-based enrichment, and youth facilitation.
• Ongoing check-ins and coaching from Literacy Mid-South staff. 

Skills and Experience Gained

• Youth education and reading support.
• Elementary literacy intervention.
• Homework support and academic coaching.
• Youth facilitation and engagement.
• Community service and partnership building.
• Leadership in a family literacy setting. 

AmeriCorps Member Benefits

• AmeriCorps living allowance, amount to be confirmed based on the 300-hour term.
• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of service.
• Youth literacy and engagement training.
• Experience serving children and youth in a community center setting.
• AmeriCorps gear and community networking opportunities.
• Opportunity to contribute to a family literacy model supporting both adult learners and their children. 

The AmeriCorps living allowance is not an hourly wage and is distributed in regular installments according to LiteracyCorps program requirements. 

Volunteers who successfully complete their required service hours may be eligible for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award following verification by the LiteracyCorps Director. 

Service Environment

Service takes place at Bert Ferguson Community Center, a Memphis Parks site located in Cordova where youth literacy support will occur during adult ELL programming and through an additional weekly enrichment day for older youth. The program is designed to create a safe, structured, literacy-rich space for children and youth in a community center setting. 

Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and Accessibility

LMS LiteracyCorps is committed to an environment free from discrimination and harassment. The program prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, military service, or any other legally protected characteristic. 

LMS LiteracyCorps is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified members, applicants, service recipients, and staff with known disabilities to support full participation in programs and activities. 

This position description summarizes the primary responsibilities and requirements of the LiteracyCorps: Lit Street Team Volunteer service opportunity. Service is governed by the Volunteer Service Agreement, LiteracyCorps policies and procedures, applicable Literacy Mid-South policies, service-site requirements, and AmeriCorps rules and regulations.