LiteracyCorps: Powered by Reading Partners Volunteer Tutor

Job Description

Job Description

Program: Literacy Mid-South | LiteracyCorps | AmeriCorps State/National
Service Site: UniverCity Family CDC | 3835 Raleigh Millington Road, Memphis, TN 38128
Service Term: October 19, 2026 - July 30, 2027
Regular Service Schedul e: Tuesday–Friday, 4:00–6:00 PM
Expected Weekly Commitment: 7–9 hours/week, including tutoring, training, preparation, documentation, and check-ins

Number of Positions: 7
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 Literacy Mid-South’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: Powered by Reading Partners Tutor serves elementary students at UniverCity Family CDC through structured, relationship-centered literacy tutoring.

Members provide one-on-one or small-group reading support using program-approved Powered by Reading Partners tools, lesson plans, assessments, and literacy activities. Instruction may support phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, reading confidence, and student engagement.

Members also prepare tutoring materials, maintain an organized and welcoming literacy environment, document tutoring and service activities, and communicate with Literacy Mid-South and UniverCity Family CDC staff.

UniverCity Family CDC plans to serve up to 55 students during PY26–27 programming. Student assignments will depend on enrollment, eligibility, attendance, and individual literacy needs. 

Essential Service Responsibilities

• Provide consistent one-on-one or small-group reading tutoring to assigned students.
• Use approved tutoring materials, lesson plans, assessments, and literacy activities.
• Support phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, reading confidence, and engagement.
• Prepare tutoring materials and maintain an organized service space.
• Accurately track tutoring sessions, attendance, service hours, and required student records.
• Participate in LiteracyCorps orientation, Powered by Reading Partners training, coaching, check-ins, and required AmeriCorps activities.
• Communicate with Literacy Mid-South staff regarding student progress, site updates, challenges, and material needs.
• Coordinate with UniverCity Family CDC staff regarding schedules, space, closures, and site expectations.
• Maintain a safe, welcoming, encouraging, and literacy-rich environment.
• Support summer literacy-building activities when assigned.
• Follow Literacy Mid-South, LiteracyCorps, AmeriCorps, Powered by Reading Partners, and service-site policies and procedures. 

Service Setting

UniverCity Family CDC operates in the Embassy of Faith Intl. church in the Raleigh community. The church is conveniently located off Raleigh Millington Rd with its own parking making it exceptionally easy to access. Tutoring will occur in 1:1 sessions with students using a computer (personal computer or one provided by Literacy Mid-South). Students will be pulled from afterschool 2 days of the work for 30-45 minute tutoring sessions. Tutoring follows the RPConnects curriculum & portal. 

Training and Development

Members will receive:

• LiteracyCorps and AmeriCorps orientation.
• Powered by Reading Partners Tutor training.
• Youth literacy tutoring strategies and program expectations.
• Guidance on lesson plans, literacy tools, documentation, and student support.
• Site-specific orientation from UniverCity Family CDC.
• Ongoing coaching and check-ins from Literacy Mid-South staff.
• Applicable safety and service-site training. 

Qualifications and Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements.
• Complete required background checks, orientation, and training before independent service.
• Be dependable, patient, encouraging, and able to maintain a consistent weekly schedule.
• Be available for the established Tuesday–Friday afternoon schedule.
• Be able to complete 300 required service hours during the service term.
• Maintain professional conduct, confidentiality, and appropriate boundaries while serving students.

Prior tutoring, mentoring, education, or youth-development experience is preferred but not required. 

Applicants may include college students, recent graduates, gap-year participants, future educators, tutors, mentors, youth workers, Memphis-area residents committed to literacy equity, and others interested in youth literacy and community service. 

AmeriCorps Member Benefits

Members may receive:

• AmeriCorps living allowance based on the 300-hour service term.
• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of service requirements.
• Powered by Reading Partners training and ongoing coaching.
• Professional development opportunities.
• AmeriCorps gear.
• Community networking opportunities.
• Experience supporting elementary readers through community-based literacy programming.
• Limited mileage reimbursement for qualifying program-mandated travel between service locations, when applicable.
• Eligibility for student-loan forbearance during service, when applicable. 

The AmeriCorps living allowance is not an hourly wage and is distributed according to LiteracyCorps and AmeriCorps requirements. It does not increase or decrease based on the number of hours served during a particular pay period. 

Attendance and Service Expectations

• Members must follow their approved service schedule, participate in required meetings and training, complete assigned service activities, and remain on track to complete the hours required by their Volunteer Service Agreement.
  
• Members must notify their service-site supervisor and LiteracyCorps program staff as early as possible regarding anticipated absences. For unforeseen absences, notice should ordinarily be provided no later than one hour before scheduled service. 
  
• Members do not earn service hours for vacation, illness, or other time during which approved service activities are not performed.

Timekeeping and Documentation

Members are responsible for:

• Accurately recording service hours.
• Submitting required timesheets by established deadlines.
• Correcting errors promptly.
• Accurately categorizing service and training activities.
• Maintaining required tutoring, attendance, and student-support documentation.
• Never misrepresenting hours or recording non-service activities as AmeriCorps service.

Service records are reviewed in accordance with LiteracyCorps timekeeping procedures. 

Student Safety and Confidentiality

Members working with students are expected to maintain appropriate supervision and professional boundaries, protect confidential student information, follow site safety procedures, and report accidents, injuries, behavioral incidents, and other safety concerns promptly.

Members must also comply with applicable mandatory reporting requirements related to suspected child abuse, neglect, or maltreatment. 

Professional Conduct

Members must follow applicable policies regarding:

• Nondiscrimination and anti-harassment.
• AmeriCorps prohibited activities.
• Ethics and compliance.
• Confidentiality.
• Safety.
• Attendance and timekeeping.
• Conflicts of interest.
• Drug-free service environments.
• Electronic communications and social media.
• Service-site expectations.

Members may not participate in prohibited AmeriCorps activities while serving, charging service time, or representing themselves as performing AmeriCorps service.

Equal Opportunity and Accessibility

Literacy Mid-South LiteracyCorps is committed to providing an environment free from discrimination and harassment. The program prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, military service, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Literacy Mid-South LiteracyCorps also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and members with disabilities in accordance with applicable requirements. 

AmeriCorps Service Notice

This position is an AmeriCorps national service opportunity through Literacy Mid-South’s LiteracyCorps program and is governed by the member’s Volunteer Service Agreement and applicable AmeriCorps and LiteracyCorps requirements.

Members must successfully complete the required 300 service hours and applicable program requirements to qualify for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.