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Literacy Minnesota

Partner Agency: Literacy Minnesota
Location(s): 700 Raymond Avenue, Suite 180 Saint Paul, MN 55114
Site Supervisor: Manee Thao, Distance Learning Coordinator

CTEP Program Description:

Serve with Literacy Minnesota as a CTEP member to help adult learners build digital skills for personal, professional and academic goals.

Site History and Mission:

Literacy Minnesota operates five Open Door Learning Center locations across Minneapolis and Saint Paul, which provide free Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes. Classes include English language and literacy, college and career readiness, and digital
literacy programming. In addition to these in-person services, Literacy Minnesota Open Door Online program offers online ABE classes.

Literacy Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and received its IRS nonprofit tax-exempt status in 1973. The mission of the Literacy Minnesota is to share the power of learning through education, community building and advocacy. We envision literate communities in which all residents have full access to quality learning and service opportunities that will enable them to contribute and reach their full potential. Our core values are to:

  • Promote the power of learning. We believe lifelong learning improves lives.
  • Maximize human potential. We believe individuals maximize their potential through teaching, learning and community involvement.
  • Energize communities. We believe building literacy skills creates productive and sustainable communities.
  • Foster inclusion. We believe that being intentional in fostering diversity and inclusion is essential to rich collaboration and realizing our vision.
  • Advance equality and justice. We believe that open access to educational opportunities creates more just and peaceful communities.
  • Lead the way. We believe in providing pathways for groups and individuals to create meaningful change.

Preferred Site Schedule for Member:

The expected weekly schedule of this position will total approximately 40 hours per week throughout the duration of the year; daytime hours Monday-Friday. Some flexibility with scheduling is possible.
In addition to their on-site service, members attend professional development days with their fellow CTEP members to enhance service-readiness skills, personal attributes at the service site, and citizenship skills. Members also attend statewide AmeriCorps events, such as the Martin Luther King Day celebration, and/or serve on the statewide InterCorps Council.

Specific Site Responsibilities:

The CTEP member will work primarily with adults, and youth age 17+ on occasion, to build digital literacy and online learning skills. The member will serve in two learning centers in St. Paul: Open Door – Midway and Open Door – Arlington Hills.
At the Midway location, the member will facilitate a computer skills lab, working alongside staff and volunteer tutors to proctor Northstar Digital Literacy assessments and guide learners in their use of Northstar Online Learning, Typing.com, and EnGen (a
contextualized English learning application with digital literacy and IT career pathways courses).
At the Arlington Hills location, the member will work mainly with adult English language learners to build capacity for distance and online learning, facilitate an online learning lab, and lead computer skills classes or small group instruction.Literacy Minnesota also plans to explore the option of online synchronous digital literacy
instruction for classes or small groups.
A CTEP member who is bilingual in Karen, Hmong, Spanish or Somali would be especially well-suited to serving individuals through Open Door. Program data show these to be the most commonly spoken first languages other than English at our St. Paul locations.

Site Environment:

Literacy Minnesota has a state-mandated COVID-19 emergency plan in place and continues to monitor the state of the pandemic. Learning Centers are mask-optional but participants are coached to stay home when showing signs of illness. In the event a site needs to close to in-person learning, we have developed flexible options that allow programming to continue. The CTEP member will have the flexibility to serve out of our main office in St. Paul or their home during any such service disruption. When not directly working with learners in a classroom or computer lab, the member may choose to work from the learning center, from home or from the main office. The member will alternate service locations and will not normally be expected to work with learners at two locations on the same day.

We reimburse for mileage for travel during the work day. All of our sites are on bus lines and close to public transport. It would benefit the CTEP to have a vehicle, but it is not necessary. Time on the computer is approximately 50%. The split between direct
service and capacity building projects is 50/50 and projects will depend on the needs of the learners at our sites.

A CTEP member serving with Literacy Minnesota will need to employ emotional intelligence to navigate the frustration and shame that adults with low levels of print literacy and digital literacy often experience, and to engage effectively with adults who have experienced trauma.

How to Apply:

Apply online at my.americorps.gov and click on “Apply to Serve” (be sure to search for the “Community Technology Empowerment Project” or “CTEP” when asked to indicate what program you would like to send your application to). Contact: Tess Hackbarth, hackbarth@spnn.org, 651.298.8910

Literacy Minnesota fosters an organizational culture that is welcoming and inclusive to all. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, indigenous peoples, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities.

Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request.  Alternative formats of this document are also available.