Position Title: IRC Des Moines Youth Education Volunteer Tutor  

 

Compensation: Unpaid/Volunteer  

 

Location: The IRC Des Moines Resettlement Office location is 108 3rd St. Des Moines, IA 50309. All programming is in person (excluding online HQ training). Location to be determined.  

 

Reports to: IRC Des Moines Education Specialist  

 

Position term: 

  • Training from HQ (online, 2-hour sessions) and IRC Des Moines Office (in-person, 2-hour session). 
  • Time to be determined. 
  • Additional training by IRC Headquarters will be offered for those who are interested. More information about this program will be provided upon completion of onboarding materials.  
  • First Day of Tutoring with Students: 3/3/2025 (tentative) 
  • Last Day of Tutoring with Students: 4/28/2025 (tentative) 

 

Position Hours:  

  • Volunteers are expected a time slot of 90 minutes once a week, for 8 weeks, on weekdays after 2:30 pm. 
  • 60 minutes to tutor students. 
  • 30 minutes to finish the post-session survey and prepare for the next session 

 

Background: Since its inception in 1999, the IRC NYC Youth Education Department has provided refugee and other immigrant youth with year-round academic support, homework help, literacy training, English language learning, and enrichment activities. The IRC NYC Youth Education Department programs provide immigrant youth with linguistically supportive, culturally responsive, trauma-informed learning opportunities. 

 

Scope of Work: IRC Des Moines Youth Education Volunteer Tutors provide tutoring, mainly consisting of homework help and English language development support for refugee and immigrant youth, grades 6-12. Each tutor works with 1 student and is responsible for submitting a case note regarding each of their tutees’ progress directly after each session of tutoring. Tutors support their student with the homework/assignments they require, spanning across academic subjects/disciplines, home-language, and English language development levels. With this program, we are also focusing on what the student is interested in. Tutors will learn the interests of the students, build a rapport, and find ways of developing English language skills through the resources provided. The tutors are expected to create basic lesson plans for each session. No curriculum is provided or expected, but useful resources will be sent to the tutors. 

 

Professional Development: All IRC Youth Tutors will complete and submit online Professional Development modules as assigned. 

 

 

Essential Position Functions:  

  • Uphold a full commitment to a weekly schedule of tutoring sessions without absence or tardiness. 
  • Time requirements: 1.5 hours/week, as well as time for training before the start of the 8-week tutoring sessions. The sessions with the tutee will be the same time each week. 
  • Facilitate language assistance through tutee interests and homework/schoolwork help with refugee and immigrant youth tutees in-person.  
  • Support tutee English language learning from diverse home language backgrounds and English language development levels, as assigned.  
  • Complete and submit all trainings and professional development by deadline, as assigned.  
  • Uphold and promote policies and practices necessary to create a linguistically supportive, culturally responsive, trauma-informed learning environment.  
  • Uphold all IRC and program and child safeguarding policies and directives.  
  • Work and communicate with IRC staff and volunteers as needed. 
  • Write and submit case notes of each session with the tutee directly after each session. Follow all program guidance for how to write complete case notes.  
  • Complete assigned surveys and data tracking tasks provided.  
  • Complete and submit a weekly timesheet for IRC volunteer hours.  
  • Additional related duties as assigned.  

 

Requirements:  

  • Clear IRC background check by deadline to work with minors and/or vulnerable populations. 
  • Complete and submit all IRC Youth Tutor asynchronous training modules by the deadline.  
  • Participate in IRC Youth Tutor online synchronous training.  
  • Demonstrate reliability and flexibility.  
  • Demonstrate interest in learning about IRC history, philosophy, global work, and local efforts.  
  • Demonstrate respect for clients and staff from all racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious etc. backgrounds.  
  • Demonstrate a desire to continuously grow your own cultural competency.  

  • Demonstrate respect for clients and staff of all identities. 
  • Commitment to education, and in particular education for youth who have experienced forced migration. 
  • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English; additional fluency in an IRC high-frequency or high-need language strongly preferred:  
  • Spanish, Dari/Farsi, Pashto, Russian, Ukrainian, French, Garifuna, K’iche, Tigrinya, Amharic, Wolof, Bambara/Mandingo/Malinke, Urdu/Hindi, Arabic, Haitian Creole 
  • Communicate any self-absences or session time change to IRC Education Specialist at least 48 hours in advance.