Young Leaders Project Coordinator

This is an exciting opportunity to intern for an award-winning, dynamic, youth-led charity and have a hand in supporting the education of thousands of Tanzanian students and teachers. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to engage and support schools and volunteers taking part in our Young Leaders Project, sponsored by vInspired.

This role will be responsible for working with READ International’s UK-wide network of Young Leaders schools and student volunteers linked to the schools as Youth Engagement Mentors. This is a key post within the Youth Engagement Team and requires someone who is able to motive and inspire sixth formers, teachers and students across the UK. This internship offers the chance to develop transferable skills and is perfect experience for someone looking to move into a career in youth work or the charity sector.

VISION: We see a world where power of education enables all young people to achieve their full potential

MISSION: Through collaborative, student led initiatives we will empower young people to secure a poverty free future for themselves by improving their access to education.

What do we do?

READ International is a student-led charity that works to improve access to educational resources in East Africa. Through a national network of Project Leaders we collect disused books from schools, businesses and the general public. We send the most relevant, up-to-date, and high quality books to schools in Tanzania. Any books collected which are not relevant or appropriate to send are recycled or sold online to generate funding.

Our work is led by students who inspire and encourage other young people to get involved. In the UK our Project Leaders coordinate volunteer teams in their university or sixth form to collect and sort the books, fundraise, and work with local secondary schools to raise awareness of global citizenship, recycling and volunteering. Our university Project Leaders travel to Tanzania each summer to distribute the books directly to students and teachers.

Since our first shipment of books in 2005, we have shipped 1,303,890 books to East Africa. We have distributed books to over 1,000 schools, provided books for over 400,000 school students and renovated 34 school libraries to ensure sustained use of the books.
Since registering as a charity we have had our work recognised in a number of ways. READ International was winner of 'Best New Charity' in the Charity Times Awards 2007, and ‘Best International Aid and Development Charity’ in the Charity Awards 2010 and ‘Best Corporate Partnership’ in the Institute of Fundraising Awards 2010 for our partnership with Big Yellow.
What would you be doing?

• Supporting the Youth Engagement Manager with the recruitment of schools and university mentors
• Assisting in designing and delivering training for university mentors enabling them to lead workshops in schools and support each project to succeed
• Acting as the main point of contact for up to 20 schools
• Visiting schools to introduce the project, run workshops and liaise with teaching staff
• Visiting universities to meet with READ International volunteers and accompanying them on initial visits to schools
• Reporting back to the Youth Engagement Manager on each school’s progress and offering those that are struggling additional support
• Communicating with the Young Leaders Projects through social media, email, video conferencing, phone calls and visits
• Collecting case studies and encouraging Young Leaders to document their progress including ensuring they sign-up and log their volunteering hours with vInspired
• Collecting feedback from teachers regarding the progress and success of their Young Leaders Project
• Developing content for newsletters, social media and the READ International blog.

There may be an opportunity to extend your internship and/or work in Tanzania during the summer of 2013. However this is not compulsory and is performance dependent.
What will you gain?

• A foothold in the UK charity and international development sector
• Communication skills as you manage volunteers remotely and work in collaboration with staff in the London office
• Invaluable skills in recruiting, organising and managing volunteers
• Essential IT and administrative skills
• Personal management skills. Learn and improve how to self-motivate yourself as you are given the responsibility and independence to manage your own working day
• The opportunity to grow and develop your skills in a supported environment. You will receive regular performance reviews to support your personal development
• The opportunity to attend key networking events and work alongside our corporate partners
• A greater understanding of the challenges facing the education system in a developing country
• Formal training
• Regular support from READ International staff
• A laptop and phone for use during your internship
• A reference on completion of your internship

What experience, skills or attributes do you need to do this role?

• Knowledge of MS Office, especially Word and Excel
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines
• Project management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Past experience working in or with schools is desirable
• Experience of volunteering
• Willing to commit to a minimum of 3 days a week for 3 months
• Willing to travel extensively within the UK
• Willing to occasionally stay overnight during project visits if necessary
• Interested in international development and the power of education