LiteracyCorps: Lit Street Team Volunteer

Program: Literacy Mid-South LiteracyCorps / AmeriCorps State and National
Service Term: 300-hour minimum-time AmeriCorps service term
Service Term: October 19, 2026 - July 30, 2027
Expected Commitment: 7–9 hours per week
Service Area: Multiple community-based partner sites in Memphis and Shelby County, TN
Positions Available: 4
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

Lit Street Team LiteracyCorps Volunteers serve elementary-age students and families through community-based out-of-school time partners. Volunteers help make literacy more visible, accessible, engaging, and consistent through reading activities, family engagement, book access, and literacy-rich enrichment.

Members work alongside partner staff to deliver engaging literacy activities, connect children and families to books and resources, and support joyful, practical reading outside the school day.

Volunteers may rotate among partner sites during the school year and summer based on program needs, site readiness, volunteer availability, and partner fit. Most placements are expected to last approximately two months but may be shorter or longer based on partner needs.

Service Schedule

This is a 300-hour minimum-time AmeriCorps service term from October 19, 2026 through July 30, 2027.

The expected commitment is approximately 7–9 hours per week, including direct service, planning, preparation, documentation, training, and check-ins.

School-year service generally occurs on weekday afternoons during afterschool programming. Summer service generally occurs during daytime programming. Exact days, hours, assignments, supervisors, and site-specific expectations will be confirmed based on volunteer matching and placement.

Potential Service Partners

Volunteers will serve at more than one community-based partner site in Memphis and Shelby County. Potential partners include:

• UniverCity Family CDC — Raleigh
• Freedom Prep Academy — Whitehaven
• South Side Wildcats Organization — South Memphis
• Carpenter Art Garden — Binghampton
• Kifani Kids Charitable Organization — Westwood
• Education Scholarship Preparation Nurture Academy — South Memphis
• Red Door Urban Missions — Whitehaven
• Refugee Empowerment Program — Binghampton

These are potential partners only and do not guarantee a placement or represent a final assignment.

Volunteer Duties

• Facilitate age-appropriate literacy activities with elementary-age students.
• Lead or support interactive read-alouds, small-group reading, phonemic-awareness games, vocabulary activities, literacy-as-recreation, and book-choice activities.
• Help children build positive attitudes toward reading and participate confidently in literacy-rich routines.
• Prepare materials for reading activities, literacy games, book distributions, and family engagement.
• Support partner staff in creating welcoming, literacy-rich environments and consistent reading routines.
• Assist with book organization, Lit Bag preparation or distribution, and access to literacy resources.
• Support family literacy engagement and community literacy events when assigned.
• Track service activities, participation, attendance, and related data as requested.
• Communicate regularly with the service-location supervisor and Literacy Mid-South staff.
• Follow AmeriCorps, Literacy Mid-South, LiteracyCorps, and service-location policies.

Education and Eligibility Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Must be at least 18 years old and meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements.
• Prior tutoring, mentoring, education, youth-development, or community-service experience preferred but not required.
• Must be dependable, patient, encouraging, and able to maintain a consistent weekly schedule.
• Must complete required background checks, orientation, and training before independent service.
• Must be willing to serve at multiple community-based partner locations during the service term.

Who Should Apply

We welcome applications from:

• College students, recent graduates, gap-year participants, and future educators.
• Tutors, mentors, youth workers, and individuals interested in elementary literacy.
• Memphis-area residents committed to literacy equity and community service.
• Individuals who are dependable, culturally responsive, and comfortable working with elementary-age children and families.

Training and Support

Volunteers receive:

• LiteracyCorps and AmeriCorps orientation.
• Youth literacy, engagement, and family-literacy training.
• Guidance on activity planning, read-alouds, small-group support, literacy games, book access, and documentation.
• Site-specific orientation before each placement.
• Ongoing coaching and check-ins from Literacy Mid-South staff.

Skills and Experience Gained

Volunteers gain experience in:

• Youth literacy support and community-based education.
• Small-group facilitation and relationship-building.
• Activity planning, material preparation, and participation tracking.
• Family and community engagement.
• Collaboration with nonprofit, school-adjacent, recreation, faith-based, library, and public-service partners.
• Nonprofit, public service, and AmeriCorps service.

Program Benefits

• $3,000 AmeriCorps living allowance based on the 300-hour service term.
• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of service and applicable AmeriCorps requirements.
• Literacy training, coaching, and support from Literacy Mid-South.
• Experience serving children and families through community-based literacy partnerships.
• Professional development, AmeriCorps gear, and community networking opportunities.
• Limited mileage reimbursement for eligible program-mandated travel between service locations.

The AmeriCorps living allowance is not an hourly wage and is distributed in regular installments in accordance with LiteracyCorps policy.

Service Expectations

Volunteers must follow their approved service schedules, attend required meetings and training, complete assigned service activities, and remain on track to complete the required 300 service hours.

Volunteers must accurately and consistently document service hours and activities and follow established attendance, communication, timekeeping, confidentiality, safety, and professional-conduct requirements.

Because volunteers serve elementary-age children and families, they must maintain appropriate professional boundaries and comply with applicable child-safety and service-location procedures.

Lit Street Team Volunteers work alongside partner staff. Members do not replace employees, serve as the sole adult responsible for children, or perform activities prohibited by AmeriCorps.

Equal Opportunity and Accessibility

Literacy Mid-South LiteracyCorps is committed to an environment free from discrimination and harassment. The program prohibits discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, including 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.

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

AmeriCorps Service Notice

This is an AmeriCorps national service opportunity, not traditional hourly employment. Participation is subject to AmeriCorps and LiteracyCorps eligibility, enrollment, background-check, training, service, conduct, attendance, and documentation requirements.