Thanks to the America Reads program, Hocking College early childhood education students now have the opportunity to put their budding teaching skills into action.
Developed by the Clinton Administration in 1997, America Reads also provides college students who are eligible for Federal Work-Study programs with opportunities for employment as reading tutors.
According to Susan Dietz, the early childhood education program manager, students in her program who meet certain expectations will be eligible to apply for eligible positions at local libraries in Albany, Athens, Chauncey, Nelsonville and Logan.
She added that while America Reads might “open some doors” for her students, “it’s their responsibility to apply for these jobs and hopefully get themselves hired.”
Dietz is excited that these jobs will give her students opportunities to “use the knowledge they acquired in their classes and apply it to some real world situations.”
Students, Summer Accord, Tamiah Austin, Colton Dixon, Autumn Mayle, Tiffany O’Brien and Serenity Powell, are all currently working in local libraries.
O’Brien now works at the Logan library and appreciates “the creative part of working at the library.” She said, “I get to read to the little kids and do many different crafts with them.”
Students who are interested in applying for one of these Tier III positions needs to contact the Hocking College Career & University Center and meet the following set of criteria:
For more information on applying for an America Reads position contact Career Services Student Employment Manager Robert Bowser by email at bowser@hocking.edu or by phone at 740-753-6120.