[NFBV-Announce] DBVI Summer Mentor Opportunity

Tue Mar 7 16:03:34 UTC 2023

From: Melody Roane, DBVI Director, Rehabilitation Center

Seeking: Blind Mentors for 2023 LIFE Program

Are you ready to be an agent of change for blind and vision impaired youth
of Virginia?

The Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired
(VRCBVI) is seeking blind college students or young professionals to be peer
mentors for our 2023 Learning Independence, Feeling Empowered (LIFE)
Program.  LIFE is a four-week residential summer program for high
school-aged blind and vision impaired youth who want to learn and build
confidence in the skills of blindness. LIFE program students participate in
daily classes, including cane travel, Braille, cooking skills, cleaning,
access technology, computer skills, and job readiness. During the last two
weeks of the program, students aged 16-18 will have the opportunity to
participate in a community based two-week work experience.  In addition to
classes and the work experience, students participate in evening and weekend
confidence building activities where the mentors work closely with the
students. As mentor, you and your students will challenge the misconceptions
of blindness by participating in events like rock climbing, white-water
rafting, improv, swimming, and much more!

If you are enthusiastic about giving back to the next generation of blind
and vision impaired youth and you want to have fun while working, then being
a mentor in the 2023 LIFE Program is the place for you.  Mentors must be
available June 11, 2023 through August 4, 2023. The 2023 LIFE Program will
take place on the campus of VRCBVI in Richmond, Virginia. 

Please see the job description below for further details. 

Mentoring candidates will:

*	Possess excellent blindness skills, specifically the ability to
travel independently using a long white cane or dog guide while
communicating with and monitoring a group of high school age students 
*	Be available from June 11, 2023, to August 4, 2023. (Mentors will
have the week of July 2 off) 
*	Be able to work 40 hours a week, including evenings and weekends
*	Be able to communicate effectively with co-workers and supervisor 
*	Possess maturity, patience, and the ability to work as part of a
team 
*	Be able to maintain professional boundaries
*	Enjoy teaching and have an enthusiastic sense of adventure
*	Reside in the dorm apartments on the VRCBVI campus
*	Pass a background check

Rate of pay: $15.00 an hour plus room and board at VRCBVI. 

To apply to be a 2023 LIFE Peer Mentor: 

Send the following to  <mailto:william.sutton at dbvi.virginia.gov>
william.sutton at dbvi.virginia.gov

*	Cover Letter
*	Resume
*	Three professional references (provide name and best phone number to
contact)
*	500-word essay explaining why you would be the best candidate for
the position and the role mentoring has played in your success

If you have any questions, please call William A. Sutton, Jr.  at
804-371-3204 

The deadline to apply is April 15, 2023.

PEER MENTOR JOB DESCRIPTION 

KSAs and/or Competencies required to successfully perform the work:

*	Knowledge of and demonstrated proficiency in blindness skills used
in academic, social and employment settings.
*	Knowledge of basic acceptable behavior as it relates to youths.
*	Ability to secure the confidence, respect, and cooperation of youths
and exercise tact, initiative, and good judgment in dealing with them.
*	Ability to perceive, observe, and address problems as they arise.
*	Ability to participate in and provide guidance to students in
planned confidence-building activities.  
*	Ability to show a high level of initiative, effort, attention to
detail and commitment by completing assignments efficiently with minimal
supervision. 
*	Ability to use web browsers and Microsoft Office Suite including
Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint proficiently
*	Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and in written
format 

Education, Experience, Licensure, Certification required for entry into
position: 

*	Prefer applicant with a college degree; currently enrolled in
college and in good standing or equivalent combination of training and
experience.

Core Responsibilities:

85% Mentoring/Instruction: 

-        Applies knowledge of program rules and practices and blindness
skills while providing instruction to students and modeling blindness skills
and problem-solving skills as related to independent living and academic
success. 

-        Fosters independence by providing supportive encouragement
(mentoring) and instruction in self-advocacy to youths in a one-on-one or
small group situation and gives instruction, advice, and assistance. 

-        Plans and leads evening and weekend confidence-building activities;
exercises situational judgment and discretion while providing supervision
during group trips and social functions. 

-        Confers with supervisor, case manager, or instructional staff
regarding student issues; attends staff meetings.

-        Plans, implements, and leads group activities such as Conversations
About Blindness classes to teach advocacy skills and problem solving. 

-        Collects, records, and reports student data; maintains logbooks via
computer and prepares incident reports and/or related institutional forms. 

-        Participates in and provides instruction during selected aspects of
the LIFE Programs, including confidence-building activities, ACE Academy,
Mock Interviews, Conversations About Blindness, and other aspects of program
as assigned. 

-        Provides guidance and direction to blind transition age students. 

-        Provides initial on-the-job guidance for students in their
community-based work experience. 

-        Substitute teaches as needed. 

10% Evaluation:  

-        Informally evaluates students on their preparedness for living
independently, employment readiness, and academic success through
observations during class time and during evening activities. 

-        Communicates findings and recommendations both orally and in
written format, as they relate to students' goals.

5% Communication:  

-        Reports to supervisor and center counselor observations regarding
students existing skills, present needs, and any instructional
recommendations and strategies.

*	Provides accurate written documentation such as journal entries,
final reports, incident reports, etc.  
*	Participates in all assigned student staffing's to discuss
observations and recommendations for promoting independence, academic skills
and employment-readiness activities.
*	Other duties as assigned.

Peace,

Jacki Bruce

Corresponding Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

RISE/Silver Bells Outreach Coordinator

 <mailto:jackibruce6 at gmail.com> mailto:jackibruce6 at gmail.com
 <tel:(757)291-1789> tel:(757)291-1789
 <http://www.nfb.org/> www.nfb.org
 <http://www.nfbv.org/> www.nfbv.org

Follow us on Twitter @NFBVirginia
Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia

Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbv-announce_nfbnet.org/attachments/20230307/064177af/attachment.html>