Financial Literacy Instructor

Submitted by Andrea Trifunovic on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 3:05pm

LOCATION

3443 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85012
See map: Google Maps

SCHEDULE OPTIONS

Semester availability

Fall
Spring

Service hours

Morning
Afternoon

Available days/hours

While there may be some flexibility in when the classes are held, currently they are scheduled for Fridays 10-11:30 and for 3 2 hour sessions on the last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of every month (this can be changed depending on your schedule).

To ensure that you have enough hours for your service learning class we can combine teaching this class with other classses, tutoring sessions or administrative duties in the office.

REQUIRED/DESIRED SKILLS

You are not expected to be a finance major or expert to be able to teach the classes.

Desired skills:

  • Cultural sensitivity
  • Confident and comfortable oral presenter
  • Comfort with using interpreters
  • Ability to command and keep attention
  • Ability to encourage client interaction
  • Friendly and welcoming personality

While you may not currently possess all these skills, this internship would help you refine those you already have and develop those you do not. The Adult Skill Builder will help you by constructively critiquing your abilities and encouraging your continued professional development.

CATEGORIES

Adults
Education
English as a Second Language
Mentoring
Refugees
Social Services

COMMUNITY PARTNER

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest Refugee & Immigration Services

ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP

Duties

The purpose of this position is to teach our clients banking and budgeting basics, as well as instruct more detailed orientations that will teach them how to manage their finances and the financial tools available to them. You are not expected to be a finance major or expert to be able to teach the classes. Since most of our clients have had no exposure to any kind of financial institutions, the information we teach is very basic. You will have a PPP for each class with detailed talking points that you can use.The instructor will:

  • Teach a Basic Banking course once a week
  • Teach an intermediate financial literacy course at the end of each month (3 courses in series)
  • Gauge client understanding and with the help of the ASB Coordinator modify the curriculum as necessary
  • Take attendance in every session
  • Optional: create, organize and implement field trips to banking related locations once  a month (fingerprint clearance card may be required for this option)

Population served

Lutheran Social Services Refugee and Immigration Services provides resettlement services to clients from countries that include: Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, Burma, Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Cuba and more. We serve approximately 600 newly arrived refugees each year.

You will likely work with some or all of these ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has specific needs during their resettlement based on their education and work history as well as their unique experiences as refugees. All clients require assistance with learning English, connecting with their new community and helpful resources as well as contact with American citizens.

Community need/impact

The internship will directly assist newly arriving refugee families with acclimating to American culture. Many of our clients come from camps where they haven't had any access to the services offered in the US or exposure to big cities. These orientations will help clients get the skills necessary to be successful in their new environments and to become self sufficient.

The internship will directly assist newly arriving refugee families with:

  • Understanding finacial institutions and tools available to them
  • Understanding the importance of budgeting and how to manage their finances
  • Acclimating to American culture
  • Learning about their new community in Phoenix

You will have a very rewarding experience while working directly with clients. It is very easy to see the positive impact on our refugee clients when knowledge is shared and specifically designed to improve their quality of life.

Clients will be able to practice language and learn skills that can be used in daily life. Learning a skill such as budgeting will help the family to make positive choices that can help move them out of poverty and into a position where the entire family can thrive.