Writing and Math Partners (WAMP) Coordinator

The Education Justice Project, a unit of the College of Education, offers educational programs to individuals incarcerated at Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security state prison about 35 miles east of campus. EJP seeks a part-time coordinator to help manage our Writing and Math Partners (WAMP) program at Danville Correctional Center. The position reports to EJP’s Academic Director.  

WAMP functions as a tutoring center that supports students in accordance with the following mission statement: 

We believe learning is a lifelong process and writing and math are important thinking tools that involve collaborative, reciprocal engagement with others. As such, we foster an environment in which writing, reading, communicating, and thinking are closely intertwined. Through flexible teaching methods designed for students of all levels and from all disciplines, we strive to offer the following: 

• Space to articulate existing ideas and explore new ones 

• Strategies for self-revision 

• Room to claim one’s own voice and agency as a lifelong learner 

Responsibilities 

This position requires 5-10 hours per week to fulfill the following tasks: 

• Manage and support WAMP tutors to adequately staff WAMP sessions each week; provide ongoing support of tutors; organize occasional gatherings to promote problem-solving and idea-sharing; 

• Oversee the development and implementation of WAMP tutor onboarding and training; 

• Track and update WAMP-related files such as program applications, records of attendance at WAMP sessions, and documents pertaining to WAMP recruitment, training, policy, and letters of commitment; 

• Maintain an active awareness of best practices regarding community learning centers, writing centers, and other allied forms of learning spaces; 

• Attend and participate in monthly EJP coordinator meetings as well as yearly EJP coordinator retreat and other EJP leadership activities. 
  
  

In addition, all EJP coordinators are asked to regularly evaluate their performance with respect to the following: 

1. Communication: sharing information, concerns, announcements, and more with EJP students, members of their program, EJP Academic Director, members of the public, and relevant others. Communication can be challenging in the prison environment, and EJP encourages coordinators to experiment with ways of sharing and hearing from others. 

2. Monitoring: ongoing assessment of the program and making fixes as problems arise. This includes collecting information to learn how things are going within the WAMP program and making use of that information to make changes to the program as required. This includes working with program members to create and evaluate annual SMART goals. 

3. Nurturing: guiding, mentoring, and supporting EJP members in the program. This includes identifying people who are in particular need of nurturing or mentoring and developing a nurturing culture within the program. 

4. Decision-making: exercising leadership and taking initiative. This could include making bold decisions regarding programming or operations, and developing themselves as leaders (e.g. through workshops or readings).  

Position Requirements and Qualifications 

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We especially encourage applications from individuals who are members of historically underrepresented racial groups, first-generation college graduates, and those who have been personally impacted by incarceration and reentry. Please note that the EJP classrooms are on the second floor of the prison and that there is no elevator. 

Leadership training opportunities are available and encouraged through EJP. 

Required: 

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree 

• Have tutoring experience or comparable instructional experience 

• Exhibit strong interpersonal and online communication skills 

• Maintain a working knowledge of software for basic business contexts, including Google applications (Calendar), and Microsoft Office (Word and Excel) 

• Be capable of obtaining clearance from the Department of Corrections 

• Demonstrate an active commitment to social justice. 

Preferred: 

• Hold an advanced degree 

• Have experience in coordinating staff or volunteers 

• Be familiar with multiple approaches to teaching and tutoring writing and/or math 

This position requires between 5 – 10 hours/week. Some of this time is spent on general coordinator duties, such as attending monthly coordinator meetings and other EJP events. 

According to Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) policy, if you are formerly incarcerated within Illinois or are actively visiting a friend or family who is incarcerated in IDOC, it is unlikely you will be able to receive IDOC clearance. Unfortunately, this is beyond our control. 

Compensation 

EJP coordinators receive a $31/hour.