Member Spotlight: Tia Jenkins, Urban Kids Coordinator

Meet Tia Jenkins, she serves with the Building Communities, Bettering Lives AmeriCorps program in the Urban Kids After-school Enrichment and Summer Learning at Urban Ministry.

What motivated you to join AmeriCorps? After I finished my internship, I sat down with my supervisors and we discussed the options for my career path. The best step they recommended I do next was serving with AmeriCorps. Since joining, it has provided me with a way to help my community and gain valuable career training.

What would you like to get out of this service opportunity? I would love to

to learn more about working with children and different strategies people have to improve their academic skills. I would also like to know more about how to maintain and mange a non-profit children’s program. I especially look forward to finding out different ways to be a catalyst in improving my community.

What will your service focus on for the 2017-18 program year? My service at Urban Kids will focus on a few things. First I am working to make sure the intern and all staff and volunteers that directly interact with the students are properly trained and motivated and utilizing their skills in the best possible way. Another focus point is to make sure that the students and parents are getting the most out of the program by keeping up with communication and individual needs as they arise. Also I will focus on being in partnership with different schools and colleges in the community to ensure we are all working towards the same goal with education.

What are your plans after AmeriCorps? My plans after AmeriCorps are to continue to pursue a career in student enrichment outside of but still in partnership with schools. I also would like to go to school to earn a degree in child psychology to better assist families in different communities.

Thank you for your service Tia!