Literacy Program Volunteer, Quality Reading Materials

Job Description
Literacy Program Volunteer, Quality Reading Materials

Organization Profile

Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. Since our inception, Room to Read’s worldwide team has impacted over 7.8 million children by constructing more than 1,600 schools, establishing over 15,000 libraries, publishing 874 new children’s book titles in 27 local languages, and reaching over 20,000 girls through our Girls’ Education program.

Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$43.7 million and our global staff numbers over 600. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller fundraising offices in New Delhi, New York, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo. We have an Asia Regional Office located in New Delhi and program offices in Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.

Room to Read’s Literacy Strategy

Literacy is fundamental to exercising the right to a basic education and is crucial for economic, social and political participation and development. For these reasons, Room to Read has made literacy development a cornerstone of our work. The goal of our Literacy Program is for primary schoolchildren to acquire literacy skills and reading habits to become lifelong independent readers. One crucial input is regular access to books and other reading materials, which are scarce in many of the communities where Room to Read operates.

In Vietnam, Room to Read’s Literacy Program implements School Library Component which aims to establish school libraries and publish local language books to fill this gap. Room to Read ensures schools have access to quality reading materials in libraries by sourcing local-language materials and working with local authors and illustrators to develop original storybooks. Our literacy strategy capitalizes on our organizational strengths built over the last decade and defines a clear and carefully constructed path to the goal of increased literacy and a habit of reading in the children with whom we work.

Position Overview

The Literacy Program Volunteer, Quality Reading Materials’ (“QRM”) primary responsibilities include supporting Officer in developing Booklist and report directly to the Literacy Officer, Quality Reading Materials (QRM).

Main duties

• Enter title of books have been reviewed by QRM Officer into The Booklist
• Send The Booklist to Literacy Director Associate and QRM Officer
• Prepare and send books from The Booklist to members of Book Selection Committee for re- reviewed.
• Receive books back from Book Selection Committee, and record the feedbacks from Book Selection Committee into each book.
• Other tasks related to developing Booklist as assigned by QRM Officer.

Qualifications

Required:

• At least 18 years old
• Accurate and detailed-oriented
• Ability to work well independently
• Familiar with Microsoft Word, Excel
• Time commitment required:
• At least 2 months (from January 2019)
• 2 hours/ day, 3 days per week
• Additional time to attend orientation, training and meeting.
• Be able to work at our Ho Chi Minh office during working hours (8 am – 5 pm)

Preferred:

• Prior experience in the book publishing field

Benefits:

• a great chance to meet people, and develop skills in a non-profit setting;
• letters of reference following 2 months of volunteering

Interested candidates should send applications to [email protected].

Deadline for applications: 20 Jan 2019.