EnvironMentors coordinator position

Graduate Assistantship for the LSU EnvironMentors Coordinator
Part-time/20 hours per week

Description of the Program:
EnvironMentors is a college access program sponsored by the National Council for Science and the Environment that prepares high school students from under-represented backgrounds for degree programs in environmental and other science-related fields. The LSU Chapter of EnvironMentors (LSU-EM) matches students from Scotlandville Magnet High School with LSU faculty, graduate and undergraduate students in mentoring relationships. Student-mentor pairs develop rigorous environmental science research projects over the course of the academic year and present the projects at a chapter science fair in the spring. The top 3 winners of the local science fair are eligible to compete at the national science fair in May.

LSU-EM http://www.sce.lsu.edu/environmentors is affiliated with the School of the Coast and Environment (SC&E) and partners with the LSU Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP) for logistical support. The LSU-EM assistantship is sponsored by Louisiana Sea Grant.

Description of Position:
The assistantship will provide financial support for a Coordinator of LSU-EM for a minimum of one year while he/she is enrolled in the Masters of Natural Science (MNS) Program. The MNS degree, administered through the Graduate School in conjunction with the College of Science, provides the depth, as well as the breadth, of study in the sciences that is required of science professionals and school teachers. Academic requirements for admission and completion are posted on the MNS website  http://science.lsu.edu/masterofnaturalscie2.cfm

The EnvironMentors Coordinators are critical to the overall success of the program. Some of the main responsibilities of the Coordinators are to: recruit mentors; communicate with mentors and mentees; plan activities, workshops, and field trips that are STEM-related (science, technology, engineering, and math) or focus on college access; provide guidance for the research projects; and plan the local science fair.  Other responsibilities include: participate in webinars and conference calls hosted by EnvironMentors National; make use of the EnvironMentors Online Community; and submit all Chapter Reports by designated due dates.

Required Qualifications:
The candidate should (1) be eligible to enroll in the Masters of Natural Science Program; (2) exhibit strong organizational as well as verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills; (3) demonstrate an understanding of the issues and needs of student populations who are under-represented in the sciences; (4) demonstrate an interest in environmental or STEM education for high school students.

Preferred Qualifications:
1-2 years working experience with at-risk student populations and some college coursework in the natural sciences.

Salary:
$16,000 per academic year

To Apply:
Electronically submit cover letter and resume to Susan Welsh, LSU-EM Director, at swelsh@lsu.edu. Applications will be reviewed beginning on November 1, 2011.