Education Project Leader, Fiji

Location: Fiji
Start Date: 01 March 2018
Contract Type: 1 Year
Hub: Dawasamu / Caqalai
Category: Education, Teaching, Community development
Job Type: Field Operations

Description:

GVI Fiji are looking for a dedicated and hard-working Education Project Leader to join their team in Dawasamu District, Fiji.  Global Vision International is an award-winning global volunteer network that utilises local and international volunteer support to design and implement community backing initiatives throughout Fiji.  A successful candidate would ideally have experience of teaching primary school age children at home or abroad, with a sound understanding of Phonics and its implementation in the primary classroom.

GVI Dawasamu's education programme is located in rural Viti Levu (Fiji's largest island) approximately 2.5 hours from the capital city of Suva.  There are two primary schools in Dawasamu District, with GVI focusing on teaching support at just one currently.  The school caters for children age 4-14, Kindergarten to Class 8.  GVI focus their literacy support on Class 2- Class 6 primarily.  In Fiji the academic year runs from January to November.  There are 2 week breaks in April and August as well as a 6 week break over the Christmas period.  As a developing country Fiji's schools are fairly well-resourced with well-educated and trained teachers.  The area's major disadvantages are its rural and remote location, poorly-maintained roads and limited public transport options which can result in teachers becoming isolated and over-worked.  GVI Dawasamu volunteers hope to lessen the burden by offering literacy assistance as well as general classroom assistance to assist with tasks such as marking, resource making, printing and photocopying.

The school, and the whole of Dawasamu District, were badly hit by Tropical Cyclone Winston in February 2016.  At the time of writing (Nov 2017) school repairs were underway and most people in the surrounding communities are in the process of rebuilding their houses, with many families still living in temporary shelters nearly 2 years after the cyclone.

Working Environment

Candidates must be willing and able to relocate to GVI’s remote and rustic base of operations in a rural village setting in the Dawasamu region of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu.
The Successful candidate will be based full time on GVI’s base of operations.
Regular rotations/transport to Suva provided.
Duration: 12 months pending 1-month probation period with good opportunity for extension

Responsibilities:

·         Running the education project in the local primary school; Building and maintaining relationships with local teachers and timetabling volunteer’s lessons within classroom timetables.

·         Enable and support volunteers in delivering phonics, literacy and PEMAC lessons to students

·         Monitor, supervise and develop volunteer’s involvement in the project

·         Relationship building with partner institutions, school students and teachers

·         Constantly assess how the project is running and identify areas requiring further development

·         Creating and developing a bank of education resources

·         Promoting positive reinforcement in schools and non-physical behavior management

·         Maintain accurate records of student progress

·         Support volunteers in running lessons with special needs students

·         Supporting, training and coordinating volunteers throughout daily operations as well as ensuring there are regular scheduled supervision meetings to ensure the consistency and progress of the project.

·         Reporting on both project and base outcomes, through monthly achievement reports, fundraising pages, proposals, donation reports and incident reports

·         Managing a team of six to twelve volunteers and coordinating their work within the education project; including literacy lessons, PE, Music, Art and working with special needs students.

·         Conducting reading testing throughout the school and developing student profiles, including long term learning goals.

·         Training volunteers to work within the project and mentoring their work throughout their time on project    

Essential Criteria:

·         Education/Teaching background, both academic and/or work experience. Specifically Experience and knowledge of teaching phonics at a primary school level.

Desirable Criteria:

Relevant past experience including:

·         Experience of teaching primary school age children at home or abroad

·         Experience of working with volunteers and supporting lessons and planning.

·         An understanding of assessment, how it can be used to support teaching and learning as well as experience of tracking and monitoring student progress.

·         Past expedition style work experience

·         Past volunteer or volunteer management work experience

·         Past experience in remote locations and working closely with local communities

The Location:

This project is based in a small rural village in the Dawasamu District on Viti Levu, remote and known for its proximity to Moon Reef and its resident pod of Spinner Dolphins. Based in the villages of Silana, this is a perfect location to experience true Fijian life, in an amazing region defined by dense jungle, volcanic mountainsides and the tribal culture of Tailevu Province.

Package:

·         Starting Stipend: $100 USD per week

·         All food, relevant in-country transport, and accommodation provided

·         Medical Insurance

·         In-country training and skill development to align with GVI's stringent standards

·         Good opportunities of promotion within our international organisation

·         4 weeks paid holiday per annum pro rata

·         Various opportunities for professional development, certifications and training

·         GVI Fiji does not cover flights to/from Fiji

·         In-country assistance and costs for visa application

Specific Requirements: