After-School Elementary Literacy & STEAM Volunteer - Volunteer Position (US Applicants)

Liberia Economic Development Initiative (LEDI) is a US-based, 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization with an international focus providing life-changing literacy, economic development, and humanitarian programs and interventions to disadvantaged people in Liberia, West Africa. Since 2007, LEDI has provided over 750 educational scholarships and empowered countless individuals and communities through economic development and humanitarian relief.

About the Program

LEDI will host our inaugural "One World, Many Stories: A Global STEAM Literacy Initiative" 6-session after-school program designed for 20 Grade 1–2 students at Knight Elementary School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Our program combines multicultural children's literature with hands-on engineering challenges to foster academic enthusiasm, global citizenship, and creative problem-solving. Volunteers help build meaningful connections, enabling students to build their own home libraries and connect with peers in Liberia.

• Provide a nurturing, structured, and fun environment for young learners to explore global cultures and hands-on STEAM concepts.
• Empower students to build confidence in reading comprehension, collaboration, and critical thinking.
• Help facilitate memorable global literacy exchanges between local students in Gwinnett County and children in Liberia.

Responsibilities

As a Volunteer, you will work alongside LEDI program coordinators in a small-group setting to ensure every participant is learning, growing, and thriving.

• Read-Aloud Partner: Engage small groups of 1st–2nd graders with authentic multicultural picture books.
• STEAM Activity Facilitator: Guide students through inquiry-based engineering design challenges (e.g., food science, transportation, and conservation projects).
• Global Explorer Guide: Help students document their journey in their Global Explorer Passports and prepare letters/literacy gifts for students in Liberia.
• Session Support: Assist with room setup, welcoming students, materials management, and cleanup.

Requirements

• No prior professional childcare experience required—just enthusiasm, patience, and a desire to encourage kids.
• Must be located in or able to commute to Gwinnett County, GA.
• Reliable Commitment: Ability to commit to 3-4 hours, 1 day per month across the 6-session initiative to ensure consistency for the students.

Required Volunteer Credentials & Onboarding

To ensure child safety and alignment with school district standards, all candidates will complete:

• Brief Screening / Interview (Virtual or Phone call)
• Standard Background Check
• Reference Check
• Brief Online Training Session & LEDI Volunteer Policy Agreement

Preference given to those with an education background, experienced school volunteers, and/or residents of Gwinnett County.

Benefits

• Direct, meaningful impact on young elementary students in your local community.
• Hands-on experience facilitating integrated literacy and STEAM activities.
• Official verification of volunteer hours / letter of recommendation upon program completion.

Location: Knight Elementary School, Gwinnett County, GA (In-Person)
Commitment: 3-4 hours, 1 day per month (6-month total program commitment with option to renew)