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- How do I speak with the Recruiting Coordinator?
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The Recruiting Coordinator is available via e-mail and phone to answer any questions you might have about the VTC. Please feel free to contact our Recruiting Coordinator at teach@ictc-chicago.org or (312) 491-9100 ex. 214.
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- Is this a one or two year program?
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The VTC is a two-year program.
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- Can I come see the VTC Program for myself?
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Yes. We welcome visitors, and highly recommend that you come to see what we do for yourself. We have a special weekend called "Come & See Weekend" that you can register for by contacting the Recruiting Coordinator. Come & See Weekend 2010 will be held January 14-17, running Thursday through Sunday. This weekend is an opportunity for potential applicants (eligible to apply this year) to experience life of a VTC member and engage in the VTC's four Living Realities of Teaching as Service, Simple Living, Faith-Based Community, and Spirituality. This weekend is structured to help you further discern your interest in volunteer service, and specifically the Volunteer Teaching Corps. If you are unable to make "Come & See" we can still accommodate your visit at another time. Simply contact the Recruiting Coordinator to let us know when you will be in town, and which grade level you are interested in observing and we will make the necessary arrangements.
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- Is it hard to get into the VTC program?
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Our application process is selective because it needs to be in order to provide this service, but we never want this to keep people from applying. If you take note of the requirements in the "Volunteer Teaching Corps - Requirements" section, there are many different ways to demonstrate your commitment to these requirements. We encourage all who are enthusiastic about our mission to apply.
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- Is the VTC only in Chicago?
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Yes. ICTC intentionally kept our focus for the VTC Program in Chicago in order to provide all the support that we feel is necessary for our corps members. The entire staff is in Chicago, and is easily accessible and present in your school and community. There is also a large network of alumni who have remained in Chicago. This provides another major network of support in that many alumni work at the same schools with corps members, and serve as support people for the communities.
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- Is there a minimum GPA for acceptance into the VTC?
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In order to meet the minimum requirements for the Masters level coursework at Northwestern University, all applicants to the VTC must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Please refer to the Recruiting Coordinator if you have any questions about this.
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- What is the application process and when will I know if I am accepted into the program?
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There are two deadlines for application to the VTC:
Early Applications: November 5th
Regular Applications: January 21st
The Early Application deadline was developed to allow applicants to show a strong commitment to service and teaching. This early initiative is considered in the decision process. Applicants may be admitted, denied, or rolled over to the regular application pool. The largest number of Early Applicants is rolled over to regular admission, each receiving feedback from the VTC as to how they can strengthen their application for the regular admission deadline.
The following guidelines should be followed for both deadlines:
• All application parts should be enclosed in a single envelope and received by the application deadline.
• Applications will not be considered until all required materials are received. In extreme cases in which a reference letter or transcript cannot be obtained prior to the deadline, you should send all available information and immediately follow-up with the missing pieces. The parts of the application prepared by applicant (e.g., personal history, two essays, and resume) must be submitted on-time for the applicant to be considered in the interview process.
•Application parts:
-Personal history information
-Essay I
-Essay II
-Resume
-Three letters of recommendation (Original letters of recommendation must be enclosed in an envelope with the writer's signature across the seal.)
A) To be completed by current or former teacher/professor
B) To be completed by a current or former employer
C) To be completed by current or former roommate/house mate
- Official transcripts for all college and graduate coursework
Notification of Early Acceptance goes out to applicants in Mid-December.
Notification of Regular Acceptance goes out to applicants in Mid-March.
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- How will the interview process work?
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ICTC will select the applicants to be interviewed. Selected applicants will be notified of the time, date and location of their interview, whether it will be in your area or via the phone. Interviews will happen in late February/early March. This will be a two-part process that should take approximately one hour. Part one will be a more formal one-on-one interview style. Part two, (the "Teaching Potential" portion of the interview) is a 5 minute video taping that occurs right after part one, where applicants will be observed for their presentation styles and ability to breakdown a concept into teachable parts. Applicants who have phone interviews will be required to videotape their lesson and mail them in to our offices by a designated deadline.
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- What kind of training will we receive upon entering the program?
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All ICTC teachers (both in the VTC Program and in UNITE – our program for career-changers) go through the Alternative Teacher Certification Program for their training throughout the summer and school years. This begins with 8 weeks of student teaching with a mentor teacher at a summer school, and continues with in-class observations by a supervisor and attending various in-services and classes at Northwestern University specifically geared for inner-city teachers. See the Professional Development section for more information.
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- What kind of health insurance will I have?
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As teachers in the Archdiocese of Chicago, VTC members are enrolled in health and dental insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL, which includes vision. Coverage begins October 1st of your first year in the program. Most Corps members continue on their parents' insurance from June through October. Those who are unable to continue on their parents' insurance are asked to contact the Director of the VTC for assistance in obtaining short term coverage through ICTC.
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- Where are the placement schools?
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VTC members will most likely be placed at Catholic schools in underserved areas on the South and West sides of Chicago. The students at these schools are mostly African American or Latino. Other school possibilities include Charter, Episcopal, and Lutheran placements, and we ask volunteers to be open to any of these potential placements. In recent years, some VTC members have worked in adjusted-calendar, year-round schools. This option will be discussed with volunteers prior to placement.
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- How do you decide what grade level I will be teaching?
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During the interview you will fill out an applicant questionnaire that asks you to list the grade level and subject area you would be interested in teaching. Once accepted we will refer back to that sheet when we are doing placements. We will do our best to place you in the grade that you list.
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- Is it possible to teach in a high school?
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Most of our Corps members teach in grades Kindergarten through Eighth. In our experience, many Corps members who have applied with an interest in working with older children work well when placed in Junior High School grade levels (6-8). Again, we will work with you to find the best possible fit. If you have a math or science background, you may be eligible to get certification at the secondary (high school) level. Please inquire with our Recruiting Coordinator to see if that could be a possibility for you.
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- What kinds of extracurricular activities have Corps Members sponsored?
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Corps members have coached sports teams, started a school newspaper or yearbook, helped out with student council, cheerleading, art club, book club, or have put together plays and musicals.
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- What are the living arrangements?
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VTC members live in co-ed communities of 7-10 people at converted rectories (former priest residence) and convents (former nun residence) in the South and West sides of Chicago. Each Corps member will have their own bedroom, and then share common areas with their housemates.
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- How safe are the areas where we live and work?
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There are no safety guarantees anywhere, particularly in urban areas. However, ICTC places high priority on the promotion of safety for corps members. Consequently, ICTC takes proactive measures by:
• Providing safety training as a part of orientation
• Equipping all ICTC vehicles with cell phones for emergency use and roadside assistance memberships.
• Carefully selecting residential neighborhoods that have been screened for safety. Corps members live on parish grounds associated with the Church; therefore they are respected areas in the community.
• The entire ICTC staff lives in Chicago, and all VTC members are provided with a staff phone list so that a program contact is available at all times.
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- Is transportation provided?
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We are very fortunate to have a fleet of cars that allows our Corps members to provide the important service they offer. Each community has historically been able to have 3 cars for both work and personal use. The community is responsible for the care of the vehicles and is expected to work together to accommodate carpool situations.
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- What are the goals of the retreats?
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Retreats for the Volunteer Teaching Corps are designed to provide our volunteers with an opportunity to get away from the city, relax, and reflect on their volunteer experience in a spiritual context. The lives of our volunteers move at a very rapid pace. Retreats provide a valuable opportunity to pause and gain perspective.
There are four weekend retreats each year. Each retreat focuses on one of the VTC's four living realities. All of the retreats take place at a beautiful retreat house in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (about two hours north of Chicago). We endeavor to use a number of prayer and reflection formats to allow you to explore the retreats themes and take stock of your volunteer experience. There is also plenty of free time set aside to allow for you to unwind with your fellow volunteers.
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- What does it mean to be a faith-based program?
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The Volunteer Teaching Corps welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds. Some of our volunteers are very devout in a specific faith and some are exploring. All that is required in terms of faith and spirituality is a willingness to discuss and explore your spirituality with others, especially those who are in your community. It is also important that you are willing to respect and be open to the faith and spiritual paths of others.
On a more practical note, the majority of our volunteer teaching placements are in Catholic schools. It is important that you feel comfortable teaching in this environment. If you have questions about what this is like, please contact the Recruiting Coordinator.
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- Is it hard to live on $150 per month of personal spending money?
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You certainly have to watch what you spend, but at the same time you learn to take advantage of the things that are around and available to you at no or low cost. Whether that is enjoying nature itself (Chicago has a beautiful lakeshore with bike paths, parks and beaches), playing games with housemates at home, going to the wonderful museums that Chicago offers (teachers get in for free), or renting a movie versus going to the theater, you learn to be creative with your social time.
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- When are the breaks? Can you go home during the year?
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Very similar to college, you will be able to go home during major breaks. You follow the calendar of your school, which differs slightly from school to school, but you can essentially count on breaks around major Catholic religious holidays (Christmas and Easter) as well as a little time at Thanksgiving.
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- What about the summer between my first and second year? What do Corps members do then?
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Corps members have many options when it comes to what they do in the summer between their first and second years. Some go home for the entire summer if they so desire. They simply have to be back in Chicago around the second week of August. Some choose to stay and enjoy Chicago and all it has to offer that second summer, and continue to live in their community while completing summer service. Some examples of summer service are: being a counselor for our Books 'n Hoops summer program, assisting staff in the ICTC office, helping with the after school programs at a summer school, or working in another volunteer agency (i.e. a church, soup kitchen, shelter, etc.). Master's coursework can also be continued at Northwestern during this summer if you so choose.
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- I understand that teaching in urban environments is very difficult. How do you support your teachers?
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We have a group of full- and part-time professional development staff who oversee your teaching experience and your training. One of these staff members will be assigned to observe your classroom teaching approximately every two weeks during your first year. While all of our staff is available to help you, this person will be your point person if you have questions or need advice. A veteran member of your school's staff will receive extra training and be assigned to serve as your mentor. A second year volunteer will be assigned as your peer mentor, and there may be at least one other ICTC teacher (a current or former volunteer or UNITE member) in your school. Research increasingly indicates the value of mentoring for new teachers, and we also strive to provide a number of informal mentors: The VTC staff members are all former teachers, you live in a community of teachers, and there is a strong & vibrant ICTC alumni community that is anxious to help our current volunteers.
You will also participate in regular professional development seminars (twice a month your first year; once a month your second year) that are designed to continue your training and keep you apprised of fresh teaching concepts and strategies. We have a resource center full of teaching materials as well as a teacher workroom that includes a letter cutter, laminator, and photocopy machine. You will also receive money to help you set up your classroom and maintain your classroom supplies.
Beyond the teaching support, each house is assigned two support people. These support people are typically former VTC members who meet with your house once a week to have dinner and serve as mentors to your community. They help to plan and facilitate the biweekly reflections in your community.
ICTC also maintains connections with spiritual directors and professional counselors. These services will be available to you should you desire them.
Do you have further questions? Please contact our Recruiting Coordinator.
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- What is the Masters option?
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At the end of the first year of teaching, VTC members will have earned their Alternative Teacher Certification as well as 22 credits worth of a Masters of Science of Education. Going into the second year and beyond, volunteers can choose to finish this Masters by taking an additional set of seven courses through Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. ICTC offers scholarship options to volunteers to be able to complete this degree at either a reduced cost or for free. Please contact the Recruiting Coordinator for more details on what these options look like.
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- How does the Spirituality pillar play out in the lives of the VTC members?
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The Spirituality pillar is simultaneously the hardest to define and yet the most present in the lives of our volunteers. Spirituality is loosely referred to as the realm of understanding between separate faiths and the ways an individual personalizes their faith life. As a program, the VTC encourages and supports members of all faiths along their journeys, fostering discussion and understanding along the way. Additionally, the VTC also encourages Spirituality to be viewed as the intersection of faith and relationship. As a member of the VTC, you will constantly be in contact with other people, whether they be a community member, a student, a friend, or any number of other individuals who will be a part of your life during your two years in the program. For the VTC, this interaction and relationship is incredibly important and a large part of the experience. With Spirituality as a pillar, a focus is created in the VTC on openness, discussion, and relationship.
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