AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate Positions
As a part of the Iowa Human and Civil Rights VISTA Project, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission will make available 8 positions for a period of 8 or 10 weeks during the summer of 2008. Summer Associates will be placed with sites across the state; sites may include Des Moines, Davenport, Sioux City, Fort Dodge and Cedar Falls. Approximately, one fourth of each position will focus on outreach, education, and research at the state level, with the remaining three fourths devoted to the specific duties for each individual site. Summer Associates educate the general public and stakeholder groups about civil and human rights and diversity through education, outreach and research. By doing this, summer associates will increase the ability of local human rights groups to end discrimination and promote diversity in their communities.
AmeriCorps VISTA Project
The Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) was created by the legislature in 1965 to end discrimination. It remains the state agency whose mission is dedicated to the investigation and enforcement of discrimination laws in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, education and credit. Through participation in outreach events in local communities summer associates will forge partnerships and foster ongoing communications regarding the sharing of best practices and leveraging of resources among local civil and human rights organizations.
Summer Associate duties may include:
• Development, publication, and distribution of education materials for the general public or for specific groups
o For example youth, which could include: Coloring books; Photo/essay contest; Youth at Work – discrimination or harassment of young workers
• Attendance at local and state events, workshops, conferences, & fairs to educate the general public about civil rights
• Survey of civil and human rights trends at the local, state, and national levels
• Research on the history of civil and human rights, including history of local commissions
• Highlight and publish best practices of ending discrimination and promoting diversity
• Network and increase knowledge of stakeholders and issues affecting them
• Assist with the processing of discrimination complaints
• Translation of documents and facilitation of interpretation for stakeholder groups
• Grant research and grant writing
Minimum Requirements
• Availability for full duration of program, including evenings and weekends; program dates are June 9 - August 3 or June 9 – Aug 17
• Self starter and self motivating, able to work without flexible direction, able to multitask, should have experience coordinating a project with little day to day guidance
• Comfortable with online, phone and in-person contacts
• Excellent writing skills
• Experience with stakeholder groups, should demonstrate sensitivity and knowledge about stakeholder groups cultures
• Recommended but not mandatory: proficiency in another language besides English and/or experience as a English as a Second Language tutor
Benefits
• Living allowance: 8 week program $1,533.84; 10 week program $1,917.30
• Education Award of $1000 or cash stipend of $200 earned at the end of service (The education award can be used to pay qualified student loans or pay tuition costs at a qualified institution. VISTAs may only receive two education awards during their lifetime; so you may want to take the stipend if you plan to serve as a fulltime VISTA in the future.)
The deadlines for candidates to apply are May 26 for the Summer Associate positions, May 30 for the Dubuque position and June 23 for the ICRC position. For more information or to apply, individuals need to go to the AmeriCorps website: www.americorps.org . In the Join AmeriCorps! section on the right side of the page, candidates should select "community outreach" as your interest and "Iowa" as the state, then click on "Search." When the position listings appear, they may click on "Iowa Human & Civil Rights VISTA Project," “Iowa Human & Civil Rights VISTA Project – Summer Associates” or “Iowa Human & Civil Rights VISTA Project – Dubuque.”
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