CEL Position – Office of Community-Engaged Learning

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023

Community Fellows, Summer 2023: ArlingtON PAR

Arlington Parters Against Racism is group of action-oriented anti-racist community members and parents in the Arlington Central School District dedicated to equity and institutional diversity. We amplify the voices, experiences, and needs of marginalized groups to ensure they are represented, understood, and responded to. Our focus is on race and racism. We intentionally center and support District members from marginalized racial groups. As we stand in solidarity with other groups organizing to support communities experiencing marginalization and oppression, we affirm our collective commitment to creating and maintaining a district in which all members can thrive.

Project or Position Title: Program Support

Project or Position Description:

The last two decades, racial diversity has significantly increased in the Arlington Central School District, the K-12 school district in which Vassar sits. Despite the district’s demographic changes, its policies, practices, and culture have for the most part remained stagnant. Moreover, recent interviews with district members, and studies of the district’s policies, practices, and culture, reveal persisting and deeply-embedded racism, bias, discrimination, and inequality that jeopardize institutional well-being, and the emotional, physical, and mental health of students, and their ability to thrive and strive for excellence. Arlington has been cited by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) for disproportionately disciplining Black and Latino/a/x students. Students of color are frequent victims of racist physical and mental violence and speech, and administrators and educators of color are vulnerable to disciplinary action including dismissal.

ArlingtON PAR intends to offer educational and community engaged learning experiences for Vassar students to engage with ACSD’s students, faculty, administrators, initiatives, and entities, the Board of Education, a decision- and policy-making body that has enormous power and long lasting impact over the lives and futures of students. We join with the college and faculty to encourage, support, and facilitate Vassar students’ engagement outside of the classroom and college space. We hope to build a culture at Vassar where students are interested, invested, and committed in being more relational with local community members and to working on projects that benefit the local community. Students will have an opportunity to develop important skills and learn concrete tools that will serve them well. Not only will students be positioned to gain knowledge about the local K-12 district, but they will be supported in doing something about the issues they recognize.

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

Educate students on the use of intergroup dialogue
Use intergroup dialogue, to engage with the ACSD community, including student equity teams, student organizations MBK and POCkets, and parent-teacher-administrator equity teams
Lead focus groups or discussions with high school students about equity work and the future of the district
Create and facilitate a joint intervention at the Board of Education with high school students
Strategize with student organizers from other local school districts
Draft equity-related policies for the district to consider adopting
Learn more about and engage in mobilizing, organizing, and building campaigns for action
Further develop critical reading, thinking, writing, discussion, debate, public speaking, collaboration, communication, research, community organizing, and advocacy skills

Specific Skills/Experience Required for the Project:

An interest in public policy and education
Strong communication skills
Comfort in facilitating group discussions

Time Commitment:

Students should expect to be available during the organization’s work hours.
In some cases, fellows might be invited to participate in events over the weekend/ evenings.

APPLY HERE!

February 10, 2023February 21, 2023

Community Fellows, Summer 2023: Family Services, Center for Victim Safety and Support

Center for Victim Safety and Support (CVSS) provides 24 hour non-residential, comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. CVSS also specializes in enhancing the systems response to victims of crime as well as prevention of crimes. They operate under the guidelines of a victim-centered approach, supporting victims’ rights, dignity, autonomy, and self-determination. To enhance the systems response to victims of crime, CVSS follows a model of co-location, where staff split their time between the main office and partner agencies throughout the community to facilitate partnerships and streamline services to victims.

Project or Position Title: Administrative Assistant Center for Victim Safety and Support

Project or Position Description:

The Administrative Assistant will provide direct support to the Center for Victim Safety and Support. The daily work focuses on performing routine clerical and reception work. Enthusiastically supports, practices, and communicates agency’s mission and statement of values. Our mission is to help families and individuals help themselves through direct services, collaboration, and advocacy.

Our Agency Values

Integrity – Being honest and trustworthy
Compassion – Extending empathy and understanding to others
Hope – Believing in the strength of the human spirit and heart, to emerge and thrive in the face of challenge
Diversity – Promoting a vision of community comprised of wide-ranging assets
Respect – Treating all individuals with dignity and without judgement
Community – Recognizing and reinforcing the importance of our world as being comprised of people of differing strengths and perspectives
Justice – Promoting social and economic equity and fairness
Quality – Striving for excellence in every aspect of our work

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

Answers multiple single line telephone in a pleasant and professional manner, refers/transfers callers to appropriate staff, takes and relays accurate messages in a timely manner.
Greets in-person clients and guests.
Refers clients to appropriate staff of or program.
Facilitates coordination of technology equipment to staff, as needed.
With the Coordinator of Training and Outreach, assists with training and onboarding and coordination of new staff, volunteers, and interns.
Assists office manager complete clerical program activities, including check requests, purchase orders, etc.
Maintains an organized and clean office space and ensures safe and secure working environment.
Maintains and coordinates multiple inventories, including technology, furniture, supplies, pantry, PPE, and client emergency assistance.
Acts as a liaison and keeps cleaning inventory with contracted cleaning services.
Oversees general building organization.
Monitors cleaning logs and shared spaces and wipes down rooms at end of day.
Attends meetings and disseminates meeting minutes to relevant staff members.
Performs data entry into various software programs and databases, compiles statistics and trend data regarding clients with accuracy and speed.
Coordinates and compiles data around client surveys.
Facilitates incoming and outgoing mail.
Assists in fundraising, special projects, and special events, as needed. Could include designing flyers.
Completes all administrative tasks, as assigned, on a timely basis. This includes, but is not limited to, documenting all activities, preparing, and assisting staff in completing weekly and monthly activity reports.
Ability and willingness to travel required.

Location: 29 N. Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Specific Skills/Experience Required for the Project:

Bilingual (Spanish/English) a plus
Provide excellent and thorough customer service to all clients and staff. Take the necessary time to understand client and staff needs.
Ability to relate to persons in need of assistance
Willingness to participate in training
Ability to communicate professionally, clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
Possess ‘out of the box’ thinking and resourcefulness.
Ability to work effectively when under extreme pressure.
Ability to work independently; but relate issues to manager appropriately.
Ability to complete administrative tasks on a timely basis, including documenting all activities and maintaining up-to-date records.
Strong computer skills including working knowledge of an email package and working knowledge of MS software programs: Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Time Commitment:

Family Services Inc. Center for Victim Safety and Support is a 24-hour crisis center and has open office hours Monday through Friday, 9a-5p. The Office Manager will spend most of their time interacting with clients and staff, working on a team at the Center for Victim Safety and Support, completing documentation and administrative responsibilities and participating in meetings at Family Services.
Students should expect to be available during the organization’s work hours.
In some cases, fellows might be invited to participate in events over the weekend/ evenings.

APPLY HERE!

February 21, 2022April 11, 2023

Community Fellows, Summer 2023: DAY ONE Early Learning Community

DAY ONE Early Learning Community is a non-profit located in the city of Poughkeepsie. Our mission is dedicated to creating the best learning opportunities for young children in New York State by providing state-of-the-art training for early childhood teachers. As part of our ecosystem for building high quality early childhood education, we provide programs for parents to have access to knowledge, resources and respect for their hopes for their children and families.

Project or Position Title: Program Support (2 positions available)

Project or Position Description:

In addition to the general support of DAY ONE Early Learning Community, the Program Support position has the potential to work in the following areas:

School and Summer Camp Program

Work alongside lead teacher to support daily activities in the classroom with the children
Collaborate and support the work of community partners
Support literacy activities through arts and drama
Assist with administrative tasks

Research and Curriculum Development

The student would build upon the research that Community-Engaged Learning students conducted in Spring 2023
Organize collected research forms into database
Continue to catalog the DAY ONE Children’s library
Link children’s book to the Teaching Apprenticeship Program curriculum
This is an opportunity to see a curriculum being developed and implemented, the essential aspects of organization and detail in curriculum
Learn more about DOELC and the local community!

There are also opportunities for the student to work on social media and marketing across platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

Carry out lessons and activities related to literacy
Research topics around public policy and social justice through an early childhood education lens
Organize research through summaries, editing, formatting, and presentations
Actively participate in the summer camp program
Administrative tasks such as supply management, attendance, etc.

Location: 70 Hooker Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Specific Skills/Experience Required for the Project:

An interest in early childhood education
Experience working with young children
Spanish language skills are a plus, but not required
Maturity, responsibility and reliability are important
Ability to adhere to confidentiality requirements
Ability to work both independently and with a team
Attention to detail
Attention to professional presentation

Mentorship Opportunities from Organization:

The student will receive mentorship from staff at DAY ONE, in addition to mentorship from exposure to a large community project carried out by Poughkeepsie non-profits and stakeholders like the 35 Montgomery Community Coalition, the YOU, and the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet.

Time Commitment:

Fellows should expect to be available during the organization’s work hours.
The student will be encouraged to attend community events that might fall outside of traditional work hours.

Previous Community Fellow Experiences:

Students have previously participated in Community-Engaged Learning opportunities with Day One Early Learning Community in projects ranging from social media to curriculum development.

APPLY HERE!