Internship Descriptions

Cal Corps Public Service Center, UC Berkeley Social Issues, Social Action: Oakland Community Builders Community Organizing Course, Spring 2009 INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTIONS These descriptions were provided by the agencies we will be partnering with this semester. Please read through them thoroughly when deciding your top two choices. Note: this list will be continuously updated with new internship positions throughout the month of December and January, so please check it before submitting your final application. Internship Title: Justice Now Internship Agency Description: Justice Now works with people in women’s prisons and local communities to build a world without prisons. We believes that prisons and policing are not making our communities safe and whole but that, instead, the current system damages both the people it imprisons and their communities. From using a gender justice framework, we understand that all of the violence we face is interconnected. Efforts to criminalize violence against women, transphobic violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence have not ended those harms. Instead, criminalization has only extended the reach of the prison industrial complex. We are interested not only in challenging what we see happening in prisons, but also in building a different world – a world where all of us have affordable housing, food, healthcare, economic opportunity, and freedom from both individual and state violence. This vision includes creating new ways to respond when people hurt each other – ways that no longer rely on violence and control. Our work includes a Human Rights Documentation Program, a legal project that partners with people in women’s prisons to educate the public on how prisons damage communities of color and to challenge policies harming people in prison and their families. We also provide direct legal services to clients in the following areas: child-custody, life-threatening illnesses, acute medical conditions, winning compassionate release (early release) for terminally ill or medically incapacitated prisoners (in men's and women's prisons) with less than 6 months to live, and alternative sentencing. Additionally, we are involved in organizing, policy, and public education campaigns to end our society’s reliance on prisons to respond to social problems by collaborating with people in California’s women’s prisons and communities outside to challenge prison expansion and promote alternatives to the prison industrial complex. Description of Duties: Interns doing human rights documentation will work directly with our human rights staff to interview people inside prison, conduct in-depth research and writing, and develop and implement advocacy plans. Interns will also have the opportunity to work on creating reports and other documents to send to the United Nations for upcoming international human rights meetings. Interns working on prison abolition campaigns will be responsible for organizing, policy, and public education campaigns to end our society’s reliance on prisons to respond to social problems. Justice Now interns collaborate with people in California’s women’s prisons and communities outside to challenge prison expansion and promote alternatives to the prison industrial complex. Work Schedule: Expected Time Commitment: Flexible; 16 hrs/week for casework Intern Skills/Qualities: We look for motivated and responsible interns who have a desire and ability to work with diverse groups of people, work collaboratively, multitask and have a commitment to human rights and gender justice issues. Interns should be comfortable traveling to prisons to interview clients and discussing sensitive issues, while maintaining client confidentiality. Priority is given to people of color, people who were formerly imprisoned, and family members of people in prison. Personal experience with the criminal legal system, background/interest in analyses of oppression, and/or Spanish language ability a plus. To challenge the systems of privilege which allow only certain people access to legal skills, we allot a maximum of half of our intern slots to law students. You do not need to be a law student to do legal advocacy. Student Learning: three things the intern might learn while in this position 1. Interns will develop skills in legal research and writing regarding human rights issues to be used for advocacy and in reports produced by Justice Now. 2. Interns will gain a greater understanding of the Prison Industrial Complex, specifically on issues related to gender justice, reproductive rights and human rights abuses. 3. Interns will learn how to effectively collaborate with people in California’s women’s prisons and communities outside to challenge prison expansion and promote alternatives to the prison industrial complex. Orientation Times Justice Now’s orientation for new interns typically lasts approximately 4 hours. This orientation covers the interns’ responsibilities and the organization’s requirements generally. We will be able to hold the interns’ orientation definitely on Wed Jan 28, and possibly on Thu Jan 29th. The office is open from 10AM-6PM, and the 4 hours can be scheduled either in the morning or in the afternoon. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Internship Title: Statewide Alliance Organizing Intern at Californians for Justice Agency Description: The Campaign for Quality Education is a statewide coalition of grassroots, civil rights, policy and research organizations committed to educational equity for all communities served by California’s public schools. The CQE leads strategic campaigns that integrate our strengths in community organizing, research, legal and policy advocacy to achieve equitable and just education policies. The CQE engages communities of color and low-income communities to actively develop state and local education policy agendas, inspire a public consciousness that genuinely values education, and advance the movement for racial, social and economic justice. In 2008, the Campaign for Quality Education launched a three-year campaign (2008-2010) focused on influencing the state of California to invest in a quality education that provides academically rich and relevant curriculum and instruction for all students in K-12th grades that can lead to higher education and well-paid and meaningful work. This plan seeks to increase graduation rates of the most under-served populations in California. We seek to ensure that the State of California provides qualified teachers, challenging and meaningful curriculum, and adequate, equitable funding necessary to prepare all students for higher education and careers. Over the next three years, the CQE will: (1) Work on state-level policies that promote instructional quality at every level and secondary school curriculum that integrates college and career preparation (2) Engage in data advocacy to facilitate local accountability; and (3) Build towards impacting school finance reform. Using the 2008-2009 budget battle as an opportunity to highlight issues of educational quality, equity, and funding in the State of California, the Campaign for Quality Education will develop a proactive policy and legislative agenda for 2009 to advance the goals of the “100% Prepared” Plan. Description of Duties: This past May 15th, the CQE organized the largest high school student demonstration in Sacramento against the proposed state budget cuts to education. With over 2000 participants, mostly students, parents, and community members from as far south as San Diego, Long Beach and L.A, the Central Valley and all over the Bay Area in attendance. The main focus of the interns’ time will be to support the organizing of a similar action in Sacramento in May 2009. Support alliance activities and events (leading up to and day-of) o Examples of duties associated with this include: recruitment of new/old allies; phone call and email follow-up; media outreach; material preparation; logistical duties such as coordination of transportation, lodging, food for all allies; setup/clean up etc. Lead Endorsement recruitment efforts o ID, recruit, and follow-up with new endorsers; set-up face-to-face meetings CQE education o Presentations and trainings for CQE members, community, and key education stakeholders Other duties as needed to fulfill the work of the CQE Willingness to take on additional roles and tasks that are part of a growing statewide alliance - - Work Schedule: there is flexibility around work scheduling there are no mandatory days per se, a regular intern check-in for support and supervision will be established early on. Intern Skills/Qualities: - Understanding and commitment to social justice values and practices; Strong written and oral communications, organizational and time management skills; Detail‐oriented, with strong ability to follow‐through; Ability to work independently, as part of a team, and in collaboration with CQE allies Excellent ability to multi‐task and prioritize tasks; Independent worker, initiative‐taker, strong problem‐solver; Student Learning: three things the intern might learn while in this position 1. The impact of state level policy on local organizing efforts. 2. The importance of a statewide alliance on public education that leads with student and parent voices. 3. The inner workings of Statewide Alliance – the ins and outs or coordinating a statewide alliance with members in the Bay, Central Valley, & Southern Ca. Orientation Times Mon. 2/2: 10-noon and 1-3pm Tues. 2/3: 1-3pm Wed. 2/4: 10-noon and 1-3pm --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Internship Title: “Research-for-Action&Organizing” Research Associate Agency Description: MISSION: The DataCenter supports poor and working class people of color-led organizing efforts to reclaim community knowledge and access information in order to strategically utilize research that strengthens the movement for liberation and social justice and dismantles the structural inequities in research. VISION: We envision a world where community knowledge and experiences are valued and shape social systems. Our future will emerge from community that has control over, access to, and capacity for production and application of knowledge to struggle successfully against systemic oppression toward liberation. We strive to change systems of oppression by truth telling, shifting values, and reimagining power through research and information. We achieve this through our three main strategies: 1. capacity building (research process training, toolkits, access to resources) 2. service (research skills building trainings and in-house research support) 3. advocacy (challenging power dynamics in the field of research/decolonizing research) Description of Duties: 1. Investigative Research Support for Southwest Workers Union (San Antonio, TX): investigating the inequities in educational system and local employment through gathering of existing data (flexible through internship period) 2. DataCenter Training Support: for various local trainings/workshops, attend and support logistics and preparation as appropriate/needed (as needed, TBD) 3. Research Resources Inventory Development And Management: assist in the web resources regular updating & maintenance, production of research guides/toolkits, and other resources as appropriate/needed (projected timeline: flexible/ongoing) 4. Community Development Research Support: starting some of the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) related literature / backgorund review - i.e. going through Lexis-Nexis (and/or other databases as available), downloading articles and then sifting and organizing. probably more towards end of november... (projected timeline: October-November) 5. Research Process Support for Center for Young Women’s Development’s Survey Project: setting up SurveyMonkey and ensuring other tools/infrastructure are in place to implement the research and other tasks as appropriate/needed (projected timeline: October) 6. Investigative Research Support for Environmental Law Center-New Mexico, to expose corporate power structure in proposed mining/water extractive projects in the Southwest Work Schedule: See above Intern Skills/Qualities: Familiarity with, and/or strong interest & aptitude in: online internet research, database searches (like Nexis Lexis), various search tools (census, public records/FOIA requests, information organization & management, formatting, data analysis (using Excel or SPSS preferred), looking up local government records or government-published data in various sources (like federal DOL or Housing or Education all the way to local level economic/educational etc. data) or a knack for figuring out where/how to get certain info (dirtdigger spirit welcome) and lots of creative thinking and strategizing Requirements: Basic computer & writing & communication skills. Above all, a passion to learn with humility and adapt and grow guided by principles of justice & equity. We can always teach you the technical stuff, as long as you can pick up relatively quickly and have aptitude for researching & organizing information & going after the ‘truth’ etc. Someone who is focused and can work well independently, but also in teams– and finally love for the work, compassion, and a great sense of humor! ☺ Student Learning: three things that the intern might learn while in this position. 1. understanding the role of various types of research in supporting organizing efforts, informing organizing strategies and tactics, and messaging, etc. 2. understanding the role of information in the process of grassroots communities building their political power (empowering their own voices) in policymaking and organizing agendas 3. improved research skills --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internship Title: Education Not Incarceration program intern Agency Description: Mission Statement: Education Not Incarceration (ENI) advocates reprioritizing resources away from prison systems into comprehensive and equitable education for all people. ENI is dedicated to supportive rather than punitive actions. ENI mobilizes grassroots campaigns through rallies, forums, petitions, media and lobbying; improves the social fabric supporting schools; develops and implements youth educational programs; and assists families facing punitive measures in the education system. ENI serves a population of low-income youth of color who are likely to be pushed into prison, and the teachers and service workers who most interact with those youth. Currently, the national board of Education Not Incarceration in Oakland: -works with teachers and schools to interrupt to school-to-prison pipeline and establish restorative justice practices and positive behavior support -participates in the national Dignity in Schools campaign against zero-tolerance policies in schools The Education Not Incarceration San Francisco office: -coordinates an Education Not Incarceration internship program with June Jordan School for Equity -participates in a Copwatch coalition with other San Francisco organizations -houses the ENI crisis line, which offers counsel to parents and youth facing supension, expulsion, or incarceration Description of Duties: - Restorative justice and positive behavior support work with teachers and schools: intern will receive training to assist in facilitating workshops with Oakland teachers on the school-to-prison pipeline and restorative justice and positive behavior support practices -Establish a functional national office: intern will assist in the establishment of ENI’s national office, located in Oakland - ENI crisis hotline training and staffing: Intern will assist in hotline, providing counsel to parents and students -Classroom support: Intern will assist in the classrooms of teachers who are part of the ENI network of teachers Work Schedule: Intern will work for approximately five hours a week. Required time commitments include: participation in internship program on 1 afternoon each week. Intern Skills/Qualities: An ENI intern should be comfortable working with both teachers and youth, particularly low-income youth of color. He or she should also possess facilitation skills, office skills, and familiarity with issues of schools and prisons on a national scale. Student Learning: three things the intern might learn while in this position 1. The ways in which school discipline policies and practices channel students toward prison. 2. The theory and practice of restorative justice and positive behavior support. 3. Advocacy for students facing suspension or expulsion. Orientation Times Wed Jan 28: between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm Thu Jan 29: before 12 noon Fri Jan 30: anytime -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Internship Title: Community Organizer Intern Agency Description: BOCA (Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action) is comprised of 18 diverse Berkeley congregations of faith who work together to challenge the inequities of our society that promote poverty, separation, and fear. We come together over issues of education, immigration, health care, community safety, housing, and poverty. Trained BOCA leaders work with public officials to uphold justice, equality, and dignity for every member of our community. BOCA is a member of PICO National Network, a network of faith based organizations that represents over one million families in 150 cities within 16 states, and of PICO California, a unified effort of 17 organizations the represent over 350 congregations and 400,000 families. Description of Duties: Learn PICO's Congregation-Community Model of Organizing and incorporate its principles into day-to-day work activities. • Assist in research and strategy leading to community action meetings. • Learn about principles and practices of PICO's Model of Organizing. • Some Fundraising activities as required. Work Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2 hours each day; considerable evening and occasional weekend work. Intern Skills/Qualities: Describe the skills and qualities that an intern working with your program should possess. • • • • • • • commitment to social change ability to work with religious congregations experience working with diverse ethnic communities ability to develop meaningful and productive personal relationships ability to challenge and be challenged ability to facilitate team-building ability to analyze public policies and institutions Student Learning: three things that the intern might learn while in this position. 1. Community Organizing 2. Learn to develop volunteer leaders and community organizing committees in member congregations using the PICO model of congregation-based community organizing 3. Leadership Development Orientation Times Wed Jan 28: (Morning)