One Day, One Job » program development

buildOn

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:49:24 +0000

It’s easy to think of the developing world as having completely different problems from the ones we have in the U.S. But when you look more closely, you start to realize that the link between poverty and a lack of good education is consistent across the world–our inner cities and the developing world have similar problems that require similar solutions. buildOn is a non-profit organization based in Stamford, CT that aims to break “the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education” by “putting youth in service and building schools in developing countries.” Most non-profits either focus on education abroad or domestically, buildOn is unique in that they believe that they can better solve both problems by working on them at the same time.

Build Something

You’ll probably want to start your research on buildOn by reading Founder Jim Ziolkowski’s story. After that you’ll want to dive into the “buildOn Is a Movement” video:

buildOn’s domestic programs are based in Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; New York, NY; Oakland/San Francisco, CA; Philadelphia, PA; and Stamford, CT. The goal is to engage 100,000 U.S. based students every week by 2031. In the same time period, they want more than 1 million students to be attending schools built by buildOn. It sounds like an amazing movement, so if you want to get involved, head over to buildOn’s Careers page. Right now there are a few positions posted worth checking out:

Program Coordinator (San Francisco, CA)
Program Coordinator (Stamford, CT)
Program Coordinator (Philadelphia, PA)

These look like amazing job opportunities, so give them a close look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about buildOn?

Queens Botanical Garden

Willy Franzen — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:35:13 +0000

Happy Mother’s Day! While the best gift that you could possibly give your mother is for you to get a job, flowers, brunch, or a card will have to do for now (not many people get hired over the weekend). I think flowers make a pretty awesome gift, but it sucks that they are eventually going to die. Why not give your mom a flower experience instead? Take her somewhere like the Queens Botanical Garden, which is a Flushing, NY based “urban oasis where people, plants and cultures are celebrated through inspiring gardens, innovative educational programs and demonstrations of environmental stewardship.” Could there be a better place to take your mother?

Treat Your Mom Like a Queen

The best way to learn about Queens Botanical Garden is to visit, obviously. If you can’t do that right away, you can read up on planning your visit or take a look at their gardens and collections. You may also want to learn more about their Programs and their Education & Cultural Research. If you love flowers and plants and like what you’ve read about the Queens Botanical Garden, then you have to take a look at their Jobs page. Right now they have a full-time Botanical Garden Aide position posted along with part-time Children’s Garden Program Coordinator and Children’s Garden Senior Assistant positions. Happy Mother’s Day!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you visited Queens Botanical Garden?

National Ability Center

Willy Franzen — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:33:18 +0000

I absolutely love playing sports and participating in other outdoor activities. Physical activities are great because they provide nearly immediate feedback. You have a great idea of how you’re performing and how hard you can push yourself. That’s why the National Ability Center in Park City, UT uses activities like “alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, swimming, cycling, waterskiing, horseback riding, rafting,” and more to aid the “the development of lifetime skills for people of all ages and abilities.” By using specially designed equipment and well-trained instructors (many of whom are individuals with disabilities), The National Ability Center is able to bring these wonderful activities to people who may otherwise never have a chance to participate.

Discover Your Abilities

Last year the National Ability Center delivered lessons and outing to 15,545 individuals. The participants were able to “build self-esteem, confidence and physical development,” which are absolutely essential skills that can be taken back to everyday life. The National Ability delivers their programming with a number of core values in mind. These include Innovative, Integrity, Affordable, Caring, Inclusive, Empowerment, Quality, and Customer Service. The National Ability Center website is a bit hard to navigate, but they do provide a ton of information on their programming, so I highly recommend that you dive in and learn more. If you like what you see, then you can move on to their Jobs page where they have opportunities including Lead Program Staff, Program Staff, Public Relations Coordinator, Facilities and Capital Manager, and Events Coordinator. These look like amazing job opportunities, so don’t pass them up.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about National Ability Center?

Project Sunshine

Willy Franzen — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:42:25 +0000

There aren’t many things sadder than children suffering from medical problems. It’s completely heartbreaking for everyone involved. No matter what the situation, one of the most important things is to keep the kids and their families in a positive emotional state. That’s what Project Sunshine does. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit organization that “provides free educational, recreational, and social programs to children facing medical challenges and their families.” They work in more than 150 cities across the United States and also have “satellite sites” in Canada, China, Israel, Kenya and Puerto Rico. Through volunteers they’re able to serve more than 60,000 children and their families.

Rays of Sunshine

Project Sunshine’s programs range from being purely focused on improving morale like Arts and Crafts to more specific programs targeted at things like Caregiver Wellness and living with HIV/AIDS. You can get a full rundown of Project Sunshine’s program offerings here. You may also want to spend some time looking through their Photo Gallery, as it will give you a closer look at the work that they do and how it affects the people they serve. If you like what Project Sunshine is all about, then you’ll want to take a look at their Careers page. You won’t see any jobs posted, but today they posted a Program Coordinator position on Idealist. It looks like a great fit for a new or recent grad, so check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Project Sunshine?

Peer Health Exchange

Willy Franzen — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:54:44 +0000

When I was in 9th grade I had to take a Health class. One day our teacher had us write letters to our future selves. She told us that she’d send them to us when we graduated high school. I never saw that letter again. I guess I’ll never know how I’m stacking up against the expectations of my 14 year old self. While many lessons from health class seem trite at the time, they can have life-long beneficial effects. Unfortunately, many public schools can’t afford to offer health education. This is a big problem because “teenagers today are engaging in risky behavior at alarming rates, harming their bodies and their futures.” Peer Health Exchange is a San Francisco, CA based non-profit organization (but they’re working across the country) that fixes this problem by recruiting, selecting, and training “college student volunteers to teach high school students a comprehensive health curriculum.” My sister is one of these volunteers, and she’s had a wonderful experience so far (which is why she has been bugging me to feature PHE).

To Your Health

Peer Health Exchange explains the need for their services with some simple statistics:

One in four teenagers is a binge-drinker.

One in four teenagers smokes cigarettes.

One in three teen girls becomes pregnant.

One in five teenagers experiences violence in a relationship.

One in six teenagers is overweight or obese.

There are significant long-term consequences for our society associated with each of those stats. Peer Health Exchange offers a curriculum that leaves 96% of students saying that “they will use something they learned from PHE workshops to make a healthy decision in the future.” Although it’s hard to quantify what that actually means, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. If you’d like to get involved with Peer Health Exchange, check out their Jobs page. Right now they have quite a few positions avialable including:

Finance Analyst
Program Associate (Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA)
Program Associate (Washington, DC)

These are great opportunities to join an organization that is having a significant impact, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite memory from Health class?

International Food Policy Research Institute

Willy Franzen — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:12:35 +0000

Have you ever bought Easter candy after Easter? They’re usually giving it away at about 90% off. We live in a country where food is so plentiful that it becomes undesirable if it’s not the right color or in the right packaging for the time of year. Those egg shaped Reese’s instantly won’t sell, even though they have a better peanut butter to chocolate ratio than the normal cups. It’s easy to forget how lucky we are to live in a society where one of our biggest problems is an overabundance of calories. The International Food Policy Research Institute is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that serves those who aren’t so lucky. The IFPRI envisions “a world where every person has secure access to sufficient and safe food to sustain a healthy and productive life and where food-related policy decisions are made transparently, including the participation of consumers and producers.”

What’s Your Food Policy?

When you start to think about food policy, you realize it’s tied into nearly every part of human life. Whether it’s trade, the environment, energy, or gender equality, nearly everything either affects or is affected by food. That’s why the International Food Policy Research Institute’s work stretches across so many areas. Just take a look at their Project Portfolio–it includes everything from Rebuilding after Emergencies and Crises to Social Protection, Livelihoods and Asset Building. There’s a lot to learn about the IFPRI and what they do, so I highly recommend that you dig into their site and start learning more about them. If you like what you see, then you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a few positions that may interest new or recent grads including:

They also have Research Positions for people with more advanced education and experience.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about the International Food Policy Research Institute?

50CAN

Willy Franzen — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:48:29 +0000

Reasoning Mind is an education focused non-profit that uses the web to teach kids math, and they’re hiring 30 new grads as Program Coordinators. Learn more about these amazing entry level opportunities.

I was really lucky in that my parents sent me to a top notch private school for 6th through 12th grade. I have no doubt that it had a significantly positive effect on my education. Why? Because it was a truly great school. Private schools obviously aren’t the only great schools (and plenty of private schools aren’t all that great), but there’s no doubt that many of our country’s public schools are underperforming. 50CAN is a New York, NY based non-profit organization that is pushing for education reform because they believe that “Great Schools Can Change Everything.” They don’t just mean test scores and individual outcomes. They mean our economy, our democracy, our dreams, our competitiveness, our health, our communities, and pretty much everything else. 50CAN is different from many of the education focused non-profits that you’re likely familiar with in that 50CAN is focused squarely on advocacy.

YouCAN

50CAN has a wonderful website. It’s beautiful, and it does a great job of conveying information in a simple way. I recommend that you start browsing it by reading their Why Schools? page. Next you’ll want to read through the 50CAN Model. You’ll get an in-depth look at how they’re going state by state to “build citizen movements to ensure that every child has access to a great public school.” If you want to see what kind of results this approach delivers, just check out 50CAN’s Case Studies. Hopefully as you check out these pages, you’ll be drawn into other parts of 50CAN’s website. There’s a lot more to learn about the organization. So far CAN is operating in Minnesota, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, and New York (North Carolina is coming soon). Obviously the goal is to reach all 50. If you want to be a part of 50CAN, check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Government Relations Associate for RI-CAN (Providence, RI) and a New Site Development Manager (New York, NY). If neither of those positions look right for you, you can also sign up to bring 50CAN to your state.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you go to a great school?

Reasoning Mind

Willy Franzen — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:59:11 +0000

This is a sponsored post for Reasoning Mind. You can see our original editorial feature of Reasoning Mind here.

If 2,000 people share this job on Facebook by April 15th (be sure to use this link so it counts), a donor will give Reasoning Mind $10,000. Each share is worth $5, so by sharing, you’ll help your friends learn about an awesome job while helping kids learn math!

The education situation in America is dire. Our schools aren’t performing well compared to those in other nations–especially in math and science. It looks like we’re headed for a future where we’ll no longer be a world leader of industry and innovation. Or are we? I’m not so sure. What I’ve seen over the past few years in education technology gives me a lot of hope. One of the organizations on the leading edge of this phenomenon is Reasoning Mind. They’re a Houston, TX based non-profit that is working across the country and using web-based technology to move us towards “a day when children love their math class so much, they do math problems at home instead of playing video games.” They’ve already accomplished this goal with thousands of children, and they think that they can make it a reality across country inside of a decade. How would you like to be part of that?

Reasons to Choose Reasoning Mind

Reasoning Mind does its amazing work through partnerships with schools. By combining online tools with the face-to-face instruction that great teachers provide, Reasoning Mind is able to create an environment where students get individualized attention that allows them to learn at a pace that is best for them. (If you’d like to take a closer look at how the software works, take a look at these awesome videos.)

For Reasoning Mind the key to student success is making sure that schools and teachers are fully equipped to make the most of the online tools. That’s why Reasoning Mind hires some of America’s brightest college graduates every year to join them as Program Coordinators. As a Reasoning Mind Program Coordinator, you’ll be responsible for bringing Reasoning Mind to approximately 1,000 students and their teachers. You can learn more about the position from these links:

Also be sure to to check out Reasoning Mind’s employee blog.

Meeting of the Minds

Reasoning Mind is currently looking to hire 30 new Program Coordinators to start in Summer 2012. The positions will be available across a number of of locations including Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and Nashville (other cities depend on partnership agreements with schools). This is an amazing opportunity to have a meaningful impact on America’s education problem while gaining significant post-college work experience.

Apply for a Reasoning Mind Program Coordinator Position

Submit your resume and cover letter via the link above to receive the assignments. Complete the assignments by April 6th to hear back by May 25th or by May 4th to hear back by June 15th.

Applying involves completing written assignments that are meant to simulate the type of work that Program Coordinators do at Reasoning Mind. The goal is to help you get a better idea of whether you’ll find the work satisfying (and whether they’ll find your work satisfying), so don’t approach this like you approach other job applications. A résumé and cover letter isn’t enough to grab one of the 30 spots.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Reasoning Mind?

USA Hockey

Willy Franzen — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:49:53 +0000

I think I saw one of the best hockey games I’ll ever see in my life last night. I made the drive from Chicago up to Green Bay, WI to see the heroic Cornell Big Red take on the evil University of Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the Division I NCAA Tournament. I was devastated when Michigan scored two goals in the first minute and thirty three seconds and relieved when the second goal was called off after the officials viewed the replay. In addition to the overturned goal, there was a shorthanded goal, a missed penalty shot, a 5 minute major, a prolonged 5×3 that didn’t lead to a goal, a game tying goal late in the 3rd period (for the bad guys), and an overtime game winning goal for the good guys. I woke up with no voice and an inability to think about anything but hockey, which is why we’re going to take a look at Colorado Springs, CO based USA Hockey today. It was founded in 1936 and has been “the National Governing Body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States” since. In addition to that, USA Hockey does everything that it can to “promote the growth of hockey in America and provide the best possible experience for all participants by encouraging, developing, advancing and administering the sport.”

Put Your Job Search on Ice

Hockey is a great sport. The only problem is that it’s not something you can just pick up. It takes years of development, lots of expensive equipment, and ice time (which is scarce in a lot of places). That’s why one of USA Hockey’s biggest initiatives is focused on supporting and developing “grassroots hockey programs.” They do this through affiliate associations who help grow the sport on a local level. There is a lot more to what USA Hockey does, so I highly recommend that you read over their About page and Annual Reports to get a more in-depth look at their work, and also take some time to browse the rest of their website–there’s a ton of content. If you love hockey, then a position with USA Hockey may be just what you’re looking for. Right now their Jobs page shows a Program Services Manager position. They do ask for “three to five years of sports-related experience, preferably in ice hockey,” but I could definitely see the right recent grad having that. There are also some event based (not full-time) jobs with the Women’s National Team including Equipment Manager, Video Coordinator, and Team Leader. You may want to take a look at those too. I need to go try to get my voice back for tonight. LET’S GO RED!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Who’s your favorite hockey team?

Irish International Immigrant Center

Willy Franzen — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:48:02 +0000

I’m not big on St. Patrick’s Day, but judging from the number of people that I’ve seen dressed in green today, I’m about the only one who isn’t. It gets pretty ridiculous here in Chicago, and I’m sure it does in quite a few other cities. It makes me wonder what people from Ireland think of the way Americans celebrate the holiday. I’m sure some of the people who have been helped by the Irish International Immigrant Center in Boston, MA have an opinion. It’s a non-profit organization that “has supported Irish immigrants since 1989 and has grown into a multiservice center for people from 120 countries helping them find their place in our multicultural society.” While most of us think about Irish immigrants coming to America in the 1800s, there are certainly still people immigrating. That’s why the Irish International Immigrant Center exists.

Luck of the Irish

Although the world feels a lot smaller than it did a century or two ago, it seems that in many ways immigration is a lot harder. The actual transit time can be a few hours, but the legal process can take many years. And after an immigrant finally makes it here, transitioning into life in the United States can be difficult too. That’s why the Irish International Immigrant Center provides services like Immigration Legal Services, Wellness and Education Services, Learning Exchange Programs, English for Speaker of Other Languages, Citizenship Services, and Advocacy. Beyond working directly with immigrants, the Irish International Immigrant Center is also a huge proponent of immigration reform. If you’d like to join the Irish International Immigrant Center, check out their Jobs page. Right now they have an Immigration Legal Services Program Assistant position posted. It is described as entry level, though the deadline for applying has passed. I always say it’s worth applying for these positions as long as they’re still posted, so don’t hold back. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How are you celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

League of Conservation Voters

Willy Franzen — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:42:35 +0000

Environmental issues and politics make an interesting combination. The environment is typically a long-run issue, and politicians are historically bad at dealing with anything that isn’t in the short-term. If you don’t believe me, look no further than the national debt or the Social Security situation. The reason for this is that most voters don’t get fired up about stuff that is going to happen in 5/10/100 years. Voters get fired up about the present, so that’s what politicians cater to–remember it’s all about reelection. If you want politicians to act with a long-term mindset, you really have to push them, and that’s exactly what the League of Conservation Voters does. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “works to turn environmental values into national priorities.” They do this by focusing on two key areas: educating the public about environmental issues and helping elect pro-environment leaders.

A League of Its Own

The League of Conservation Voters has a long list of issues that it focuses on including Clean Air, Clean Energy, Clean Water, Global Warming, Hardrock Mining, Holding Big Oil Accountable, Open Spaces, Toxic Chemicals, Transportation, and Wildlife. They attack these issues at the national level while also having their state chapters work at more local levels. I think one of the more interesting things that they do is hold congresspeople accountable through the National Environmental Scorecard. You can plug in your representative’s name and see what his or her record is on important environmental issues. If you’re excited by the League of Conservation Voters’ values and want to be a part of what they’re doing, then take a look at their Careers page. Right now they’re looking for a Development Assistant (deadline has passed, but it’s still worth applying since it’s still posted) and a Special Events and Major Gift Program Coordinator. Both positions look like good fits for new or recent grads, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about the League of Conservation Voters?

Results for Development Institute

Willy Franzen — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:46:47 +0000

The word “results” is extremely common in the business world, but you don’t hear it as much in the non-profit world. That is changing, but I still hear a lot of my friends griping about how ineffective the non-profits they’ve worked in have been. My guess (and hope) is that that’s not a problem at Results for Development Institute in Washington, DC considering that they have “results” in their name. They’re a non-profit organization that “delivers policy analysis, critical information, decision-making tools, and policy advice for governments, civil society organizations, and external funders to use to reduce poverty and accelerate social and economic progress in low and middle income countries.” It’s all about finding the levers that will deliver the highest impact and then finding the right way to pull them.

Deliver Results

Results for Development Institute focuses on three specific areas: Health, Transparency and Good Governance, and Education. They work in these areas across nearly every region of the world, and when they do, they take a five step approach: Knowledge Building, Strategic Advising, Capacity Building, Convening and Promoting Policy Dialogue, and Partnering with Southern Institutions. You can get a better feel for what this looks like by looking over Results for Development Institute’s Projects and Initiatives. Once you have a better feel for how Results for Development Institute works, then you should read through their 2010 Progress Report. It will give you a good sense for what kinds of results the Institute is delivering and how they’ve achieved them to date. If you’re impressed, then the next step is to look at Results for Development Institute’s Careers page. Right now they have a few positions that appear suitable for new or recent grads including Program Associate (2 openings) and Operations Program Associate. These look like great opportunities for someone interested in international development, so give them a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Results for Development Institute?

Urban Sprouts

Willy Franzen — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:54:06 +0000

My parents are big gardeners, so when I go home in the summer there’s always something fresh to eat. I never appreciated this as a kid (except for the wild berries in the backyard), but now I think it’s pretty awesome. Gardening is not only a great source of healthy food, but it can also be an extraordinary education tool. That’s why Urban Sprouts, which is based in San Francisco, CA, is using gardening to grow “healthy schools and communities.” It started as “a doctoral thesis project conducted at Luther Burbank Middle School during the 2003-04 school year,” but it was so successful that the school begged them to continue and expand the program.

Sprout Your Career

Since it started, Urban Sprouts has served nearly 4,000 kids, while also getting their families involved. This is important because the kids that participate in Urban Sprouts programs stand to gain a lot. 60% come from low-income families, and “90% failed to reach physical fitness standards in 2006.” Now Urban Sprouts offers three distinct programs including School Gardens and Nutrition Education, Family Involvement Program, and Summer Sprouts Program. If you really want to learn more about these programs and how Urban Sprouts is delivering positive results, you should read the organization’s five year report. There’s a ton of information in there, and it’s a must read if you want to consider a job with Urban Sprouts. Right now they have a Garden Educator position posted on Idealist. It’s only part-time, but the pay looks to be pretty decent. Take a look and see if it’s something you can grow into.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have a garden?

Madison Square Park Conservancy

Willy Franzen — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:30:09 +0000

I’m lucky to live smack dab between two parks. Though they’re both small but very lively–filled with dog walkers in the winter and everybody else when it gets a little bit nicer out. Park space really makes cities better, which is why managing and maintaing parks is an extremely important job. That’s exactly what the Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York, NY. Madison Square Park is owned by the city, but is managed by a partnership of the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Conservancy. It wasn’t all that long ago that the park “was neglected and crime-ridden.” After $6 million and a lot of work from caring people through the Campaign for the New Madison Square Park, it is now a place that people want to visit again with “lush and brilliant horticulture” and a variety of cultural programs.

A Walk in the Park

I don’t know that I’ve ever visited Madison Square Park, but I hope that if you live in NYC you have or will. It sounds like a great place with Art, Kids’ Programs, Music, Literary Programs, and all kinds of other things to do. There’s even free wi-fi, so it’s even a place you can get work done (or goof off). There’s also some great horticulture, so you can even just sit and appreciate the beauty. Madison Square Park really sounds like a wonderful place, and that’s mostly thanks to the Conservancy. If you’d like to help them continue to maintain and improve the park, then check out their jobs on Idealist. Right now they’re looking for a Playground Activities Assistant and an Art Development Associate. Both jobs look like good fits for new or recent grads, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you ever visit Madison Square Park?

Boy Scouts of America

Willy Franzen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:37:46 +0000

Despite my outdoorsiness, I was never a boy scout. I’ll admit that I was a little jealous of the other kids when they came into school with their uniforms covered in patches, but I’m sure I earned plenty of patches as a kid–even if I never actually got patches (now I can buy them from Best Made Company). Still, I have a ton of respect for Boy Scouts of America. They’re an organization that has lasted more than a century by staying focused on a core set of values. They believe “that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society,” and they’ve continuously adapted the way that they’ve helped you to keep current. Boy Scouts of America is headquartered in Irving, TX, but they operate (and have job opportunities) all across the country.

Always Be Prepared

The best way to get a sense of the scale that Boy Scouts of America operates on is to look at the numbers. In 2010 they had “more than 2.7 million youth members and more than 1.1 million volunteers.” Combined these people gave 28,335,249 hours worth of time with an estimated value of $605,240,919. Service is a huge part of scouting, but what I think is more impressive is how far reaching Boy Scouts of America has become. The organization’s goal is to build character, and the fact that 57.4% of astronauts were scouts and 206 members of the 112th Congress participated in Scouting indicates that they’ve done a good job. (Ok, the Congress one not so much). Still, Boy Scouts of America prepares kids for success. So as you prepare yourself for success, you may want to look to the Boy Scouts of America Careers page. They divide opportunities into a few different sections: National Office, Scout Camp, Supply, High Adventure Bases, and Regional Locations. While the National Office positions are probably most attractive, there aren’t any great fits for new grads at this point; however, the Regional Locations includes a ton of District Executive positions. The are clearly stated to be entry level positions, and they’re offered all across the country. The employer is the local council, so you have to do some legwork to find their contact information, but there are dozens of these opportunities. The other links above also lead to some interesting opportunities, so do some exploring and remember to always be prepared.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Were you a Boy Scout?

Outward Bound

Willy Franzen — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:52:46 +0000

I went to small, private middle and high school. They were really big on outdoor education, so almost every year we took some kind of class trip to promote bonding and a kind of learning that can’t be done in the classroom. The trips were wonderful–even when 20 of us got lost in the woods with one teacher overnight. I was lucky to get these kind of experiences through my school, but if I hadn’t, there’s a good chance I would have done something like Outward Bound. They are “a non-profit educational organization and expedition school that serves people of all ages and backgrounds through active learning expeditions that inspire character development, self-discovery and service both in and out of the classroom.” Outward Bound is headquartered in Golden, CO (but operating across the country), and “was founded in 1941 in the tumultuous waters of the North Sea during World War II, to provide young sailors with the experiences and skills necessary to survive at sea.” They got their start in their current state in 1961.

Job Bound?

While Outward Bound may no longer be about teaching survival skills to people who are actually likely to use them, they still do some really important educational work. Outward Bound’s programs serve all kinds of people ranging from “at-risk youth” to corporate employees, and they stretch across all kind of activities including Canoeing, Rock Climbing, Dogsleeding, Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, and more. I know that Outward Bound has an extremely strong connection with alumni, and that speaks to how truly great their programming is. If you want to be part of the Outward Bound family, take a look at their Careers page. Right now they have some great opportunities for new and recent grads including:

Backpack/Canoe Instructor (Baltimore, MD)
Backpack/Canoe Instructor (Philadelphia, PA)
Canoe/At Risk Instructor (Ely, MN)
Backpack/Canoe/At Risk (Newry, ME)
Course Director (Omaha, NE)
Field Instructor (St. Paul, MN)
Insight Facilitator (Baltimore, MD)
Insight Instructor (St. Paul, MN)
Logistics Coordinator (Midpines, CA)
Logistics Coordinator (Newry, ME)
Logistics Coordinator (Wheeler’s Bay, ME)
Logistics Coordinator (Redmond, OR)
Logistics Coordinator (Moab, UT)
Mountain Instructor (Leadville, CO)
Mountain/Raft Instructor (Redmond, OR)
Program Manager (Omaha, NE)
River Instructor (Moab, UT)
Sailing Instructor (Wheeler’s Bay, ME)
Urban Center/Field Instructor (Omaha, NE)

If you love the outdoors and want to work in the non-profit world, it’d be hard to beat a job with Outward Bound.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you do Outward Bound?

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Willy Franzen — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:24:10 +0000

New Year’s Eve is a wonderful holiday for celebrating a great year past and the prospects of a great future. It’s a time that we spend with family and friends and think about how we can better ourselves. Yet for many alcohol plays a prominent role in the celebration, and the new year begins with a hangover. That’s not my style, but you’re free to have a great night however you want. Just make sure that your alcohol use doesn’t negatively affect anyone else. Most importantly, that means don’t drink and drive. That’s the message that Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been spreading since it was founded in 1980 by Candy Lightner “after her daughter, Cari, was killed by a repeat drunk driving offender.” Three decades later MADD, which has national offices in Irving, TX and Washington, DC and chapters all across the country, has made a lot of progress fighting drunk driving, but there’s a long way to go considering that there is an injury from an alcohol-related crash every minute.

Get MADD

MADD is best known for it’s work to stop drunk driving, but they also do a lot of work to prevent underage drinking and to provide victim services. The organization played an extremely prominent role in pushing for the .08 BAC limit in the U.S., and now they’re setting their sights on legislation that requires convicted drunk drivers to “blow before they go” by installing in car breathalyzers. Some criticize MADD for fudging their statistics and being part of the “alcohol prohibition lobby,” but they’re really just about saving lives. For 2012 their goal is to get U.S. drunk driving fatalities under 10,000. It’s hard to argue with that. If you like what MADD is doing, take a look at their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for:

Court Monitoring Project Specialist (Chicago, IL)
Court Monitoring Project Specialist (St. Louis, MO)
Program Coordinator (San Diego, CA)
Program Coordinator (Los Angeles, CA)

All of these jobs require some prior experience, but they’re still worth checking out. Have a happy and safe new year!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Drive safely!

WildAid

Willy Franzen — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:03:46 +0000

The University of Chicago has five job openings that are perfect for recent grads. Check them out here.

I’ve always been fascinated by wildlife. Every time I see a species that I’ve never seen before in the wild, I get excited. So I find it upsetting that so many amazing animal species are in danger of extinction. I realize that some extinction is natural, some is caused indirectly by man, and some is caused directly by man. It’s that last group that is most worrying. There is currently a $5-10 billion worldwide trade in illegal wildlife, yet many wildlife conservation efforts ignore this fact–they invest millions in try to protect the species, but they ignore the demand side. WildAid is a San Francisco, CA based non-profit organization that aims to “end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes by reducing demand through public awareness campaigns and providing comprehensive marine protection.”

Get Wild

WildAid’s programs focus on six specific areas: Sharks, Tigers, Elephants, Rhinos, Marine Protection, and Climate. Much of their work is focused on awareness and advocacy. WildAid teams up with celebrities to deliver their messages. So far they’ve worked with names like Yao Ming, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Jackie Chan, Kate Hudson, Carmelo Anthony, and a lot of people I’ve never heard of. It’s many of those names that I’m unfamiliar with that are most important. Why? Because they’re stars in their countries–countries that are huge participants in the illegal wildlife trade. So far WildAid has received “well over $100 million (USD) in pro-bono media support,” and I expect that they’ll continue to push their message until “the killing stops.” If you’re moved by WildAid’s message, check out their Jobs page. Their current postings aren’t quite entry level, but you should still take a look at their opportunities to see where you might fit in.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite endangered species?

Josephson Institute for Ethics

Willy Franzen — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:51:54 +0000

The job search is a vulnerable time for most people, and that results in a lot of people trying to take advantage of those who are looking for work. This makes me very angry, which is why I always do my best to stick my neck out for job seekers. I won’t hesitate to turn down sponsors who seem even a little sketchy, and I’ve put a lot of effort into exposing job scams and pushing for employers to pay their interns. I guess you could call these the ethical duties of my job, and I take them extremely seriously. Josephson Institute for Ethics is a Los Angeles, CA based non-profit organization that also takes ethics extremely seriously (in case you couldn’t tell by their name). Their mission is to “improve the ethical quality of society by changing personal and organizational decision making and behavior.”

An Ethical Choice

Josephson Institute for Ethics focuses on five core areas: Youth, Sports, Business, Public Service, and Policing. The Institute was founded by a lawyer named Michael Josephson in 1987 in honor of his parents, and it does its work by developing and delivering “services and materials to increase ethical commitment, competence, and practice in all segments of society.” Josephson Institute is a bit unique as a non-profit in that they raise money by actually selling stuff (the aforementioned services and materials). Of course they also take donations and grants to allow them to work much more broadly than for their clients (it’s kind of weird to see a non-profit’s client list, right?). One of the projects from Josephson Institute that I find most interesting is the Ethics of American Youth Survey, which shows widespread problems with “lying, cheating, bullying, and other high-risk behavior in high school students.” If you find project like this one interesting, then you should definitely take a look at Josephson Institute for Ethics’ Jobs page on Idealist (it’s way more up to date than their actual Jobs page). Right now they’re looking for a Research Assistant, an Associate Web Producer/Writer, a Program Assistant – Character Counts, and a Marketing Project Manager. These look like really interesting jobs, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you had any ethical dilemmas in your job search?

Chemical Heritage Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:06:43 +0000

When I was a kid, I had my own chemistry set. It was pretty cool–I could do things like change the color of a liquid by mixing a few different powders. Ok, so it wasn’t that exciting, especially after I learned that my Dad would make his own gunpowder and blow stuff up when he was a kid. After having a watered down chemistry set as a kid, I ended up having a completely inept chemistry teacher in high school. It should be no surprise that my interest in chemistry fizzled out, but if I wanted to get the reaction going again, I might look to the Chemical Heritage Foundation. They’re a Philadelphia, PA based non-profit organization that “fosters an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society” by “inspiring a passion for chemistry; highlighting chemistry’s role in meeting current social challenges; and preserving the story of chemistry and its technologies and industries across centuries.”

Show Your Chemical Heritage

The Chemical Heritage Foundation has four key program areas. The first is The Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical History, which is exactly what it sounds like. The second is The Roy Eddleman Institute for Interpretation and Education, which is focused on bringing chemistry to a broader audience and includes the Museum at CHF. The third is The Center for Contemporary History and Policy, and it’s all about promoting chemistry’s current and future role in society. Finally, there’s The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry, which “hosts a community of visiting fellows.” As you can see, the CHF is working in every area that it can to connect society with the wonders of chemistry. You can explore CHF’s work much more deeply by browsing their website, so I highly recommend that. And if you really like what you see, you can go to their Jobs page. Oddly enough, the job that they have posted doesn’t require a background in science, as it’s a Project Development Assistant position. It looks like a great opportunity for a new or recent grad, so check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you have a chemistry set as a kid?

American Planning Association

Willy Franzen — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:17:50 +0000

For most of us, planning means looking ahead on our calendars and figuring out when we’re going to do things. For a small group of people, planning goes much further into the future, and is far more important. These people are… wait for it… planners! They’re the people who achieve physical, economic, and social outcomes through the design of communities (you may know it as urban planning, city planning, or regional planning). The American Planning Association is the professional institute for planners. They’re located in Washington, DC, and they “s together thousands of people — practicing planners, citizens, elected officials — committed to making great communities happen.” If you’re still not exactly sure what planning is you may not be a good fit for their jobs, but you still may want to read their What Is Planning? document. And if you’re really curious, you may also want to read Becoming a Planner too.

Career Planning

Good planning isn’t something that most people notice like they might notice good architecture. However, there’s a very good chance that you’ve been frustrated by the effects of poor (or out of date) planning. The job of a planner is to “help create a broad vision for the community.” So a planner may be expected to do any of the following:

research, design, and develop programs; lead public processes; effect social change; perform technical analyses; manage; and educate. Some planners focus on just some of these roles, such as transportation planning, but most will work at many kinds of planning throughout their careers.

The APA exists to help promote the profession of planning and to provide education and leadership. They’ve been around since 1978, and they now have more than 40,000 members. Interestingly enough, the APA doesn’t seem to have it’s own Jobs page, though they do have an entire Careers section on their website for people interested in careers related to planning. I found the APA’s job listings on Idealist. Right now they’re looking for a Program Associate – International Outreach and Professional Development. They seem to want someone with a Master’s in Planning, but the requirements for previous work experience are pretty slim.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Planning?

Net Impact

Willy Franzen — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 17:03:22 +0000

I’m consistently impressed by how many new grads say they want a socially conscious career. It’s a good sign that so many young people are willing to commit to making the world a better place; however, I think a lot of them overlook how much of a positive impact you can have working in the business world. Just think about how many positive developments over the course of human history were driven by businesses. Net Impact is a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that aims “to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.” It’s a membership organization that has more than 20,000 members across 280 worldwide chapters.

What Will Your Net Impact Be?

At first I wasn’t completely sure what Net Impact does, but as I dug a little deeper and looked at their At a Glance PDF, I started to understand. They have three main focuses: educating students and professionals, connecting changemakers, and supporting real-world impact. This is done mostly through a large annual conference and smaller local chapter events. Approximately 60% of the chapters are focused on students (undergrad and MBA), while the other 40% are targeted towards people in the business world. If you’re convinced of the power of business to make the world a better place but still want to work at a non-profit, then check out Careers at Net Impact. Right now they are looking for a Temporary Website & CMS Contractor and a Conference Marketing Fellow. They also have Fellowships in Chapters Programs and Design, but those positions look more like internships.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Net Impact?

Sacramento Tree Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 15:56:59 +0000

I used to wake up every day, look out the window, and see the Chicago skyline. In my new place, I wake up and see a whole bunch of trees. Though I know I’ll miss being able to watch the city from a few hundred feet up, it’s a nice change. Who doesn’t love trees? Well, the people at the Sacramento Tree Foundation probably love trees even more than the average person. The Sacramento Tree Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Sacramento, CA that is “working to grow healthy, livable communities in the Sacramento region by empowering people to plant, protect, and learn about trees.” They have a goal of planting 5 million trees in the area by 2025. Though they have a long way to go, they’ve already gotten off to a great start.

Turn Over a New Leaf

As awesome as trees are, Sacramento Tree Foundation isn’t promoting the planting of trees just for the heck of it. They’re promoting trees because trees create all kinds of positive outcomes. They provide shade, clean the air, look beautiful, and even bring communities together. The Sacramento Tree Foundation pursues all of these goals through a number of different Programs and Services. These include Sacramento to Shade, Seed to Seedling, NeighborWoods, nature: Native Trees in the Urban and Rural Environment, Mature Trees, Greenprint Initiative, Community Education, and Parking Lot Retrofits. Right now they’re looking for a Greenprint Relations Coordinator. The job is posted on Idealist, but surprisingly not on the Sacramento Tree Foundation’s Jobs page (which has no current postings). Give the job a look and see if it’s worth applying for.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite kind of tree?

New America Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:01:46 +0000

There’s no question that America’s future is filled with challenges, and we’re going to be the ones who have to rise to them. It’s a huge opportunity, but it’s also a bit daunting. The New America Foundation is a non-profit organization that “emphasizes work that is responsive to the changing conditions and problems of our 21st Century information-age economy — an era shaped by transforming innovation and wealth creation, but also by shortened job tenures, longer life spans, mobile capital, financial imbalances and rising inequality.” They’re based in Washington, DC (and Sacramento, CA), and they’re working to ensure that every American generation is able to live better than the one that came before it.

Are You Part of a New America?

The New America Foundation has ideals that pretty much everyone can get behind, but how do they actually go about achieving their goals? They have a wide range of Programs and Initiatives that cover a number of areas including College Savings, National Security, Open Technology, Economic Growth, and lots more. These programs “combine ongoing research and publications with working groups, conferences and public events” to “bring innovative, cutting-edge policy solutions to the fore of the national debate.” The New America Foundation’s approach is broad, but if you think that you could help them build a better America, then take a look at their Jobs page. They have a number of positions available that look suitable for new or recent grads including A/V Multimedia Producer, Innovation Policy Research Associate, Program Associate – Global Assets Project, Research Associate – Global Assets Project, Schmidt Family Foundation Fellow, Events Associate, Field Analyst – Open Technology Initiative, and Research Associate. There are lots of options, so hopefully one of them will be a good fit for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your vision for a New America?

Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:01:11 +0000

I was lucky to go to a school that committed significant resources to both sports and arts. Though I certainly wasn’t a standout in either area, I’m convinced that I was a better student because of both. It’s that connection that drives what the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation does. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit that aims to “bridge the academic performance gap among under-achieving students by extending the school day and year with wholesome, skill-building activities designed to improve New York City children’s academic performance, health and wellness, attitude towards school, self-confidence, character and values, and opportunity for lifelong employment.” The organization was founded in 1992, and it now serves more than 50,000 students across more than 300 public schools.

Sports or Arts?

The typical student served by the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation comes from a low-income neighborhood and attends a lackluster school. They’re exactly the kind of kids (whether they’re in Kindergarten or High School), who stand to benefit the most from activities like sports and arts. The programs that the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation offers them include Champions Club After-School Program, The C.H.A.M.P.S Middle School Sports and Fitness Leagues, High School Transition, and a bunch more. If you want to dig deeper into what the programs offer, there’s plenty of information on the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation website. Give it a nice long look, and then check out their Jobs page. They don’t have a ton of entry level opportunities, but there are a few jobs you should check out including School Year Tutor/Counselor, SES Teacher, SES Lead Teacher, SES Assistant Site Manager, and Activity Specialist. Hopefully one of them will be a good fit for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Were you more into sports or arts?

Pathways to Housing

Willy Franzen — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:38:43 +0000

It’s hard not to notice homelessness when you live in a big city like Chicago. I can’t even leave my apartment without seeing a panhandler–there’s one guy who is always sitting in front of the Starbucks down the street during the day and in front of the Hooters next door at night. I don’t give him money because I don’t think that it helps solve the root of the problem, but I often think about what would be an effective solution. Pathways to Housing is a non-profit organization that seems to have it figured out. They’re based in New York, NY with offices in Burlington, VT; Washington, DC: and Philadelphia, PA, and they’ve taken a “housing first” approach that is focused on “addressing homelessness among people with psychiatric disabilities.” In other words, they provide housing before any other services, and they’ve found that this is a far more effective way to attack the root causes of homelessness.

Where Does Your Pathway Lead?

If you give a person a home, they’ll quite obviously no longer be homeless. But you won’t have really solved anything. However, Pathways to Housing has found that providing housing first makes it far easier to offer “supportive treatment services in the areas of mental and physical health, substance abuse, education, and employment.” It’s a counterintuitive model, but it seems to work. You can read more about it and how it’s now being used all over the world here. If you like what Pathways to Housing is doing, you’ll want to check out their Work with Us page. For some reason their Job Openings link won’t work for me, but you can check out their current postings on Idealist or try using our job search engine. There are some entry level Assistant and Coordinator type positions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Pathways to Housing?

The After-School Corporation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:37:56 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I did a ton of learning after school. Sometimes it was in formal activities like Odyssey of the Mind or a computer class, but often it was on my own, whether it was digging holes in my backyard and finding artifacts or trying to teach myself how to write simplistic computer programs. While formal education sets the foundation for a successful life, it’s often the activities that students take up outside of school that influence what they do later in life. The After-School Corporation is a New York, NY based non-profit that works “in New York and the nation to change public policy and expand public funding so all kids from all backgrounds can have high quality experiences beyond regular school hours that support their intellectual, creative and healthy development.” They’re different from other non-profits that focus on after school activities in that The After-School Corporation does not actively operate after school programs.

What Are You Doing After School?

If The After-School Corporation doesn’t run after school programs, then what do they do? They “build the public-private partnerships that make after-school programs strong and reliable year after year.” Beyond that, they are constantly trying new ideas and conducting research “to expand the time and ways kids learn.” To really get a feel for TASC, you should read over their About page and their What We Do page. Reading both will help you better understand TASC’s focus on building better infrastructure for after school programs. If you like what you see, then take a look at The After-School Corporation’s Jobs page. The positions that you’ll want to look at include Development Officer, Special Assistant to the President, and Special Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer. These positions do require some prior experience, but some strong internships in the non-profit world could probably be sufficient.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about The After-School Corporation?

The Steppingstone Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:50:59 +0000

I can’t believe that it’s already back to school time. I’m not happy that summer is nearing its end, but I’m going to keep pretending it’s summer and playing beach volleyball until I’m forced to put on a hat and gloves. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that the school kids who are involved with The Steppingstone Foundation aren’t nearly as bummed about going back as the average kid. The Steppingstone Foundation is a non-profit “organization that develops and implements programs which prepare urban schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college success.” They’re located in and focused on Boston, MA, and they’ve been helping children achieve at higher levels since 1990.

A Steppingstone for Your Career

The Steppingstone Foundation has two major programs, The Steppingstone Academy and the College Success Academy. The former is focused on preparing “motivated urban schoolchildren for acceptance and success at top independent and public exam schools in the greater Boston area, while the latter is “designed especially for promising 4th graders in the Jackson/Mann and Edison K-8 Schools who want to go to college.” By focusing on creating college acceptance as a goal at an early age, The Steppingstone Foundation is trying to make sure that they get kids on the right track before it’s too late. If you don’t hate the term “back to school” and want to be part of what The Steppingstone Foundation is doing, you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Program Assistant – College Success Academy, a Communications Associate, a Volunteer Coordinator, and a number of Teachers. It looks like an amazing organization, so give them look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about The Steppingstone Foundation?

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:22:36 +0000

Although I may not be a big fan of NPR, I guess it’s pretty useful for learning about new companies and organizations to profile. Yesterday one of the sponsors that was mentioned while I was listening was the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They’re a Princeton, NJ based non-profit that is “devoted to improving health policy and practice.” It’s one of the wealthiest charitable foundations in the world, and it was founded after the death of Robert Wood Johnson II, the founder of Johnson & Johnson. During the 90s one of the Robert Wood Johnson’s main goals was to curb tobacco use in the United States. They spent nearly half a billion dollars on it, and they were quite successful. Now they’re using what they learned in that battle to fight childhood obesity.

A Solid Foundation

While Childhood Obesity seems to be the main focus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, they do have a number of other Program Areas that focus on a variety of health related issues. It’s all about working “with a diverse group of dedicated people and organizations to address problems at their roots and to help make a difference on the widest scale—particularly for the most vulnerable among us.” If you want to be part of that mission, you should keep reading up on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by checking out their Publications and Research and Health Policy. If you like what you see, then you can head ofer to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Program Administrative Assistant, which looks to be well suited to the entry level. They also accept general application inquiries at resume@rwjf.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?

Center for International Private Enterprise

Willy Franzen — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:17:03 +0000

Last Sunday we took a look at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and how they’re promoting democracy across the world by helping build strong electoral systems. Today we’re going to look at an organization with similar goals, but a very different approach. The Center for International Private Enterprise is a Washington, DC based non-profit that “strengthens democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market-oriented reform.” We often emphasize the political freedom part of democracy, but I’m convinced that economic freedom is just as, if not more, important. The Center for International Private Enterprise or CIPE is all about helping countries build an economic system that encourages a democratic way of life.

CIPE Your Sources

CIPE is “one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy,” and the National Endowment for Democracy is a “U.S. non-profit organization that was founded in 1983 to promote US-friendly democracy by providing cash grants funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress.” CIPE’s “key program areas include anti-corruption, advocacy, business associations, corporate governance, democratic governance, access to information, the informal sector and property rights, and women and youth.” These are all areas that are essential to building a thriving private sector. You can dig into each of these program areas and learn more about the specific work encompassed by each of them on the CIPE website. If the work looks interesting to you, then you’ll want to take a look at CIPE’s Jobs page or their postings on Idealist which include Program Assistant positions for Asia, Iraq, and Eurasia. It’s hard to say whether the jobs are still open or they’re slow to take things off of Idealist, but it’s certainly worth applying.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about CIPE?