One Day, One Job » fellowship programs

Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:00:09 +0000

When I saw the name and location of Winston Salem, North Carolina’s Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, I was instantly reminded of one of my favorite recent reads—Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley. A North Carolina based non-profit with Reynolds in it name has to be tied to the tobacco industry, and it is. “The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was established in 1936 as a memorial to the youngest son of the founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company,” and it seems to be one of the few good things that has come out of the tobacco industry—”a trust for charitable works in the State of North Carolina.” The Foundation is focused on making grants to non-profit organizations in the areas of Community Economic Development, Democracy and Civic Engagement, the Environment, Pre-Collegiate Education, and Social Justice and Equity, which, in my opinion, is a huge improvement on the other things associated with the Reynolds name.

Improving North Carolina Grant by Grant

The cool thing about foundations like the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is that they get to give out lots of money. That’s what allows them to have such a wide range of focuses. Instead of having to do everything themselves, they can find the best organizations with the best people and fund them. Although the Foundation has had to make some changes due to the economy, they still have plenty of money to spread to do-gooders in North Carolina. If you’d like to spend some time working at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, then you should check out their Jobs page. Although they don’t have any permanent positions posted right now, they do have an annual fellowship that they offer (it lasts 2 years, but they offer a new one every year). It sounds like a pretty cool gig, as “the fellow acts as a junior program officer and works with Foundation staff in evaluating grant proposals and visiting with grant applicants.” The application deadline is January 11, 2010, so check out all the information and see if a fellowship at Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is something that you want to do.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation?

Polaris Project

Willy Franzen — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:27:27 +0000

I know that most of us were taught in school that slavery ended nearly 150 years ago, but, unfortunately, that’s not really true. Slavery and human trafficking continue to plague our world, even though most of us aren’t really aware of it. Polaris Project is a non-profit organization is not only bringing awareness to the issues surrounding human trafficking and modern-day slavery, but also combatting them. They do this by “conducting direct outreach and victim identification, providing social services and transitional housing to victims, operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) serving as the central national hotline on human trafficking, advocating for stronger state and Federal anti-trafficking legislation, and engaging community members in local and national grassroots efforts.” They’ve been at it since 2002 with offices in Washington, DC; Newark, NJ; Denver, CO; and Tokyo, Japan.

Find Polaris

When you look at some of the accomplishments that Polaris Project posts on its website, you start to understand what it is that they actually do. For instance just last year in the DC area, they “provided 28 emergency responses serving 40 girls and women ages 13-42,” “provided individual mental health therapy for 4 survivors,” and “launched a Job Training Program for survivors” among many other things. It’s still hard to believe that human trafficking is going on so close to home, but it is. That’s why the Polaris Project exists, and that’s why you should consider joining their team. Right now they have two job openings in the Washington, DC area: NHTRC Program Associate/Specialist and NHTRC Resource Call Specialist. There are also two openings in Newark, NJ: Outreach Associate (part-time) and Case Manager. Additionally, they have quite a few openings in their Fellowship Program. You can find the specific application instructions at the end of each job posting.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Polaris Project?

Museum of Science, Boston

Willy Franzen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:45:58 +0000

When I was a little kid, I was fascinated by science. Some of my favorite things to do were to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch Mr. Wizard’s World, ask my Dad show me Chemistry experiments, and build all kinds of paper airplanes. I was just the kind of kid that would love the Museum of Science, Boston, and I’d still love to spend a day there if I ever get the chance. Their mission is to “stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and for society,” and judging from their Flickr gallery, they’re definitely doing that. Some of their attractions include an IMAX theater, a Planetarium, a Laser show, a 3-D Digital Cinema, and an awesome looking Simulator that can take you under the sea or to outer space. That’s not even getting into the Museum of Science’s current exhibits. Boston’s Museum of Science looks like an insanely cool place to visit, and an even cooler place to work.

Take a Scientific Approach to Your Job Search

If you were a nerdy kid like me who loved (and still loves) science and you want to share that passion with today’s kids, then there aren’t many better places to work than museums. And if you want to work at a science museum, it looks like the Museum of Science, Boston would be hard to beat. Like I said, I’ve never been there, but their website makes it look like a truly amazing place. If you’re intrigued, check out their Jobs page. You’ll see that there are currently 9 jobs available, and a few of them look well suited to new college grads. They have two Fellowships – a Program Fellowship and a Discovery Spaces Fellowship – that appear to be geared towards new grads. Additionally, there are some more basic jobs like Visitor Services Representative and some jobs that require a bit more experience like Education Associate and Computer Clubhouse Program Manager. You can find the application instructions on the Museum of Science’s Jobs page, so get your nerd on and apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Museum of Science, Boston.

Math for America

Willy Franzen — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:54:38 +0000

We’ve told you about teaching fellowship programs before, and today we’re going to look at another one. It’s called Math for America, and it’s based in New York City with operations in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Washington, DC as well. Their goal is simple; they want to “improve math education in secondary public schools in the United States by recruiting, training, and retaining outstanding mathematics teachers.” Numerical literacy is essential to a properly functioning society, and, unfortunately, we’re falling short. If people can’t understand basic math, there’s no hope that they’ll ever be financially responsible. If they can’t understand statistics, how will they ever fully comprehend the political process or medical advice? Our country’s math education is woefully inadequate, and even many students at top colleges have a fear of math. Great teachers are the answer, and that’s why Math for America is recruiting great mathematical minds for America’s classrooms.

Do You Love Math?

If you really love math and want to share that love with the next generation, then Math for America is perfect for you. They are aggressively recruiting new college grads who “know and love math, enjoy teaching and interacting with young people, possess excellent communication skills, can create a constructive learning environment for students, will make a five year commitment to the MƒA Fellowship Program, and can take personal responsibility for themselves and their actions.” The Fellowship Program has great benefits, and makes teaching a much more intriguing option for mathematically inclined new grads who may have never considered education before. Math for America’s website is fantastic, and you can find all the details of their Fellowship Program here. You can apply online, and the deadline for applications is February 13th.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have any good math jokes?

Internationals Network for Public Schools

Willy Franzen — Sun, 18 May 2008 12:16:39 +0000

Ever since we received an e-mail from a reader who was looking for help finding jobs that offer sponsorship, we’ve taken an added interest in helping international students in their job search. We published an article on job search tips for international students, and we try to make a note of it when we find jobs that offer sponsorship. Well, job search isn’t the only time international students face difficulties that most American students don’t. High school is tough enough for all of us, but international students have an even tougher time. They often face learning a new language while going through all the other typical high school struggles. The Internationals Network for Public Schools is a non-profit organization that is “dedicated to the development and support of the network of International High Schools that serve late-entry immigrant English Language Learners.”

Bilingual or English as a Second Language? Both!

Internationals Network for Public Schools is a non-profit organ It all started in 1985 with the launch of the first New York City International High School, a joint venture between the NYC Department of Education and LaGuardia Community College. As more International High Schools popped up across the city, an informal organization called the Internationals Schools Partnership was formed to help the schools share ideas and resources for teaching international students the English language. In 2004 funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allowed this partnership to grow into the Internationals Network for Public Schools, which enhances the resources available to International High Schools with private money.

At the time of admission, all students in our network of New York City public high schools have been in the United States for less than four years and score at the lowest levels on an English language assessment test. Our students come from 90 countries, speak 55 languages, and live in low-income households: between 71-92 percent are eligible for free meals. In New York City, this student populations average four-year graduation rate is only 26 percent. The International High Schools average four-year graduation rate is more than double: 73 percent. More than 90% of our graduates matriculate to college.

The Internationals Network for Public Schools program addresses these issues through a hybridization of bilingual and English as a Second Language education techniques. There are currently 8 public high schools in NYC that are part of the Internationals Network for Public Schools; however, the organization is aiming for national expansion over the next 5 years.

Looking for a Few Good Teachers

Although Internationals Network for Public Schools is working in conjunction with the New York City Teaching Fellows, the hiring of Teacher Apprentices appears to be done outside the program. Internationals Network for Public Schools calls their alternative certification program ISTART.

In the first year of the program, you will serve as an apprentice in an International High School, engage in project-based coursework at the school level, and participate in seminars led by experienced Internationals and LIU faculty. You will receive health benefits and a stipend of approximately $28,000. During the second year of the program, you will assume full teaching responsibilities and, likewise, receive a full teachers salary. At the conclusion of the two-year program, you will receive New York State certification in and a Masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL).

The full job description can be found here. If you have excellent language skills and would love to make a difference in the lives of international high school students, there couldn’t be a program better suited to your interests. Use the links below to find out more about the Internationals Network for Public Schools. They still have openings for the 2008-2009 school year!

One thing that we couldn’t figure out is if Internationals Network for Public Schools sponsors international students for their jobs. If anyone knows, please leave a comment. We’re not sure how that would work in regards to the jobs’ being in public schools.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

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The New Teacher Project

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:00:55 +0000

This post was written by Alyssa Godesky as one of her entries in our Find a Job, Win a Wii contest, which she ended up winning. We don’t have any contests going on right now, but if you’d like to write a post for us and get your name in the spotlight, e-mail us at info@onedayonejob.com

Are you interested in a job in education, but teaching in a classroom just isn’t for you? Entry-level jobs in education that are done outside of the classroom are tough to find, but they’re out there. The New Teacher Project is a fine example. The New Teacher Project is a non-profit organization that recruits and trains teachers to put them in classrooms where they are badly needed.

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) focuses on four main elements to achieve success: teaching fellows programs, staffing initiatives, teaching certification, and policy and research. The New Teacher Project founded The New York City Teaching Fellows program and many others like it around the country. From there, TNTP partners with school districts to help improve the flow of qualified teachers into the schools that need quality teaching the most. This is partly to ensure that schools open fully-staffed; however, TNTP is also involved in developing and implementing many levels of professional training to help teachers become, and stay, certified to teach. Lastly, TNTP conducts targeted research, which allows them to identify the obstacles that school systems are facing and make realistic recommendations that will improve the quality of education that students receive.

TNTP occasionally recruits on college campuses, and hires about ten entry-level employees every year. Most entry level positions fall into either the Communications or Operations Associate category. Judging from other people’s experiences, if you are a hard worker who shows dedication and enthusiasm for TNTP’s cause, you can move up very quickly. Here is an overview of TNTP’s hiring process and expectations for applicants. One downside to TNTP is that they do note on the job listings that these positions may require “non-traditional” work hours, including weeknights and weekends. Nonetheless, TNTP has been named by Princeton Review as one of 2007’s Best Entry Level Jobs and also offers above average salaries for non-profit work.

The New Teacher Project allows you to for specific positions through their job listings. You can also inquire about jobs by e-mailing jobs@tntp.org. Be sure to include a detailed cover letter when you apply.

Note: On April 27th we revisited entry-level jobs at The New Teacher Project.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have anything to say about TNTP? Leave a comment.

New York City Teaching Fellows

Willy Franzen — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:00:00 +0000

Do you remember the name of your first grade teacher? If the answer is yes, think about the impact that he or she had on your life. If your answer was no, either you partied a little too hard in college or your teacher didn’t give you the educational experience that you deserved. Every child should be able to look back on his or her teachers and appreciate their devotion to education. New York City Teaching Fellows wants to help make you somebody that will be remembered.

The New York City Public School System, with 1.1 million students, has an especially dire need for devoted teachers. Since teachers are legally required to gain certification before they teach, the shortage is exacerbated by the hurdles applicants must jump over to enter the field. In 2000 New York City’s Department of Education collaborated with the New Teacher Project to form New York City Teaching Fellows as an alternative certification program. Instead of requiring teachers to go through the traditional teacher education program, Fellows engage in a short, intensive pre-service training program and then complete their subsidized Master’s of Education while they teach. Since 2000, NYCTF has added 13,000 new teachers to New York City’s public schools from over 115,000 applicants. Talk about filling a need.

Over the past 7 years, NYCTF has become a very selective organization with only 1 in 8 applicants being hired on average despite the fact that the program has been expanded to 2,000 Fellows a year. NYCTF hires from all backgrounds. They are looking for both career changers and recent college graduates. The awesome thing about NYCTF’s job requirements is that the list of things you can’t have done before is longer than the list of things you should have done. They want people who are new to teaching whether it is their first or twelfth job. In fact, they don’t even care what you majored in. If you want to teach Math or Science but didn’t have a relevant major, NYCTF offers Math and Science Immersion Programs. NYCTF is more impressed by who you are and how you can lead than what experiences you’ve compiled for your resume.

As if the opportunity to touch the lives of children every day isn’t enough, NYCTF also offers excellent benefits and a starting salary of $45,530 for recent grads with only a Bachelor’s Degree. On top of that are the subsidized Master’s Degree and a nontaxable $2,500 stipend during the training period. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and to begin as a June Fellow (for the 2008-2009 school year) your application must be submitted by January, 7th.

Overall, the NYCTF website is phenomenal. It’s easy to navigate and includes every detail you would want to know about the program. The site is what corporate careers sites should look like. Unfortunately, there is one glaring error on the site. It’s easy to access every page on the site, except the application page. Here at One Day, One Job we uses Apple Macs with the Safari browser. When we try to go to their application page, we get a browser not supported error. The silly thing about this is that our browser is supported! We know how to trick the site into thinking we’re using Firefox or Internet Explorer, and then it works fine. What is happening is that they block “unsupported browsers” from viewing the page, even if the browser can display the page perfectly fine. I hate to think how many applicants are being frustrated by this (especially with the growth in Mac users over the past few years).

We don’t want to end this post on a sour note, though. New York City Teaching Fellows is an amazing program for college graduates whether you are planning on a lifelong career in teaching or just want to try it out for a few years.

Note: On April 26th we revisited entry-level jobs at New York City Teaching Fellows.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Teaching can be a stressful job, why not enter our contest so that you can relax by playing Nintendo Wii after a long day at school?