Work for Change – Applications for our St. Paul Outreach Team – Due Now

 

THIS POSTING IS NOW CLOSED. Feel free to send your resume for consideration in future outreach rounds. Also, we may have additional opportunities for those who can assist us with outreach to the Karen community in St. Paul as well as native Spanish speakers who reside in South Minneapolis. Contact us per the information below.

 

Please share this post far and wide with anyone you think might be interested.

Do you speak Ethiopian? Hmong? Burmese? Somali? Oromo? Or Spanish? Or one of the many languages spoken across St. Paul? 

Do you have deep ties to the long established African-American, Latino, or Southeast Asian communities in St. Paul?

Or perhaps you are really really good at organizing and have a passion for inclusive community engagement – online and off.

And you are looking for part-time summer contract work.

Thanks to the generous support of the Knight Foundation for our Inclusive Community Engagement Online initiative our “Be Neighbors” outreach campaign will reach thousands of new St. Paulites one person at time this summer. Perhaps surprisingly, we’ve found in-person outreach to be our most effective bridge building tool for our very online work.

We want lots of applicants. Apply today.

If you don’t have the time or flexibility for our paid work, you can volunteer to help us at major festivals or consider our St. Paul Outreach Advisory Group.

Here is a copy of the official job posting text put together by our Outreach Coordinator, Corrine Bruning:

Join E-Democracy’s “BeNeighbors” 2012 Summer Outreach Team!

E-Democracy.org builds online public space in the heart of real democracy and community. Our mission is to harness the power of online tools to support participation in public life, strengthen communities, and build democracy.

We are launching a new grant-funded inclusion campaign to grow our St. Paul forums with the greatest diversity possible to over 10,000 members in three years. We’re also planning fundraising to include Minneapolis and other communities in future years.

• Do you care passionately about building inclusive community?
• Do you believe commitment to diversity is an important institutional value?
• Do you want to be part of raising diverse voices?

If so, consider applying for one of 9 part-time, contract outreach positions. These new outreach staff will work both individually and with a team to recruit members for our neighborhood forums primarily among African-American, Southeast Asian, African immigrant, and Latino communities.

Location: Saint Paul with some travel in the Metropolitan Area

Description: Work as part of a team to develop and carry out diverse community outreach. Tasks are likely to include tabling at community events and venues (including outdoor events in sometimes inclement weather), interacting with attendees and/or presenting at neighborhood meetings and events, doorknocking and posting flyers, and conducting face-to-face, phone, and online recruitment. The team goal for the summer is to recruit 4,000 new members to the Saint Paul neighborhood forums by focusing efforts on our most highly diverse, low income neighborhoods. Imagine the possibilities for empowering all voices!

Your outreach efforts will be supported by initial training, weekly team debriefs, coordinated outreach strategies and activities, and shared lessons in inclusive outreach and digital technologies. You will also work closely with other E-Democracy staff, contractors and volunteers to develop, refine, and further the goals of the inclusive outreach campaign.

Time Commitment: 15 weeks from May 21st through late August 2012. Contractors will work 10-20 hours per week and must be flexible, reliable, and able to work mostly late afternoons, evenings, and weekends, sometimes with short notice.

Rate: $12.50/hour. As an independent contractor, you are responsible for all of your own Federal, State, Social Security taxes, and any insurance you choose to carry.

Requirements:

• Passionate and enthusiastic; positive outlook and willing to lead. Inspires other contractors and volunteers to do high-quality organizing and outreach work.
• Proven ability to work as part of a team. Willing to pitch in to help others with day-to-day project tasks (event logistics, preparing/delivering materials, record-keeping, data entry, etc.)
• Excellent personal accountability and follow through. Can meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced work environment; highly flexible and able to handle high- stress situations. Highly self motivated, self directed, and organized.
• Effective communicator. Values and fosters open communication; uses and understands the importance of active listening skills, and is an effective public speaker with above-average English-language writing skills.
• Detail oriented and respectfully work with volunteers.
• Willing to learn and values self-improvement. Able to accept and offer praise and critical feedback; seeks and offers feedback and evaluation.
• Reliably and consistently available via email and mobile phone.
• Must have reliable transportation to anywhere in the Twin Cities, including ability to haul materials for events and activities.

Desired Qualifications and Experience:

We are looking for exceptional people who may have talents in the following:

• Experience or training in leadership development, multicultural outreach and communications, political science, online civic engagement, digital technologies or other related fields.
• Field outreach or organizing in diverse communities (tabling, doorknocking, etc.).
• Bilingual in Hmong, Spanish, Somali, Ethiopian, Burmese, Oromo, etc.
• Deep connections to the targeted communities, including involvement in neighborhood/ community organizations.
• Proficient with Google Apps, social media, and digital video devices.

How to apply: Send a statement of interest describing your qualifications and resume with three references to team@e-democracy.org by Wednesday, April 25, 2012. We hope to make decisions by May 11: Use the subject line: Community Outreach Leader Application. Include any questions in your email. No calls please. For more information, about this effort, please visit: http://www.e-democracy.org, and click on both “Blog” and “About”.