IN THIS ISSUE:
*Events
*Volunteer Opportunities
*Internships, Jobs, and Beyond...
*In the Spotlight: Cutting Education Costs and Raising Community Engagement
EVENTS
North Halsted Street Halloween Parade
Saturday, October 31
3:30 – 9:00pm
Belmont & Halsted
Celebrate Halloween by working at the North Halsted Street Halloween Parade presented by Triangle Neighbors Association. Volunteers are needed for registration (3:30-6:30) and to be parade marshals (5:30 – 9pm).
Zócalo in Chicago: “What Does Immigrant Integration Mean Now?”
Friday, November 6
2:00pm
Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave)
Over one million people became legal immigrants last year, and another million — a record number — took the oath of citizenship. As pressure mounts for Barack Obama and Congress to enact immigration reform, writers, advocates, and political experts visit Zócalo to ask what — beyond mere legal status, paperwork and oaths — is required to make immigrants feel like a part of American society.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Become a part of campusCATALYST - a student-driven, pro-bono consulting service for nonprofits - and we'll give you the opportunity to learn from your peers in a unique educational experience. You can apply online at http://spreadsheets.google.com/a/campuscatalyst.org/viewform?formkey=dENJV01BMGp4bjhrY1I4Z0ZHYVA0clE6MA. The deadline for applications is November 7th at midnight.
The Hyde Park Food Pantry delivery will be Tuesday, November 3rd from 8:00am – 11:00am. If you are interested in helping, contact Jay Mulberry at 773-288-1242.
G.E.D. Tutors needed who can commit 2-3 hours Monday thru Friday for one-on-one tutoring or need to complete student teaching or internship requirements. For more information call Allison – 773-675-4610.
Volunteer for the Chicago Academic Games League (CAGL), a math competition for middle school youth on the University of Chicago campus once a month. Teach the students once a week for 1-2 hours and be there to support them at the tournaments. Training starts next week. For more information contact Boryana at boryanalevterova@gmail.com
Would you like to make an invaluable contribution to the life of an individual? Warm, personable older woman needs support and training in basic computer skills in order to find employment. Could bring her laptop to you or work over the phone. For more information, e-mail Keith at dipplek@uchicago.edu
Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival is the second oldest film festival of its kind in the US and prides itself on showcasing the best LGBT films and videos each and every year. Reeling 2009 is presenting nearly over 50 programs over 11 days from November 5-15. There are many volunteer opportunities for box office people, ushers, drivers, event coordinators, and volunteers for schedule distribution. If you're interested in volunteering, email chicagolgff@chicagofilmmakers.org or call (773) 293-1447.
INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Become a part of campusCATALYST - a student-driven, pro-bono consulting service for nonprofits - and earn the opportunity to learn from your peers in a unique educational experience. You can apply online at http://spreadsheets.google.com/a/campuscatalyst.org/viewform?formkey=dENJV01BMGp4bjhrY1I4Z0ZHYVA0clE6MA. The deadline for applications is November 7th at midnight.
Applications for Teaching Artists through the Teaching Lab Collaborations (or TLC for short), have just gone live on-line here. For more information regarding job requirements and details, contact Jessica Hutchinson at jesshutchinson@uchicago.edu
National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness is launching Resolve to Fight Poverty at the Resolve 2009 conference at Loyola University in Chicago on November 5-8, 2009. To register, visit http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org/conference
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Cutting Education Costs and Raising Community Engagement
Chelsie Sluyk, Staff Writer
With budgetary concerns looming at both the government and household level, students and parents are becoming increasingly concerned with how they will pay for college. Federal Work Study is one way that students can earn money toward tuition and help make college more affordable. Last January, University of Chicago student Jami Garton began searching for a job that would allow her to use her work/study funds in a way that would supplement her education with work experience and engagement in the community. She found that job with the Blackstar Project, a south side non-profit that works to improve the lives of minority populations in the Chicago area. The Blackstar Project (BSP) is one of many local non-profits that has partnered with the University of Chicago to offer students work/study positions that get students working off-campus in jobs that allow them to interact with the community while building job skills and making connections that will help them find employment after graduation.
Walking up to the door of BSP’s second story office overlooking Martin Luther King Drive, you first notice the organization’s bright yellow sign on the door, and under it a quote from founder Phillip Jackson, “Everyone who walks through these doors should be prepared to work like hell and work with everyone to achieve our mission.” Their mission is to provide educational services “that help Chicago students succeed academically and become knowledgeable and productive citizens with the support of their families and community.” Inside, the atmosphere is lively and family like. Two large, brightly-colored rooms are filled with inspirational posters and sobering statistics. Employees sit at desks scattered around the room. Garton teases a coworker about posing for my camera. It feels like a family. Everyone is busy answering phones, organizing tutoring programs, writing grants, and researching social issues in the community. Philip Jackson describes the environment as “working under fire. When we hire a UofC student, we know there will be a level of consistency, excellence and skill that will be brought to the job. We’re able to convert their skills and knowledge set and inject them directly into the community.” Last March, Garton was given the opportunity to organize an entire press conference for the Million Father March, an initiative that encourages male care-takers to bring their children to work for the day. “She hit it out of the park,” Jackson says. Through her work at BSP, she has acquired many skills that will help her as she pursues her career goals. “I’ve learned a lot about working with the media and grant writing. I’ve been really happy working off campus, and the BSP has been really flexible with my school schedule.”
Garton is one of two work/study students employed along with other community members at BSP. One of her co-workers, Kirsten Rokke, started out as a work study students six years ago. After graduation, she returned to BSP, and has now been working as a regular employee for five years. She laughing remarks that she’s learned “everything [she] knows!” from working at BSP. As part of her job, Rokke organizes efforts to engage parents end empower them in terms of how they support their childrens’ education. She manages programs that support over 400 students. Recalling her time as a University of Chicago students working at BSP, Rokke says, “It helps to break out of the feeling on campus of being someone isolated from the community. You get a very different experience from what you get on campus.”
Garton is one of 1,544 U of C students who became eligible for Federal Work Study in the ’08-’09 school year. Of those 1,053 accessed their aid. As more students seek to take advantage of the funds available to them, the University provides an opportunity to do it in a way that will enhance their educational experience and personal goals. Currently, there are 67 employers with over 100 positions at local non-profits, schools, and government organizations available for students with an interest in improving their communities and addressing important national issues like education, poverty, and health. Local partners include organization like Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Strive Tutoring, The Blackstar Project, and La Rabida Children’s Hospital, and UCSC is constantly making new connections based on student and community demand.
Organizations hire throughout the year, with most job opportunities happening in the Fall. Students generally work around ten hours per week. For students eligible for full-time summer work-study employment, UCSC also has summer opportunities available. Currently, about 75 students are participating in Federal Work Study through UCSC’s off-campus federal work/study program.
Dealing with the burden of student loans is also becoming more of an issue among recent graduates. In addition to helping students engage with their communities, these positions give students valuable work experience and many of the non-profits will engage in outreach to help their student-employees find jobs after graduation.
“It’s worth it to work off campus,” Garton says, “My experience doing things like the Million Father March press conference was exhilarating, and it’s good to learn more about the community you live in.”
The University Community Service Center (UCSC) fosters the development of civic-minded students by providing substantive community service opportunities through community partnerships based on mutual trust and respect. If you have questions - how to get involved as a student or how to connect to students as a community organization - please contact us.
University Community Service Center
5525 S. Ellis Ave., Suite 160
Chicago IL, 60637
Tel: 773.753.4483
Fax: 773.834.1160
ucsc.uchicago.edu
