All employees working at Solid Ground have the responsibility for developing and safekeeping a workplace that values and supports a culturally diverse work environment. Openness to new ideas and ways, compassion, flexibility, and respect are valued and encouraged attributes for our employees. We believe that a multi-cultural, multi-racial workforce is critical to our mission of creating “a just and caring community, free from poverty, prejudice and neglect.” As our workforce evolves to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, our agency and workplace will be enriched and strengthened.

JOB SUMMARY:  The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) works to promote the involvement of individuals 55 years and older in addressing community needs through volunteerism at non-profit and public agencies throughout King County.  The RSVP Program Coordinator is responsible for managing outreach volunteers, maintaining relationships with community partners, and providing strong administrative support.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES, DUTIES AND TASKS:

30%        Recruit, manage and support RSVP Ambassador volunteers to increase volunteer recruitment capacity and raise awareness of RSVP in the community.  Organize volunteers to participate in community resource fairs, maintain positive relationships with partner organizations, and actively promote volunteer opportunities through community presentations.  Maintain and cultivate strategic partnerships with 100 RSVP partner sites (non-profits) as a means of effective recruitment. Write, post and routinely update information about RSVP opportunities on Solid Ground website.

25%        Interview potential volunteers and place with appropriate opportunities at partner agencies, then follow up to ensure satisfaction with their placement.  Assist RSVP volunteers as requested with concerns related to their volunteer activities.  Respond by phone or email to other requests for information on volunteering with RSVP.

20%        Provide administrative support including entering volunteer hours, registering volunteers, compiling survey results and ordering supplies.  Communicate with sites to fulfill grant requirements including annual MOU renewals and volunteer safety assurance.  Assist program manager with projects as requested.

15%        Ensure production and distribution of quarterly Experience in Action newsletter. Work with EIA Volunteer Committee and volunteer sites to write feature articles, and prepare information regarding current volunteer opportunities.  Share feature articles with funders, press and larger community as appropriate.

5%          Provide overall coordination and support to the Knit it Alls Project including annual distribution of items to shelters and other programs in King County.

5%          Participate in all program, department and agency meetings and trainings as required.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:  

Requires one of the following:

• Three years of experience working with senior and/or volunteer programs; OR
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and one year of experience with senior and/or volunteer programs; OR
• Any combination of education, experience and measurable performance which demonstrates the capability to perform the duties of this position.

Also requires:

• Experience working with volunteers
• Experience working with senior adults

DESIRED QUALIFICATION:  Experience producing newsletters in Adobe InDesign CS5 or other graphic design software.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written; including strong presentation skills
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously;
• Ability to work individually in a self-directed manner and as part of a team, as well as represent the agency in community partnerships;
• Willingness and ability to work with people from a variety of racial, cultural and economic backgrounds, with various lifestyles, sexual orientations, and of all ages;
• Ability to maintain professional, courteous and positive relationships with participants, volunteers, and the general community;
• Proficient knowledge of computer software (Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, and Outlook);
• Familiarity with social services throughout Seattle and King County;
• Access to reliable transportation, valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance that meets Washington State’s minimum guidelines and the ability and willingness to travel throughout King County;
• Ability and willingness to work outside of normal business hours to attend meetings, perform outreach, etc;
• Knowledge of and experience with the senior population.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS:  This position works in an office 70% of the time and 30% of the time in the field.  Employees spend 85% of office time on computer, 10% on the phone and 5% in meetings.  Position requires employee to lift/carry up to 10 pounds rarely, and push/pull 1-5 pounds occasionally.  Position has the ability to sit/stand as needed.  Stairs not required.

HOURS AND COMPENSATION:   This is a part-time (20 hours/week) position paying $18.47 per hour plus benefits.  Benefits include medical, dental, short-term and long-term disability insurance, voluntarily life insurance coverage, holiday pay, pension, generous paid personal leave package and tax-sheltered health care and dependant care accounts.

TO APPLY: Applicants must complete the Solid Ground application form specific to this position. To find an application online, go to www.solid-ground.org/AboutUs/Jobs, then click on the Job Title for this position and download the attached application. You may also leave a message on our job line at 206.694.6840 requesting a specific job application, or you may apply in person at 1501 North 45th Street in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. Applicants may submit completed applications by mail to: Solid Ground, Attn: Human Resources Department, 1501 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103-6708.

CLOSING DATE:  5 PM on February 2^nd, 2012.

WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.  SOLID GROUND IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

CHID Cuba: The Dialectics of Cuban/American Nationality

https://depts.washington.edu/chid/cuba.2012sum

Info session in C-101 Padelford this Wednesday, 2/1 at 2:30.

The focus of this program is to explore the ways in which Cuba and the United States have imagined both themselves and the other–and the ways in which those images are dynamic, co-constitutive, and historically grounded. Participants will spend the first 3 weeks of summer studying in Seattle, then spend a month exploring historical and cultural sites in Cuba, concluding with a week in Miami. Airfare and travel visas are included with the program fee.

CHID Viet Nam: Building for Peace in the Wake of War

https://depts.washington.edu/chid/vietnam.2012.SUM

Info session in C-101 Padelford this Thursday, 2/2 at 4:30.

This program explores the legacy of war and ongoing rebuilding efforts in Viet Nam. In partnership with PeaceTrees Vietnam, a Seattle-based organization working on land mine clearance and environmental/community restoration in Quang Tri Province, our group of 12-18 students will pursue historical studies in Ha Noi and Hue and participate in a community-building project with local people in Dong Ha, near the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

CHID also sponsors summer programs in:

Munich, Germany – https://depts.washington.edu/chid/munich.2012SUM

Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia https://depts.washington.edu/chid/BCS.2012.SUM

Rome, Italy – https://depts.washington.edu/chid/rome.2012sum

& Iceland – https://depts.washington.edu/chid/iceland.2012.SUM.

Kyoto – Nihon no Kokoro: The Heart and Soul of Japan

Summer A Term, 6 credits – ART or CHID

Info Session:  Wednesday, Feb 15th / 4pm / ART 003

APPLICATIONS DUE : MARCH 1

The London Art Scene: Past and Present

Early Fall Start, 5 credits – ART or CHID

Info Sessions:  Tuesday, January 31 / 5:30pm / ART 211

Wednesday, February 1 / 5:30pm / ART 211

APPLICATIONS DUE : MARCH 1

Art History in the Netherlands: Dutch art in The Netherlands and Belgium

Summer Quarter, 15 Credits – ART H

Info Sessions:  Tuesday, January 31 / 5:30pm / ART 317

Wednesday, February 1 / 5:30pm / ART 317

APPLICATIONS DUE : FEBRUARY 15

Tuscany: A Creative Journey

Early Fall Start, 5 credits – ART or CHID

APPLICATIONS DUE : MARCH 1

In addition to the coverage of weekends, it is required that persons in this position also relieve Resident Managers/Coordinators at times of vacation leave and on agency holidays. Weekend Relief Staff will also have weeknight availability to provide childcare during parenting meetings.

(Please note: No one staff person is ever expected to cover every holiday or vacation leave, unless desired)

Responsibilities

Supervision of Residents

• Support residents in the execution of their Independent Living Plan.
• Be available on-site during scheduled weekend hours to supervise residents’ activities. Walk hallways and grounds periodically (at least once every two hours) to ensure safety and compliance with rules.
• Assist in any emergency needs or events that may arise.
• Record weekend activities and report activities to Resident Manager on Sunday night.
• Plan and participate in recreational activities with residents.
• Attend meetings and trainings as required.
• When necessary, assist in maintenance needs.
• Must inform Program Coordinator if you will be out of reach or out of town.
• Must provide and maintain a “best to reach at” e-mail address or phone number that is checked a minimum of once per day.
• Must respond within one business day to any and all shift availability queries from Resident Manager, Program Coordinator or fellow Weekend Relief staff member.
• Must be able to work at least one shift per month.
• Must be able to work at least one holiday per calendar year.
• If for some reason you are no longer able to work a scheduled shift, it is your responsibility to find coverage for that shift, as well as for contacting the Resident Manager as soon as you know you will be unable to work.

Required Skills and Qualifications

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma.
• At least 24 years of age and in good health.
• Must demonstrate sensitivity to homelessness and cultural differences. Must like working with teenagers.
• Must have valid Washington State driver’s license and have own transportation with necessary insurance.
• Employees and volunteers who operate their own or Friends of Youth vehicles on Friends of Youth business must have a safe driving record as defined by Friends of Youth. Employees and volunteers who operate their own vehicle(s) on Friends of Youth business must carry auto liability insurance that complies with the requirements of Friends of Youth.
• Experience with infants and toddlers at certain sites.
• Education or experience in cultural competency.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to develop warm and open relationship while maintaining appropriate boundaries with residents.
• Ability to observe and discuss behavior problems and suggest appropriate alternatives.
• Must demonstrate sound judgment (in assessing situations).
• Must demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural differences and a commitment to the value of cultural competency.

Hours:  Weekend Shifts and some weeknight shifts to provide childcare

Salary: $9/hr

Location: Seattle, Bothell, Kirkland or Everett

To apply: Send resume and cover letter to paola@friendsofyouth.org

The Deportation Threat Dynamic and Victimization of Latino Migrants: Wage Theft and Robbery

Abstract

Deportations have been increasing since the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, although the number of unauthorized migrants working in the United States has increased as well. These conditions enable the deportation threat dynamic, a social mechanism which plays out between unauthorized Latino migrants and those who seek to take advantage of them and exposes the migrants to the risk of wage theft and robbery. I use mixed methods to identify and describe this social mechanism and its consequences as it operated in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2007 to 2008 after Hurricane Katrina generated a construction boom. I find that Latino migrants who sought work as day laborers were more likely to experience wage theft but were equally likely to experience criminal victimization. These crimes occur because Latino migrants were visually identifiable by unscrupulous employers and criminals who assumed they were unauthorized and therefore felt confident that the migrants would not report them to law enforcement authorities.

Elizabeth Fussell is associate professor of sociology at Washington State University, Pullman, and a faculty affiliate of the UW Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology (CSDE). Her current research focuses on disaster-induced demographic change in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. This work includes papers on the differential return of displaced New Orleans residents by race, class and housing damage; the arrival of Latino immigrants to participate in the recovery and rebuilding of New Orleans; and the impacts of disaster and displacement on a cohort of low-income parents attending community college. In related work, she is investigating the effects of droughts, coastal erosion, and weather-related disasters on livelihood change and migration in the United States and specifically on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Her longer-term research focuses on international migration from Mexico and Latin America to the United States and the feedback processes which perpetuate migration, especially families, social networks and labor markets.

There will be an information session for the Summer A-Term in London program on:

Wednesday, February 1 @ 3:30 pm in Smith Hall, room 309

Webpage: http://depts.washington.edu/engl/abroad/londonsummer12.php

Application deadline: February 15, 2012

Whether you need to satisfy your French minor or major requirements, your CISB, European Studies or International Language obligations, or simply because you want to perfect your French by living in France for three months (or the entire year), Nantes offers you the wonderful opportunity of experiencing French life while working on your UW degree.

The language requirement is only French 103 (or its equivalent), and our program welcomes all students, no matter what their major or minor is. The program’s cost is reasonable, and the application process is a cinch.

Download our brochure at: depts.washington.edu/frenital/study-abroad.html, and/or come to our information meeting on February 13 at 2:30 (room to be announced), and look for an upcoming message regarding the opening of our on-line application process.
Questions? Contact H?l?ne Vilavella-Collins, Nantes and Paris program director, at: helenev@uw.edu

Shift times: 15-20 hours per week, flexible schedule during regular office hours

Starting date: January – September 2012

Responsibilities:

The Auction Event Intern will work with the development team to organize, collect, secure, and process items for El Centro de la Raza’s Annual Auction Banquet. Your responsibilities will involve calling prospective donors and sending out donation packets. It will also include doing data entry with auction and other software, organizing item pick-up, preparing descriptions and values of items, creating auction item certificates as needed, and creating item presentation packages. Tracking all contacts and progress throughout this work is important.

Expected Results:

The live and silent auctions are important fund-raising tools for El Centro de la Raza. Procuring and organizing great items to auction off is key to having a successful event. The Auction Event Intern will make sure that all opportunities are pursued and processed in a timely and professional manner while maintaining constant communication with the development team.

Required Skills:

Strong communication and organizational skills, basic computer and office software literacy, ability to work with a team and independently.

Contact:

Please send internship application and résumé to Josh Stromberg, Volunteer Coordinator: volunteer@elcentrodelaraza.org.

Or mail to:

Applications are now being accepted for the UW Tacoma 2012 study abroad program to China. Students from all three UW campuses are invited to apply. This program provides students the opportunity to study Chinese language, culture, history and politics at Peking University. Students live in Beijing near the Peking University campus, which is situated on the grounds of a former princely palace.

Students earn 10 credits of TIAS 480 Society and Culture in China Study Abroad and 5 credits of Chinese language (TCHIN 101, 102, 103, 201, 202 OR 203, depending on entrance and exit examinations). The program features a well-designed combination of on-campus study and cultural field trips.

Highlights include: The Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square and Mao’s Mausoleum.

An additional field excursion to China’s southwest includes: Shangri-la, the ancient Dali Kingdom, Miao villages, as well as Guizhou University in Guiyang and Yunnan University in Kunming.

Program travel dates are June 18 to July 14, 2012. For more information and to apply, visit:

www.tacoma.uw.edu/international-programs/china-language-culture-beijing

/**We are holding an information session on Tuesday, February 7, 4:00-5:30 pm in Denny 401.** /

The UW-Sichuan University Undergraduate Exchange Program is a unique chance for UW students to not only live and study in China but to engage in a hands-on, self-directed research project overseas. The two or three quarter program offers intensive Chinese language training, additional classes offered in English and an amazing chance for students to research a topic of their own choosing. Sichuan University’s location in western China means that students have the opportunity to travel and do research in places such as a national park in the eastern Himalayas or remote minority villages in southern Sichuan. The program is open to all majors and is a great opportunity to make huge gains in Chinese language skills and to really engage with China.

For more information please visit the UW-Sichuan Undergraduate Exchange Program website:  http://depts.washington.edu/uwww/program_details.html