Click here to see the minutes from our last meeting.
You'll find the most important announcement in 20 years, a list of EON's major accomplishments for the year, and what you've all been waiting for: next semester's election results!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Last EON Meeting of the Year
Click here to see the minutes from our last meeting.
You'll find the most important announcement in 20 years, a list of EON's major accomplishments for the year, and what you've all been waiting for: next semester's election results!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Green Projects Development Summer Intern (Baltimore)
Would you like to make a tangible difference in the fight against poverty? Work for a greener future? Help shape the rapidly expanding home energy efficiency industry?
Civic Works, a non-profit leader in green jobs training and home energy efficiency, is hiring a Green Projects Development Intern. The Intern will work with the Green Projects Development Coordinator to provide assistance in expanding the size of Civic Works’ current green training programs, developing additional career training programs, and expanding our home performance business. Current college students gain the kind of real-world experience they can’t find in a typical internship.
Civic Works’ green programs have been highlighted by Green for All, The Washington Post, and the US Council of Mayors. Civic Works operates 12 programs in the areas of Community Revitalization, Education, Energy Conservation, and Workforce Development. We provide green job training opportunities, convert vacant lots into community gardens, rehabilitate homes for low-income residents, improve home energy efficiency for low-income residents, and tutor and mentored thousands of students in Baltimore City and County schools.
The mission of Civic Works’ Green Projects is to harness the power of green jobs as a pathway out of poverty for Baltimore residents. The purpose of this internship will be to help develop and expand Civic Works’ Green Careers Initiatives. Since 2003 our B’More Green program has prepared unemployed and underemployed Baltimore residents for brownfields mitigation careers. Beginning in summer 2010, Civic Works will start offering an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Installer training course. Along with these training programs, Civic Works operates a full service home performance company, offering energy audits, energy retrofits and cool roofs.
This is an unpaid internship. However, we will be able to provide a $1,000 scholarship to be applied towards education expenses.
Responsibilities
- Research, write and edit grant proposals.
- Develop presentations to be given at community meetings.
- Communicate regularly with Civic Works’ community partners
- Assist the Energy Retrofit Project Manager in identifying areas to cut costs, improve quality and increase customer satisfaction.
- Conduct research for the development of new energy auditor and energy retrofit installer training curricula.
- Write content for Civic Works’ website and marketing materials that motivates homeowners to implement residential energy efficiency retrofits
- Regularly contribute posts on energy efficiency topics to Civic Works’ blog and new media sites.
Qualifications
- Strong analytical and organizational skills
- Ability to prioritize and multi-task and work under strict deadlines
- Excellent oral and written communication skills are a must
- Commitment to the environment and social justice
Benefits
- Receive a $ 1,000 scholarship to be applied towards higher education expenses
- Healthcare benefits
- We are willing to work with your academic institution if you are interested in receiving credit.
- Gain experience and skills in marketing, community outreach, grant writing, coalition building, business and program development.
Time Commitment
20-40 hours a week for 7-10 weeks. The expected start date is June 7.
How to Apply:
Please send a cover letter and resume to:
Eli Allen
Green Projects Development Coordinator
eallen [at] civicworks [dot] com
Green Projects Development Coordinator
Socially Responsible Investing Coalition Meeting: May 4th
Weapons Manufacturing. Dirty Energy. Border Militarization. Environmental Racism. Discriminatory Hiring Practices. Deforestation. Tar Sands Oil Extraction. Natural Gas "Fracking." Animal Testing. Privatized Military Contracting. Factory Farming.
Did you know that Wesleyan invests in all of these practices?
Socially Responsible Investing Coalition Mass Meeting
Date: May 4th
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Woodhead Lounge
As Wesleyan students, we have the unique opportunity to influence the behavior of the socially irresponsible corporations in which we invest. We also have the potential to push for Wesleyan to shift its investment strategies towards more ethical alternatives.
If you are interested in changing our investments to better reflect your values, come to the first mass meeting of the grassroots, student-led initiative called the Socially Responsible Investing Coalition (SRIC). The SRIC is a brand new, multi-issue coalition that strives to facilitate communication and action between various student groups and individuals who come together in order to assert our student voice in our school's investments.
At our mass meeting on May 4th, we’ll discuss where everyone’s interests and goals lie, begin to shape the way the coalition will function, and set plans in motion to mobilize for next semester. Anyone should come to this meeting, whether you already have a specific idea for how you’d want to engage with our schools investments, or if you just want to find out more.
If you would like to come chat with the founding organizers of the SRIC, we will be tabling at Usdan from 12-1 all week. Please stop by if you have any questions!
A Friendly Reminder for Spring Fling.
Spring Fling is this Thursday!
If you choose to participate in the festivities on Foss, enjoy the music, great company, and gorgeous weather (forecast: 79 degrees)!
Just remember to clean up after yourselves and help keep our campus beautiful!
If you choose to participate in the festivities on Foss, enjoy the music, great company, and gorgeous weather (forecast: 79 degrees)!
Just remember to clean up after yourselves and help keep our campus beautiful!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Children in the Fields: The hidden problem of child labor in America
WesFRESH presents another event for their week of food politics, this time on farm worker justice:
Date: April 30 - April 30
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Place: Usdan 110
Hundreds of thousands of children work in agriculture throughout the U.S. Child farmworkers as young as twelve often work twelve- and fourteen-hour days under dangerous and grueling conditions. They risk pesticide poisoning, injuries, and suffer fatalities at five times the rate of children working in other jobs. As a result of their long hours, they drop out of school at alarming rates. Nationally, barely half graduate from high school.
Although agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S., child farmworkers are exempt from the legal protections granted to all other working children in the U.S. This briefing will give you an overview of these issues by Human Rights Watch as well as an opportunity to sign a letter addressed to local Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro urging her support of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act, HR 3564), legislation that would greatly improve the lives of children in the fields.
Date: April 30 - April 30
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Place: Usdan 110
Monday, April 19, 2010
Earth Day 2010
Earth Day Week 2010 at Wesleyan
Wesleyan’s SAGES (Sustainability Advisory Group for Environmental Stewardship) has compiled a calendar of events sponsored by a variety of student, University, and community groups happening this Earth Day Week.
MONDAY, APRIL 19
Students for a Just and Sustainable Future (SJSF) Sleep Out
Foss Hill
Screening of No Impact Man
5:30 pm
Judd 116
Free dinner beforehand and short discussion afterward
TUESDAY, APRIL 20
SJSF Sleep Out
Foss Hill
2:00- Field Organizing Strategy
Lunchtime SAGES talk with Bill Nelligan, Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability
12:00-1:00 pm
Usdan 136
SJSF Sleep Out
Foss Hill
Farmer's Market
11:00 am-2:00 pm
Usdan Courtyard
THURSDAY, APRIL 22
Bon Appétit’s Low Carbon Day
Brian Stewart's Third Annual Earth Day Rant
4:30 p.m., refreshments at 4:15
Exley 58
SJSF Sleep Out / WesFRESH / Farmer’s Market Feast
6:30 pm
Foss Hill
Wesleyan Earth Day Celebration Panel Discussion and Film Screening
8pm
CFA Hall
Free Admission
FRIDAY, APRIL 23
WesFRESH Cooking Demonstrations
Attend cooking demonstrations in kitchens across campus.
check back here for times and locations!
Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group
8pm
CFA Theater
Pre-performance talk by Pamela Tatge and Allison Hurd on Friday at 7:15pm, CFA Hall (formerly CFA Cinema)
SATURDAY, APRIL 24
Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group
8pm
CFA Theater
Screening of Home
2 pm
Goldsmith Family Cinema
Riverfront Clean-up
9:00 am-1:00 pm
Harbor Park, Middletown
Sponsored by Middletown Lions Club and The Jonah Center for Earth and Art
CT Trail Maintenance Outing
Bicentennial Park in Berlin, CT
8:30 am-2:00 pm
SUNDAY, APRIL 25
Bus to DC for the Earth Day Network rally
Email weseon at gmail.com if you want to reserve a spot
Panel on the Present and Future of Sustainable Foods
4:00 pm
Usdan, room TBD
ONGOING
TAP THAT! Campus water fountain awareness
Look for signs and information about campus water fountains and facts about bottled water presented by the TAP THAT! Bottled Water Awareness week, an Earth Day Week program of the Environmental Organizers Network (EON).
For events happening after Earth Day Week (including several WesFRESH events, a screening of Food Inc., and an Earth Day 5K) check back here at the Green Scene!
For more information about sustainability at Wesleyan, visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/
Vote for Sustainability in the WSA Elections: Feiring & Firke
Micah Feiring and Ben Firke are running for WSA President and VP and they need your help! Micah and Ben have pledged to do all they can to make Wesleyan more sustainable.
Ben was a crucial ally in passing the Green Fund this year, creating tens of thousands in sustainability funding, and Micah campaigned vigorously during the student referendum. Next year, Micah and Ben plan to finally bring a comprehensive composting system to Wesleyan, promote the Green Fund to ensure the best possible submissions come through, hold the ECS-Prize again, work with Physical Plant to reduce utility waste, and bring renewable energy to campus in some form.
The election is open NOW at wsavoting.wesleyan.edu. Micah and Ben thank you for your support.
Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group: The Good Dance—dakar/brooklyn
Friday & Saturday, April 23 & 24, 8pm in the CFA Theater
Pre-performance talk by Allison Hurd ’11 on Friday, April 23 at 7:15pm, CFA Hall (formerly CFA Cinema)
http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/events.html#breaking
Brooklyn-based Reggie Wilson and Andréya Ouamba’s Compagnie 1er Temps based in Dakar, Senegal, have collaborated to create a highly charged and expressive movement vocabulary that explores the secular and religious traditions of Central Africa and their parallels with the Mississippi Delta culture. The Good Dance--dakar/brooklyn features over 300 water bottles on stage. The CFA has collaborated with the TAP THAT! Bottled Water Awareness week, an Earth Day Week program of the Wesleyan’s Environmental Organizers Network (EON), to responsibly handle the purchase, distribution, and disposal of the bottles and the water contained within them. During the Q&A sessions following the performances, EON will distribute the water from the bottles to the audience and information about bottled water will be available in the lobby. After the performance, EON plans to reuse the bottles in an art installation in the Usdan Campus Center, after which all of the bottles will be recycled.
Pre-performance talk by Allison Hurd ’11 on Friday, April 23 at 7:15pm, CFA Hall (formerly CFA Cinema)
http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/
Brooklyn-based Reggie Wilson and Andréya Ouamba’s Compagnie 1er Temps based in Dakar, Senegal, have collaborated to create a highly charged and expressive movement vocabulary that explores the secular and religious traditions of Central Africa and their parallels with the Mississippi Delta culture. The Good Dance--dakar/brooklyn features over 300 water bottles on stage. The CFA has collaborated with the TAP THAT! Bottled Water Awareness week, an Earth Day Week program of the Wesleyan’s Environmental Organizers Network (EON), to responsibly handle the purchase, distribution, and disposal of the bottles and the water contained within them. During the Q&A sessions following the performances, EON will distribute the water from the bottles to the audience and information about bottled water will be available in the lobby. After the performance, EON plans to reuse the bottles in an art installation in the Usdan Campus Center, after which all of the bottles will be recycled.
Joining Art and Science to Engage Environmental Issues
Wesleyan Earth Day Celebration: Joining Art and Science to Engage Environmental Issues
Thursday, April 22, 8pm in the CFA Hall. Free Admission
Are the arts and sciences natural allies in communicating environmental issues to the public? Join Marda Kirn Executive Director, EcoArts Connections; Geoffrey Bourne, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis and Director of the CIBA Biological Station, Guyana; Cassie Meador, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Barry Chernoff, Professor and Chair of Wesleyan's Environmental Studies Program for a discussion moderated by Jeremy Isard, '11 followed by the world premiere of Connections Within A Fragile World, a documentary produced and directed by Paul Horton about co-teaching art and science during the 2007-09 Feet to the Fire project.
Co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and the Center for the Arts with support from Arts Presenters Creative Campus Innovations Program, a component of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
See http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/events.html#special
Thursday, April 22, 8pm in the CFA Hall. Free Admission
Are the arts and sciences natural allies in communicating environmental issues to the public? Join Marda Kirn Executive Director, EcoArts Connections; Geoffrey Bourne, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis and Director of the CIBA Biological Station, Guyana; Cassie Meador, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Barry Chernoff, Professor and Chair of Wesleyan's Environmental Studies Program for a discussion moderated by Jeremy Isard, '11 followed by the world premiere of Connections Within A Fragile World, a documentary produced and directed by Paul Horton about co-teaching art and science during the 2007-09 Feet to the Fire project.
Co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and the Center for the Arts with support from Arts Presenters Creative Campus Innovations Program, a component of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
See http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/
4-Course Earth Day Dinner at O'Rourke's!
4-Course Earth Day dinner with live music here at O'Rourke's on Thursday, April 22nd at 6:00pm. Tickets are only $35 per person and include tax and gratuity.
First Course - Soup: Asparagus & Champagne Bisque
First Course - Soup: Asparagus & Champagne Bisque
Second Course - Salad: Mixed Greens with Sweet & Sour Cabbage
Third Course - Entree: Grass-Fed Beef Stuffed Portabella Mushroom OR Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Portabella Mushroom
Fourth Course - Dessert: Barm Brack Bread Pudding with Seasonal Fruit Topping
They are selling tickets in advance at the diner, so hurry up before spots run out!
GreenAnswers.com
GreenAnswers.com is a user-generated question and answer site dedicated to environmental issues. GreenAnswers provides a forum for people to debate, discuss, and learn about important environmental issues.
A good place to begin exploring GreenAnswers is the homepage.
You might also be interested in their guest contributor program. This program is a great way to present your work in the environmental field to the large community of people on GreenAnswers.
Buy a Compost Bin, Rain Barrel, or Green Cone
The City of Middletown is again selling compost bins, rain barrels and Green Cones. If you need an order form for a green cone or rain barrel, contact:
Kim O'Rourke
Middletown Recycling Coordinator
245 Dekoven Dr
Middletown, Ct 06457
860-344-3526
Help Indigenous Farmers in Nicaragua
MADRE is an international women’s human rights organization. MADRE’s has collected over 25 million dollars worth of aid for women and children in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. In light of Earth Day we are reviving a campaign called Harvesting Hope, which will provide organic vegetable seeds to women on the North Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, where three-quarters of the population suffers from malnutrition.
Climate change and rising ocean temperatures are causing intensified storms in Nicaragua, devastating farmers’ harvests, and depleting local food sources. This past November severe flooding from Hurricane Ida ruined crops at the time of harvest. To recover from this storm, local Nicaraguan farmers will need to plant new seeds by May.
MADRE is working with our sister organization, Wangki Tangni, in Nicaragua to train Indigenous Miskito women in organic farming and sustainable livestock-management. Harvesting Hope emphasizes sustainable land use methodologies, safeguards traditional Indigenous knowledge of natural resource management, and strengthens women’s economic self-sufficiency and participation in public life. Harvesting Hope focuses on helping local farmers since exploitation of the region’s natural resources by timber, mining, and fishing corporations has threatened the biodiversity on which Indigenous Peoples depend.
MADRE needs help in order to raise awareness of the effects of climate change, and to help the Indigenous farmers in Nicaragua. Any donation of unexpired organic vegetable seeds you could make, however small or large, would make a huge difference in the daily life of the recipients. If you would like to get involved in another way, you could also raise money to buy seeds, or host an event at your school. We’d be happy to work with you if you have any ideas or questions about getting involved. Please feel free to contact us at 212-627-0444 or helpinghands@madre.org
Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride
*New Haven, CT -- Saturday, April 24, 2010*
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! Explore New Haven's parks and neighborhoods. Raise funds for great local environmental organizations.
Check out the details below, and register today at www.rocktorock.org.
*Explore New Haven by bicycle!* Rock to Rock is a day-long celebration of Earth Day, and of New Haven's rich environmental and cultural resources. Here's how it works: You and a few hundred others will travel between West Rock and East Rock, with celebrations on both sides of the city. Along the way, you will eat tasty food, hear great music, take on environmental service projects, explore Edgewood and Beaver Ponds Parks, and ride Farmington Canal Trail and official city bike lanes. Think you're hard-core? Take detours to the top of the two rocks. Have a little kid in tow? Join us from Common Ground to Edgewood Park. Families and college students, 20-something hipsters and teenagers, young and old, serious riders and weekend warriors will all be welcomed.
*Support great local environmental organizations!* Rock to Rock raises funds for the following a bunch of great environmental organizations: The Urban Resources Initiative, Common Ground, Solar Youth, New Haven Parks Department, Friends of East Rock Park, Friends of Beaver Pond Park, Friends of Edgewood Park, New Haven-Leon Sister City Project, Sierra Club's Inner City Outings, and Elm City Cycling. All of these organizations share a commitment to helping New Haven residents explore and learn from the city's parks. And all of these organizations need of additional resources in order to keep their important work strong and growing.
If you have any questions about Rock to Rock, visit www.rocktorock.org, or contact Maggie@solaryouth.com.
Design A Better Coffee Cup and Win $20,000!
From Betacup's website:58 billion paper coffee cups are thrown away, unrecycled, each year. The betacup challenge is an effort to reduce this waste – and we need your help.
We invite you to submit ideas but also to comment and rate others’ ideas, and engage in discussions with other betacup community members and contest jurors.
You should consider:
Waste Reduction – how does the Idea reduce the number of non-recycled coffee cups thrown away each year?
Resources Required – what resources will it take to implement the Idea? (money, energy, water, materials, time, etc)
New or Existing Capabilities – does the Idea use existing technologies or approaches? If not, what must be created or invented to implement the Idea?
The Whole experience – Don’t forget the importance of the “whole experience”. Alternatives to paper cups are available today but they are not being widely used. How effective is the Idea likely to be in achieving its goal?
A different contest format (hint: we’re encouraging collaboration)
The betacup differs from most contest formats, because it is open. We are using jovoto, so when you submit an idea, your ideas are open to the public for comment and ratings.
We think this feedback process will help make ideas even better, so we encourage you to submit ideas early and benefit from the feedback. Don’t have an idea? No problem, you can still help out by offering feedback to others.
How will the $20,000 prize be awarded?
The top idea as decided by a jury will earn $10,000.
The top 5 ideas as decided by community ratings will have $10,000 divided amongst them.
It is our intention that ideas submitted belong to the person submitting them. However, because the ideas are posted publicly, we encourage you to discuss possible intellectual property issues with an intellectual property lawyer before submitting. Additional please review the ownership and licensing terms are discussed in the contest rules.
This international contest starts on April 1, 2010 and ends on June 15.
If any members of the Wesleyan community are interested in collaborating as a team, contact:
Rabbi David Leipziger Teva
Director of Religious and Spiritual Life
University Jewish Chaplain
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT 06459
860-685-2278
Friday, April 16, 2010
TAP THAT! Campus water fountain awareness
Look for signs and information about campus water fountains and facts about bottled water presented by the TAP THAT! Bottled Water Awareness week, an Earth Day Week program of EON.
We are also coordinating with the CFA to collect and distribute water from the 350+ water bottles used in the upcoming performance of Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group: The Good Dance—dakar/brooklyn (for event details, see the CFA website!)
Panel on the Present and Future of Sustainable Foods
This panel will discuss the challenges and successes associated with small-scale local food systems and independent food stores versus large-scale industrial organics and corporations such as Whole Foods. We will also discuss the difficulties of incorporating sustainably grown food into university food services. Panelists will include local food activists like Doug Peterson, a former owner of a health food coop and current produce buyer for the Whole Foods in Milford, CT, and farmers from our area. The panel will be moderated by Courtney Fullilove, Assistant Professor of History.
Date: Sunday, April 25
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Usdan 107 or 108 (TBD)
Riverfront Clean-up
Sponsored by Middletown Lions Club and The Jonah Center for Earth and Art
Join us for spring cleaning at Harbor Park with special attention to Lions Landing at the north end and Columbus Point at the south end. This spring, the cleared portion of the park will be freshened up by raking debris and naturalizing the fence line by planting native Connecticut day lilies and ferns to keep out the vines. For the more energetic volunteers, the historic brownstone ferry docks will continue to be uncovered and made accessible for hiking and fishing. The southern portion of the park is bordered by Sumner Brook (next to Wesleyan's boathouse and Columbus Point). The north bank of the brook will be cleared of Japanese knot weed, bittersweet vines and Chinese Sumac saplings.
Volunteers are encouraged to wear long sleeved shirts and pants, hats, sunglasses, gloves and sturdy shoes. We will finish our work with a 1:00 p.m. BBQ at Lions Landing.
Please register your intention to join the effort and tell us if you plan to attend the BBQ by calling Lisa Santangelo at 860-346-1815.
Date: Saturday, 4/24
Time: 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Location: Harbor Park, Middletown
Earth Day Farmer's Market
Get Fresh. Get Local. Get outside and bask in the sun while you eat delicious food from area farmers providing you with cheese, yogurt, bread, jams, baked goods, sweets, honey, maple syrup, soups, produce, and more. Bon Appetit will be there cooking up a local lunch so you can use your meal points to support the market!
Date: Wednesday, 4/21
Time: 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Location: Usdan Courtyard
Feast on Foss
Come enjoy free local food from the Farmer's Market with folks doing Wake up, Sleep out for a Clean Energy Future and WesFRESH, Wesleyan’s new food activism student group!
Date: Thursday, 4/22
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Foss Hill
Lunchtime discussion with Bill Nelligan
As part of Earth Day Week 2010, join Bill Nelligan, Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability at Wes, for a lunchtime discussion of what SAGES, Wesleyan’s Sustainability Advisory Group for Environmental Stewardship, has been up to as of late. Bill will present on Wesleyan’s Green House Gas Report and Climate Action Plan, detailing where we’re going in the future. Bring your lunch!
Date: Tuesday, 4/20
Time: 12:00-1:00 pm
Location: Usdan 136
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
House Cooking Demos
WesFRESH, Wesleyan’s new food activism student group, invites you to showcase your cooking specialty during a week of food and environmental activism from Earth Day to May Day. If you are interested in giving cooking (or baking, or brewing, or cheesemaking…) demonstrations in your kitchen on April 23rd or 30th, please contact wesfreshcollective@gmail.com asap with a brief description of your idea.
'No Impact Man' Screening at Earth House
Come to Earth House to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day by watching No Impact Man!
A guilty New York liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons-loving wife along for the ride. And that's just the beginning. Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man's decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year--while still living in New York City--to see if it's possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television...
What would it be like to try to live a no-impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, through which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more "eco-effective" and, by turns, more content life in an age of inconvenient truths.
Before the movie, there will be FREE dinner. There will also be a short discussion after the movie.
Monday, April 19th @ 5:30 pm
Annual Earth Week Rant by Brian Stewart
Wesleyan professor and Middletown resident, Brian Stewart will be presenting his Third Annual Earth Day Rant, surely to be entertaining and informative! The talk will focus on the interconnections between population, pollution, and resource depletion, along with some economic observations.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Volunteer for Waste Not
Remember the massive recycling of leftover college dorm stuff in MoCon last September? Well, Waste Not! Annual Tag sale needs VOLUNTEERS again to collect items during reading week, finals week and/or senior week (May 5-24).
Housing provided for senior week volunteers.
Housing provided for senior week volunteers.
Interested? Fill out the volunteer form!
Check out the Waste Not! website for more info or e-mail jtrelogan@wesleyan.edu or fcjones@wesleyan.edu
Service Learning trip to New Orleans
From the Wesleyan chapter of the Youth Coalition for Community Action:
"Join us for a 2 week service-learning trip to New Orleans.
Be a part of a national youth empowerment movement that starts in post-Katrina New Orleans, as residents try to rebuild their communities through a massive food security project. Get trained as a youth organizer and gain skills that you can use to solve important issues in your own community. Learn about urban farming, community organizing, and environmental justice issues. You will get to farm, rebuild, organize, and work with other young people from the area, and meet other awesome people from Wes! And the best part is, you can still have a summer job because our trips are early! And if you want to work during commencement, you can, and still go on the second trip!"
Group 1: May 20th - June 3rd
Group 2: June 4th - June 18th
For more information, and to apply, visit www.youthcoalition.webs.com
Final SBC Meeting
Attn: Student Group Leaders
The final meeting of the SBC will be held on Monday the 19th of April (approximately two weeks from now). If you are planning events and activities to take place later this semester and will be needing funding, be sure to visit us either next week or the following week. The final meeting of the Concert Committee, similarly, will be held the day before on Sunday the 18th of April.
Please notify all members of your student group who have receipts for reimbursement that they should get their receipts in the to WSA Office as soon as possible. The student workers in the WSA Office need to process all receipts in advance of the summer. It is crucial to submit your receipts in a timely fashion lest you lose the opportunity to be reimbursed for payments that you've made.
As always, please feel free to email the SBC if you have any questions sbc@lyris.wesleyan.edu
The final meeting of the SBC will be held on Monday the 19th of April (approximately two weeks from now). If you are planning events and activities to take place later this semester and will be needing funding, be sure to visit us either next week or the following week. The final meeting of the Concert Committee, similarly, will be held the day before on Sunday the 18th of April.
Please notify all members of your student group who have receipts for reimbursement that they should get their receipts in the to WSA Office as soon as possible. The student workers in the WSA Office need to process all receipts in advance of the summer. It is crucial to submit your receipts in a timely fashion lest you lose the opportunity to be reimbursed for payments that you've made.
As always, please feel free to email the SBC if you have any questions sbc@lyris.wesleyan.edu
Earth Day Trail Maintenance Workshop
OutHouse, EarthHouse, ResLife, and WesCFPA, are partnering with the Connecticut Forests and Parks Association to do a trail maintenance workshop! The trail maintenance workshop will be at Bicentennial Park in Berlin, CT to celebrate Earth Day! Activities will include: checking the dam construction, boardwalk construction, trail building, brushing, blazing, safe tool usage, and construction of a 30' bridge using utility poles. We will be arranging van transportation to and from the park, and will be meeting in the Office of Community Partnerships parking lot (across from 200 Church Street) at 8 am on Saturday, April 24. The event will go officially end at 4 pm, but we may take vans home earlier in the day. Please contact Rosemary Ostfeld (rostfeld@wesleyan.edu) if you are interested in participating.
Earth Month EON Meeting (04-12-10) Minutes
Hey all, we had a really successful meeting tonight. If you are looking for ways to get involved, check out how in the minutes posted here: http://weseonminutes.blogspot.com/2010/04/earth-month-eon-meeting-04-12-10.html
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Story Behind the Food
Dayna Burtness has a fellowship with Bon Appétit Management Company. Her job involves traveling to different Bon Appétit colleges in the Midwest and hosting events to raise awareness about certain food issues that Bon Appétit as a food service company has encountered. That includes topics like food sustainability, farmworker rights, climate change, the importance/challenges of eating local, humane treatment of animals, and the unsustainability of our current seafood system, to name a few.
This Thursday, she will be giving a short presentation followed by lots of time for feedback from you all about what you care about the most when it comes to your food. Of course, there will be tasty treats!
When: Thursday, April 8th @ 7pm
Where: Usdan, Room 110
Veg Out at Earth House!
When: Thursday, April 8th
Two seatings: 6pm and 7pm
Where: Earth House, 159 High Street
What: A delicious, local, mostly vegan (all vegetarian) meal
Tickets will be sold at lunch and dinner in Usdan for $4
**Bring your own bowl & utensils!**
Farmers Market Wednesday, April 7th
*As taken from the Facebook event:*
YO the weather's going to be BEAUTIFUL on Wednesday, April 7th (78 degrees and sunny!) so come outside to USDAN COURTYARD and celebrate springtime with the live & local Wesleyan FARMERS' MARKET---
Bask in the sun while you eat delicious food from area farmers providing you with cheese, yogurt, bread, jams, baked goods, sweets, honey, maple syrup, soups, produce, and more.
Bon Appetit will be there cooking up a local lunch so you can use your POINTS to support the market!
There will be music and straight up chilling, you don't want to miss it.
RECAP:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7th
11am-2pm
USDAN COURTYARD
See you there!
YO the weather's going to be BEAUTIFUL on Wednesday, April 7th (78 degrees and sunny!) so come outside to USDAN COURTYARD and celebrate springtime with the live & local Wesleyan FARMERS' MARKET---
Bask in the sun while you eat delicious food from area farmers providing you with cheese, yogurt, bread, jams, baked goods, sweets, honey, maple syrup, soups, produce, and more.
Bon Appetit will be there cooking up a local lunch so you can use your POINTS to support the market!
There will be music and straight up chilling, you don't want to miss it.
RECAP:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7th
11am-2pm
USDAN COURTYARD
See you there!
All EON Meeting: 04/12
Next Monday, April 12th, will be the next All-EON meeting at 9pm in the Woodhead Lounge.
We'll be discussing what each group and campaign has been up to, and also what you can do to get involved with Earth Day this year at Wesleyan.
Hope to see you there for some great conversation, cool people, and cookies!
We'll be discussing what each group and campaign has been up to, and also what you can do to get involved with Earth Day this year at Wesleyan.
Hope to see you there for some great conversation, cool people, and cookies!
2nd Annual Environmental Film Festival at Yale
The Environmental Film Festival at Yale will take place April 6-11 and includes a lineup of feature and short films as well as talks and panel discussions with filmmakers. The festival, which aims to raise awareness about environmental and related social issues, is organized and run by students at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.
All screenings and events are free and open to the public.
Film highlights of the festival include:
* The New England premiere of Gasland, winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. . The film uncovers the deep consequences of the natural gas drilling boom in the U.S.
* A special advance screening of Oceans, Disneynature's latest film offering an unprecedented look beneath the sea (scheduled for release April 22).
* A screening of Logorama, winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, which explores life in a logo-dominated world.
Speaker highlights include:
* A conversation with Dan Rather: Journalism, Justice and the Environment. Sponsored by the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale.
* A talk by environmental advocate and civil rights activist Van Jones and an exclusive first look at the upcoming biographic documentary about him.
Panel discussions and Q&A sessions with film directors and Yale faculty will be held after each film.
Screenings will take place in a number of different venues both on and off campus. Please visit http://environment.yale.edu/film for more information, including the full schedule of events.
All screenings and events are free and open to the public.
Film highlights of the festival include:
* The New England premiere of Gasland, winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. . The film uncovers the deep consequences of the natural gas drilling boom in the U.S.
* A special advance screening of Oceans, Disneynature's latest film offering an unprecedented look beneath the sea (scheduled for release April 22).
* A screening of Logorama, winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, which explores life in a logo-dominated world.
Speaker highlights include:
* A conversation with Dan Rather: Journalism, Justice and the Environment. Sponsored by the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale.
* A talk by environmental advocate and civil rights activist Van Jones and an exclusive first look at the upcoming biographic documentary about him.
Panel discussions and Q&A sessions with film directors and Yale faculty will be held after each film.
Screenings will take place in a number of different venues both on and off campus. Please visit http://environment.yale.edu/film for more information, including the full schedule of events.
Nominate for the Changemakers Competition
Green Mountain Coffee and Ashoka's Changemakers have come together to find and help fund the most innovative ideas that strengthen and improve communities in Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut or Massachusetts.
Enter or nominate innovations from now until April 21, 2010. The best innovations will be awarded prizes totaling USD $50,000, and nominators are also eligible for prizes. Learn how to get involved.
Access the online entry form or download the entry form in Word.
Join us on Twitter and Facebook to receive regular updates and to give us your feedback.
Congratulations to our three Early Entry Prize winners selected by random draw: Y.E.A.H! (Youth Education on AIDS and Health), Coop Power: Building Community Owned Sustainable Energy and Chemo Comfort Kits - Empowering Cancer Patients One Kit at a Time.
Visit the official website here: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/Revelation
Enter or nominate innovations from now until April 21, 2010. The best innovations will be awarded prizes totaling USD $50,000, and nominators are also eligible for prizes. Learn how to get involved.
Access the online entry form or download the entry form in Word.
Join us on Twitter and Facebook to receive regular updates and to give us your feedback.
Congratulations to our three Early Entry Prize winners selected by random draw: Y.E.A.H! (Youth Education on AIDS and Health), Coop Power: Building Community Owned Sustainable Energy and Chemo Comfort Kits - Empowering Cancer Patients One Kit at a Time.
Visit the official website here: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/Revelation
Earth Week and Yom HaShoah
With Earth Week just around the corner, remember that pollution is not only our over-flowing landfills and rising greenhouse gases, but is also the hate that deteriorates our world. Healing the world does not just mean picking up litter and planting new trees, but doing whatever we can to stop the hate that murders people for their race, religion, gender, sexuality or any other reason...
This upcoming week is Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. Traditionally, students and professors at Wesleyan participate in a 24-hour long name reading of Holocaust victims. This year, Yom HaShoah falls on the night of the 11th. We will be doing a sunset-to-sunset reading in the lobby of the Exley Science Center from Sunday 4/11 to Monday 4/12.
There will be an opening and closing Community Collective Ceremony 7-8pm Sunday 4/11 and 6-7pm Monday 4/12.
This "Collective Ceremony" is a time and space for the community to contribute music, poetry, stories, and reflections.
READERS NEEDED! Please email Evelyn (eisrael@wesleyan.edu) to sign up for a time-slot between 8pm Sunday 4/11 and 6pm Monday 4/12. (Send her your time preference.)
About Yom HaShoah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaShoah
This event is one of efforts world-wide to never forget the 6 million and more murdered in the Holocaust. Sadly we have yet to see an end to genocide in the world. Reading the names of victims is very powerful both for the reader and the listener. I hope you will consider taking a part in this effort.
Questions?? Email: sbrosenberg@wesleyan.edu
This upcoming week is Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. Traditionally, students and professors at Wesleyan participate in a 24-hour long name reading of Holocaust victims. This year, Yom HaShoah falls on the night of the 11th. We will be doing a sunset-to-sunset reading in the lobby of the Exley Science Center from Sunday 4/11 to Monday 4/12.
There will be an opening and closing Community Collective Ceremony 7-8pm Sunday 4/11 and 6-7pm Monday 4/12.
This "Collective Ceremony" is a time and space for the community to contribute music, poetry, stories, and reflections.
READERS NEEDED! Please email Evelyn (eisrael@wesleyan.edu) to sign up for a time-slot between 8pm Sunday 4/11 and 6pm Monday 4/12. (Send her your time preference.)
About Yom HaShoah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaShoah
This event is one of efforts world-wide to never forget the 6 million and more murdered in the Holocaust. Sadly we have yet to see an end to genocide in the world. Reading the names of victims is very powerful both for the reader and the listener. I hope you will consider taking a part in this effort.
Questions?? Email: sbrosenberg@wesleyan.edu
Earth Day Rally on the National Mall
On April 22nd – Earth Day, cities, colleges and community groups will take action to demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable future. However, due to recent obstructions in the environmental movement, we cannot afford to stop there.
On April 25th, hundreds of thousands of Americans will converge on the National Mall to show their support for a comprehensive climate and energy bill, and their disappointment in the government’s ability to act on their behalf. The rally on Sunday, April 25, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m., will feature progressive voices from the environmental community, live music from top artists and your vision for a healthier environment, a stronger economy and a brighter future.
Performers include: Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Passion Pit, Q-Tip, Bob Weir, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, Booker T and more!
To learn more, please email the Earth Day 2010 Campus Coordinator, Andrew Rozas, at rozas@earthday.net
Sign up here: http://action.earthday.net/t/10584/signUp.jsp?key=5029
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109479499075346&ref=ts
Interested in reserving a spot on the bus? Email weseon@gmail.com! Last day to RSVP is Monday, April 19th.
On April 25th, hundreds of thousands of Americans will converge on the National Mall to show their support for a comprehensive climate and energy bill, and their disappointment in the government’s ability to act on their behalf. The rally on Sunday, April 25, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m., will feature progressive voices from the environmental community, live music from top artists and your vision for a healthier environment, a stronger economy and a brighter future.
Performers include: Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Passion Pit, Q-Tip, Bob Weir, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, Booker T and more!
To learn more, please email the Earth Day 2010 Campus Coordinator, Andrew Rozas, at rozas@earthday.net
Sign up here: http://action.earthday.net/t/10584/signUp.jsp?key=5029
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109479499075346&ref=ts
Interested in reserving a spot on the bus? Email weseon@gmail.com! Last day to RSVP is Monday, April 19th.
Flowers, Art, Farmers Market, and More!
Connecticut Barns and Farms Their Beauty and Their Bounty, a Middletown Garden Club and Garden Club of America flower show , will be staged at the Barns at Wesleyan Hills on Thursday, April 15 and Friday, April 16. The April 15 events are for ticket holders only. All of the April 16 events are free and open to the public from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The event will be a showcase for area flower arrangers who will interpret original art by area artists. All of the art is barn and farm themed and will be for sale. The Middletown Garden Club has in its membership arrangers who have exhibited all over the country and they will be joined by the best of the state’s other garden clubs. The club is celebrating 95 years of serving the community.
The show is dedicated to reminding us of the challenges facing our farmlands and supporting our rural legacy. With funding from a CT Dept. of Agriculture grant, the club’s conservation committee has produced a dvd about buying locally produced food. The dvd will be made available to schools, libraries and organizations and will be part of an informational exhibit at the show. A Farmers Market of locally grown products will be April 16, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
WNPR’s Faith Middleton, host of The Faith Middleton Show is the Honorary Chair of the show and The Lyman Farm is the Honorary Farm. Call 860 632-0880 for information about the ticketed events. The Barns at Wesleyan Hills are at 616 Long Hill Rd, Middletown.
Contact: Ona McLaughlin 860.349.8415 jacobus13@comcast.net
Riverfront Clean-up
Sat. April 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sponsored by Middletown Lions Club and The Jonah Center for Earth and Art
Join us for spring cleaning at Harbor Park with special attention to Lions Landing at the north end and Columbus Point at the south end. Last year hundreds of volunteers cleared 600' of the northern portion of the park, opening it for residents and visitors alike.
This spring, the cleared portion of the park will be freshened up by raking debris and naturalizing the fence line by planting native Connecticut day lilies and ferns to keep out the vines. As you do spring cleaning in your yards, please consider bringing those extra lilies and ferns down on the 24th and planting them along the fence.
For the more energetic volunteers, the historic brownstone ferry docks will continue to be uncovered and made accessible for hiking and fishing.
The southern portion of the park is bordered by Sumner Brook (next to Wesleyan's boathouse and Columbus Point). The north bank of the brook will be cleared of Japanese knot weed, bittersweet vines and Chinese Sumac saplings.
Volunteers are encouraged to wear long sleeved shirts and pants, hats, sun glasses, gloves and sturdy shoes. We will finish our work with a 1:00 p.m. BBQ at Lions Landing.
Please register your intention to join the effort and tell us if you plan to attend the BBQ by calling Lisa Santangelo at 860-346-1815.
Campus Champions Program
Climate Counts (www.climatecounts.org) is a non-profit founded by Stonyfield Farm in 2007. For the past three years they have been scoring the world's largest consumer facing companies on their environmental impacts. Their aim is to pressure companies into placing a great emphasis on the way in which they interact with our planet.
This semester they have started a Campus Champions Program where students can collectively come together and raise their voices directly to companies. They currently have 35 schools distributing 25,000 of our pocket-scorecards.
Here is a link to one of their two minutes videos about the power of the consumer: http://bit.ly/9ayhlr
Interested in bringing Climate Counts to Wes? Contact Mark Harrison at:
Mark Harrison
ClimateCounts.org | Campaign Coordinator
PO Box 4844 | Manchester NH USA 03108-4844
(603)216-3788 office
mharrison@climatecounts.org
This semester they have started a Campus Champions Program where students can collectively come together and raise their voices directly to companies. They currently have 35 schools distributing 25,000 of our pocket-scorecards.
Here is a link to one of their two minutes videos about the power of the consumer: http://bit.ly/9ayhlr
Interested in bringing Climate Counts to Wes? Contact Mark Harrison at:
Mark Harrison
ClimateCounts.org | Campaign Coordinator
PO Box 4844 | Manchester NH USA 03108-4844
(603)216-3788 office
mharrison@climatecounts.org
Let's Talk, Connecticut
TUESDAY, APRIL 6th, 12PM
Join the conversation on climate change with the office of U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman! Be part of a statewide conference call on climate & clean energy policy, hosted by the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and Professor Gary Yohe of the Economics Department at Wesleyan University
Call (712) 432-3100, code 253385 to participate in this critical educational dialogue. Submit questions for Senator Lieberman ahead of time to climate@bard.edu!
*RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkRSVP
All those who submit a question will be automatically entered in a raffle for a free case of Clif Bars!
*******************
Let’s Talk is coordinated by the Bard Center for Environmental Policy as part of a national initiative connecting campus to congress. Please contact us with any questions at climate@bard.edu. For more information: http://www.bard.edu/cep/lets_talk/
We look forward to talking with you!
*******************
Facebook Event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107424392610211
Join the conversation on climate change with the office of U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman! Be part of a statewide conference call on climate & clean energy policy, hosted by the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and Professor Gary Yohe of the Economics Department at Wesleyan University
Call (712) 432-3100, code 253385 to participate in this critical educational dialogue. Submit questions for Senator Lieberman ahead of time to climate@bard.edu!
*RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkRSVP
All those who submit a question will be automatically entered in a raffle for a free case of Clif Bars!
*******************
Let’s Talk is coordinated by the Bard Center for Environmental Policy as part of a national initiative connecting campus to congress. Please contact us with any questions at climate@bard.edu. For more information: http://www.bard.edu/cep/lets_talk/
We look forward to talking with you!
*******************
Facebook Event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107424392610211
Green Projects Development Coordinator (AmeriCorps VISTA)
Wes Alum Eli Allen '09 wants to let you know about an amazing job opportunity in Baltimore:
"This is a one year AmeriCorps VISTA position to expand Civic Works' current green job training programs, develop additional training programs, and expand our home energy efficiency business. This has been my position for the past year and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Over your year of service, you will gain experiences unmatched by most typical entry-level jobs. Over the past year I have written million dollar grant proposals, helped develop a new green jobs training program, launched a home energy efficiency marketing campaign, and started an advisory board. Seriously, at most other organizations this type of work is done my seasoned professionals with years of development experience. However, because this is a VISTA position, we're looking for recent college grads like you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email (eallen@civicworks.com) or phone, (410-929-6757). Please see below for more information on the position."
Green Projects Development Coordinator (AmeriCorps VISTA)
Would you like to make a tangible difference in the fight against poverty? Work for a greener future? Help shape the rapidly expanding home energy efficiency industry?
Civic Works, a non-profit leader in green jobs training and home energy efficiency, is hiring a Green Projects Development Coordinator. The Coordinator will work with the Green Projects Director to expand the size of Civic Works’ current green jobs training programs, develop additional career training programs, and expand our home performance business. Recent graduates gain the kind of real-world experience they can’t find in a typical entry-level job.
Civic Works’ green programs have been highlighted by Green for All, The Washington Post, and the US Council of Mayors. Civic Works operates 12 programs in the areas of Community Revitalization, Education, Energy Conservation, and Workforce Development. In addition to providing green job training opportunities, we convert vacant lots into community gardens, rehabilitate homes for low-income residents, improve home energy efficiency for low-income residents, and tutor and mentored thousands of students in Baltimore City and County schools.
The mission of Civic Works’ Green Projects is to harness the power of green jobs as a pathway out of poverty for Baltimore residents. The purpose of this position will be to develop and expand Civic Works’ Green Careers Initiatives. Since 2003 our B’More Green program has prepared unemployed and underemployed Baltimore residents for brownfields mitigation careers. Beginning in the summer of 2010, Civic Works will start offering an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Installer training course. Along with these training programs, Civic Works operates a full service home performance company, offering energy audits, energy retrofits and cool roofs.
AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Created in 1965 by President John F. Kennedy, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years. Through AmeriCorps VISTA, you’ll find the fulfillment that comes from using your knowledge and skills to help those in disadvantaged circumstances turn their dreams into reality.
VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more. With passion, commitment, and hard work, you’ll create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. For more information, see http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp.
Responsibilities
* Conduct strategic planning and a needs analysis to determine opportunities for expanding Civic Works’ green careers programs.
* Prepare accurate and persuasive grant proposals with strict adherence to funder’s guidelines.
* Establish and implement an educational marketing campaign to motivate homeowners to implement residential energy efficiency retrofits.
* Design and implement a new Solar Installer training curriculum that will prepare trainees for jobs in the renewable energy sector.
* Maintain and develop relationships with community stakeholders.
* Develop a plan for program sustainability.
* Regularly contribute posts on energy efficiency topics to Civic Works’ blog and new media sites.
Qualifications
* Bachelor’s Degree
* Strong analytical and organizational skills
* Ability to prioritize, multi-task and work under strict deadlines
* Excellent oral and written communication skills are a must
* Ability to recognize problems, develop innovative solutions and implement them
* Ability to successfully develop and cultivate relationships with community leaders
* Commitment to the environment and social justice
Benefits
* Receive an end-of-service education award of $5,350 or a $1,500 stipend
* Modest living allowance of $11,500
* Student loan forbearance or deferment while in service
* Healthcare benefits while in service
* Childcare assistance while in service
* One year of noncompetitive status for a federal government job
* Access to the network of VISTA & VISTA alumni (170,000 strong)
* Gain experience and skills in marketing, community outreach, grant writing, coalition building, business and program development.
How to Apply
Send a cover letter, resume, and a 3-5 page writing sample to eallen@civicworks.com by May 15, 2010. This is a one year position with an anticipated start date of early July.
Civic Works Is An Equal Opportunity Employer.
"This is a one year AmeriCorps VISTA position to expand Civic Works' current green job training programs, develop additional training programs, and expand our home energy efficiency business. This has been my position for the past year and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Over your year of service, you will gain experiences unmatched by most typical entry-level jobs. Over the past year I have written million dollar grant proposals, helped develop a new green jobs training program, launched a home energy efficiency marketing campaign, and started an advisory board. Seriously, at most other organizations this type of work is done my seasoned professionals with years of development experience. However, because this is a VISTA position, we're looking for recent college grads like you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email (eallen@civicworks.com) or phone, (410-929-6757). Please see below for more information on the position."
Green Projects Development Coordinator (AmeriCorps VISTA)
Would you like to make a tangible difference in the fight against poverty? Work for a greener future? Help shape the rapidly expanding home energy efficiency industry?
Civic Works, a non-profit leader in green jobs training and home energy efficiency, is hiring a Green Projects Development Coordinator. The Coordinator will work with the Green Projects Director to expand the size of Civic Works’ current green jobs training programs, develop additional career training programs, and expand our home performance business. Recent graduates gain the kind of real-world experience they can’t find in a typical entry-level job.
Civic Works’ green programs have been highlighted by Green for All, The Washington Post, and the US Council of Mayors. Civic Works operates 12 programs in the areas of Community Revitalization, Education, Energy Conservation, and Workforce Development. In addition to providing green job training opportunities, we convert vacant lots into community gardens, rehabilitate homes for low-income residents, improve home energy efficiency for low-income residents, and tutor and mentored thousands of students in Baltimore City and County schools.
The mission of Civic Works’ Green Projects is to harness the power of green jobs as a pathway out of poverty for Baltimore residents. The purpose of this position will be to develop and expand Civic Works’ Green Careers Initiatives. Since 2003 our B’More Green program has prepared unemployed and underemployed Baltimore residents for brownfields mitigation careers. Beginning in the summer of 2010, Civic Works will start offering an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Installer training course. Along with these training programs, Civic Works operates a full service home performance company, offering energy audits, energy retrofits and cool roofs.
AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Created in 1965 by President John F. Kennedy, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years. Through AmeriCorps VISTA, you’ll find the fulfillment that comes from using your knowledge and skills to help those in disadvantaged circumstances turn their dreams into reality.
VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more. With passion, commitment, and hard work, you’ll create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. For more information, see http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp.
Responsibilities
* Conduct strategic planning and a needs analysis to determine opportunities for expanding Civic Works’ green careers programs.
* Prepare accurate and persuasive grant proposals with strict adherence to funder’s guidelines.
* Establish and implement an educational marketing campaign to motivate homeowners to implement residential energy efficiency retrofits.
* Design and implement a new Solar Installer training curriculum that will prepare trainees for jobs in the renewable energy sector.
* Maintain and develop relationships with community stakeholders.
* Develop a plan for program sustainability.
* Regularly contribute posts on energy efficiency topics to Civic Works’ blog and new media sites.
Qualifications
* Bachelor’s Degree
* Strong analytical and organizational skills
* Ability to prioritize, multi-task and work under strict deadlines
* Excellent oral and written communication skills are a must
* Ability to recognize problems, develop innovative solutions and implement them
* Ability to successfully develop and cultivate relationships with community leaders
* Commitment to the environment and social justice
Benefits
* Receive an end-of-service education award of $5,350 or a $1,500 stipend
* Modest living allowance of $11,500
* Student loan forbearance or deferment while in service
* Healthcare benefits while in service
* Childcare assistance while in service
* One year of noncompetitive status for a federal government job
* Access to the network of VISTA & VISTA alumni (170,000 strong)
* Gain experience and skills in marketing, community outreach, grant writing, coalition building, business and program development.
How to Apply
Send a cover letter, resume, and a 3-5 page writing sample to eallen@civicworks.com by May 15, 2010. This is a one year position with an anticipated start date of early July.
Civic Works Is An Equal Opportunity Employer.
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