Submission Deadline: May 24, 2011, 9am
This is a 13-week summer student position from June 6 to September 5, 2011 for 32.5 hours/week at a rate of $13.00 per hour.
Organization:
WPIRG is a student funded and directed environmental and social justice organization based at the University of Waterloo.
Background:
WPIRG’s mission is to engage students and community members to become active citizens and volunteers on environmental, human rights, and social justice issues. To strengthen this aim, we are seeking to hire a student to carry out two different community campaigns in summer 2011: the KW Climate Change Adaptation Working Group and the KW Strategy for DisAbility Justice.
The objective of this position is to raise awareness and facilitate community action on these two projects and to build collaborative relationships with various organizations in the Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) area.
Duties:
Under the direction of WPIRG’s full-time staff, this position will be responsible for two (2) campaigns and is expected to devote equal time, energy and commitment to each project:
KW Climate Change Adaptation Working Group (approximately 16 hours per week)
The successful candidate will work to create the KW Climate Change Adaptation Working Group with an environmental justice lens. Responsibilities will include: inviting local professors, students, and community stakeholders to Working Group meetings; coordinating Working Group actions; developing a strategy for WPIRG’s involvement in climate change adaptation in KW; creating links with similar campaigns at the local, provincial and federal levels; & updating the WPIRG website with relevant stories on the intersections between climate change, and environmental and social justice.
KW Strategy for DisAbility Justice (approximately 16 hours per week)
The successful candidate will be equally responsible for creating a strategy for raising awareness about disAbility justice in Kitchener-Waterloo and at the University of Waterloo. This position will work with existing groups working on disAbility justice and look for gaps in local policy and community organizing around this issue. The ultimate goal for the position is to create a strategy for WPIRG’s involvement in disAbility justice for the coming 2011-2012 year. Responsibilities will include: developing and planning a cohesive disAbility justice strategy in partnership with stakeholders; identifying speakers and events for future terms; meeting community partners doing similar work – both locally and in nearby cities; creating links with similar campaigns at the local, provincial and federal levels; & updating the WPIRG website with relevant articles on disAbility justice.
The successful candidate will write and design a report (summary of findings) for each of their two projects, which will be presented to the WPIRG Staff and Board of Directors by the end of the placement. The successful candidate will also be responsible for managing other information or communication needs and other tasks as required.
Qualifications:
– Interest in social and environmental justice issues
– Experience in event coordination and community activism
– Excellent oral and written communication skills
– Strong problem solving skills
– Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a group setting
– Outgoing, positive, enthusiastic & creative
– Proficient in Word, Excel, internet/email applications
– Skills in event coordination, group facilitation, community activism, and community-based research.
Eligibility:
This position is made possible through partial funding under the federal government’s Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) initiative. As such, applicants must be students who meet the following criteria:
– be between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusively) at the start of the employment;
– be a student in a secondary, post-secondary, vocational or technical program;
– have been registered as a full-time student in the 2010-2011 academic year, and intend to return to school on a full-time basis during the 2011-12 academic year,
– be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and,
– be legally entitled to work according to provincial legislation and regulations;
How to apply:
Applicants must provide a resume with three references and a cover letter.
Deliver to: The Hiring Committee, WPIRG, Student Life Centre room 2139, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1. Email applications must be submitted as a single pdf file and can be sent to info@wpirg.org . We regret that only those applicants selected for an interview will be notified.
Deadline for submissions is Tuesday May 24, 2011 at 9am.
Interviews will take place between May 30 and June 3, 2011.
Employment Equity Statement:
WPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our organization, and encourages people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, queer-oriented people, single parents, members of ethnic minorities, and immigrants to apply.
In their cover letter, we encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences they, as individuals who identify with marginalized communities, would bring to WPIRG.
