Advocacy and Engagement Intern
Position: Community Engagement & Advocacy Intern
Supervisor: Community Engagement & Advocacy Manager
Hours: 10-20 hrs/week based on needs for school
Summary
The Community Engagement & Advocacy Intern will work closely with staff, community partners, and volunteers, on a variety of activities to promote independent living and community-based services for people with disabilities, and to build community. The individual will be an integral part of the Community Engagement & Advocacy team supporting efforts in systems advocacy, community organizing, and business development. Their efforts will connect, motivate and lead the disability community, organizational representatives, and community stakeholders in Kent County and beyond to identify and work on significant social, cultural, environmental, and systems issues that impact people living with disabilities. This outgoing and energetic people-person will assist in planning and implementing assertive public policy change, community educational events and trainings, and community partner/stakeholder engagement.
Areas of Responsibility, Related Outcomes, and Essential Job Duties:
Community Organizing: Support the Community Organizer to ensure that the needed public transit and mobility services in our community are expanding in an effective way, through engagement and support of people with disabilities (PWDs) to participate in and provide leadership for community decision-making on transportation and mobility issues. Support efforts in the community and policy that would improve accessible housing, healthcare, and employment, through engagement and support of PWDs to participate in and provide leadership for community decision-making on housing, healthcare, and employment issues.
Community Partnerships: Develop and maintain relationships throughout the community through creation of and participation in community events that engage and bring together PWDs and community partners. Promote the services of Disability Advocates in the community.
Education: Support in providing training, opportunity, and experience for PWDs to become informed and effective self-advocates. Works with community partners and stakeholders to promote an ongoing community dialogue about various aspects of living with a disability, especially addressing and countering the prevailing stigmas and myths about disability. Further DEI work on creating an accessible and welcoming environment for PWD’s. Assist in research and creating educational materials.
Legislative Engagement: Will participate in existing legislative engagement opportunities throughout the community and assist in creation of DAKC-hosted legislative engagement opportunities for the community. Provide information, training, and support for PWDs to participate in legislative advocacy.
Administrative: Work with department staff to develop and maintain an effective system for keeping up-to-date legislative, community partner and volunteer contact & engagement lists in a standardized format that will meet and exceed the needs of DAKC staff.
Expected Skills and Attributes
Skills:
- Must be a highly organized outgoing and energetic people-person and a self-starter, with the ability to take initiative, lead others, and provide meaningful activities about which people can be motivated.
- Have exceptional time management, organization and documentation skills.
- Must be detail oriented and able to balance multiple tasks to support numerous department efforts.
- Must possess professional written and oral communication skills, networking skills, and be proficient at public speaking.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office program applications, e-mail, social media platforms and Internet research.
Attributes: (Personal qualities)
- Ability to motivate others; thrives on engaging and supporting others to accomplish goals and objectives.
- Interest in and willingness to learn about concepts/and history in the Independent Living movement/philosophy, person-first perspective, social/medical models of disability, universal design, etc.
- Interpersonal skills and ability to participate in and work to build a collaborative team in a fast-paced, passionate, structured and diverse environment.
- Should be a strategic thinker with the capacity to see both the larger picture and the detailed steps needed to achieve it.
- Willingness to learn and apply new concepts.
- Self-awareness to obtain job development skills when needed or appropriate.
- Accountability to confidentiality. Ability to adhere to Disability Advocates’ HIPAA and confidentiality policies.
- Ability to maintain a professional and interpersonal relationship with all parties relevant to Disability Advocates’ programs and projects, and always represent the best interests of Disability Advocates.
Qualifications and Important Requirements
Education: Current students enrolled in Public Advocacy, Business, Non-Profit Administration, Political Science, Communication or other relevant bachelor or master programs.
Experience: As an internship this position is meant to develop real-world experience and practice that aligns with the student’s academic program and career path.
Work Environment and Abilities: This job will be performed in a standard office environment with most communication through in-person meetings, email and phone conversations. In addition, attendance at meetings in and out of the office is expected, therefore, self-identified mode of transportation is required. Communication with Disability Advocates’ coworkers, supervisor, directors, board members and outside entities to successfully perform functions of the job is expected.
Impact on Programs, Services and Operations:
This position provides integral and necessary support functions for the success of the Community Engagement & Advocacy Department and all program areas of Disability Advocates. It serves as a critical resource in supporting Disability Advocates’ mission and promoting Disability Advocates’ core values through the achievement of identified outcomes for consumers and community entities.
Interested Candidates should contact Courtney Redman at Courtney.r@dakc.us for application