MOSAIC - Cooperative & Anti-Oppression Education Coordinator

Co-op / Organization: 
MOSAIC
Location: 
Evanston, IL
Type of Organization: 
Housing
Brief Description of Organization: 
MOSAIC is a small, well-established, two-house housing co-op near Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (just north of Chicago). Most members of the co-op are students, but membership in MOSAIC is not limited to students and we have a handful of non-student members of our community as well. Through cooperative action, we seek to develop a diverse, inclusive community that inspires and empowers creative, conscious, and sustainable living.
 
Website: 
http://mosaiccoop.org/
Number of Members: 
28
Number of Staff: 
0
Dress Code: 
Casual
Internship Position Title: 
Cooperative & Anti-Oppression Education Coordinator
Internship Position Duties: 
MOSAIC is seeking a part-time intern who can help us significantly expand our member education processes around both anti-oppression and cooperative education more broadly. The overarching goal of this internship is to help MOSAIC figure out how to have a healthy and inclusive community and a highly educated and engaged membership—objectives we see as prerequisites to the future physical growth of our co-op.
 
Since MOSAIC is a small co-op with no staff, we are seeking an intern ready to take their own initiative and work with a large degree of independence. This position provides an opportunity for an enterprising individual with experience in member education to play an integral role in the development of a co-op that aspires to expand in the future and deepen our roots in the community.
 
Primary project:
In collaboration with Board members and other members of the co-op, the intern will:
  • Develop training materials and workshops for educating members around the following topics: creating anti-oppressive and anti-racist spaces; group facilitation and conflict resolution; the cooperative principles; the cooperative movement and cooperative history; dismantling patriarchy, rape culture, and white supremacy
  • Assist MOSAIC members in hosting a few of these workshops during the summer
  • Create documents, posters, and other resources for educating new members as well as for continuous member education throughout the year
  • Update and develop a printed version of MOSAIC’s “Owner’s Manual” (i.e., new member orientation guide)
  • Identify and help implement potential structural changes in the way MOSAIC approaches member education
  • Help produce some kind of timeline or strategic plan for MOSAIC detailing the co-op’s next steps for deepening member education and making the co-op more inclusive
 
Secondary project (if time permits):
If the intern completes work on member education before the end of the summer, they may turn their attention to the way MOSAIC implements its values of inclusivity and diversity externally. Specifically, the intern may work on:
  • Strategizing ways to make MOSAIC’s outreach to potential new members more inclusive of the diverse members we seek to attract
  • Designing new posters or other marketing materials to better represent the image and values MOSAIC wants to convey to potential new members
This internship is ideal for someone who intends to find other part-time work for the summer in Chicago/Evanston.
 
In addition to being an intern, the person will also be a member of our co-op. The intern will be provided with room and board at the Zooo (the larger of our two houses), and will be expected to complete weekly chores and attend house meetings just like other members. This is an opportunity not just to work in a community, but also to live intimately as an equal among that community.
 
Depending on the intern’s interest and the availability of rooms in the Zooo, the intern may be able to start work in June, rather than starting July 1st.
Position Training: 

In the first week or two, the intern will learn about MOSAIC’s structure, history, short- and long-term goals, current policies and procedures, and documentation system. We will also ensure that the intern has opportunities to learn about both houses and develop relationships with members of both houses early in their tenure.

Since MOSAIC is a small co-op with no staff, the intern will be expected to take their own initiative and work with a large degree of independence. However, the intern will receive support from the Board and other interested members of the co-op throughout the summer, and will likely work alongside members on particular projects.

We won’t be providing the intern with training in member education, since that’s exactly why we need an intern! The intern is expected to have some prior experience in member education, with respect to both anti-oppression and cooperative education more broadly.

Skills Development & Learning: 

The intern will gain experience developing and institutionalizing member education processes through immersive, hands-on work within an established community. The job offers ample opportunities to develop and hone skills relating to pedagogy, communication, resource development, conflict prevention and resolution, community building, design, and strategic planning.

Compensation ($): 
$250, paid monthly
Is Room Included?: 
Yes
Working Hours: 
Flexible
Total Hours of Work Per Week: 
20