Co-op / Organization:
University of Kansas Student Housing Association (UKSHA)
Location:
Lawrence, KS
Type of Organization:
Housing
Brief Description of Organization:
The University of Kansas Student Housing Association (UKSHA) is a member-run non-profit organization located in the heart of Lawrence, KS. Our mission is to provide cooperative housing and educational experiences where our members can participate in democratic self-governance, pursue and uphold anti-oppressive practices, and build sustainable and egalitarian community.
Each of the three UKSHA co-ops (Sunflower House, Olive House, and Ad Astra) have a unique and ever-changing culture. The houses’ current members are a mix of students and non-students of all ages with a diversity of backgrounds. All three houses are located in the Oread Neighborhood and are within walking distance of Lawrence’s historic downtown, grocery store, hardware store, and the University of Kansas.
Website:
www.uksha.com
Number of Members:
51
Number of Staff:
2
Dress Code:
Casual
Internship Position Title:
Community Engagement Intern
Internship Position Duties:
Are you passionate about growing the cooperative movement? Do you think that communities function best when people are connected and working together? At UKSHA we are striving to build a community where cooperative values are at the core of the work we do and the lives we live. To help realize this vision of the future, our next steps include creating awareness about cooperatives in Lawrence and further integrating our members into the broader community.
If selected as UKSHA’s Community Engagement Intern, you will spend the summer collaborating with members and staff to cultivate community relationships and build our capacity to connect with people and organizations doing good work in Lawrence and beyond. Depending on your specific interests and skills, the responsibilities and projects involved in this position will include:
- Developing an UKSHA alumni network - to include reaching out to former members; establishing a communication plan and a process for alumni engagement.
- Developing communications resources - such as a cooperative advocacy presentation, tabletop poster display, brochures, and radio PSA’s.
- Connecting UKSHA members to volunteer opportunities in the community - to include creating a volunteer engagement plan for the year, cultivating relationships with local non-profits, sharing opportunities with UKSHA members, and coordinating at least one volunteer event during the summer.
- Improving UKSHA’s accessibility to more people - to include developing plans for increasing ADA compliance; looking into offering UKSHA’s website and flyers in languages other than English.
- Helping to create a fundraising plan for the year - to include identifying potential donors; developing a communications process and establishing fundraising goals.
- Planning a series of UKSHA sponsored community events for the year - potentially to include forums, speakers, and film screenings on various topics related to our organization's mission, with at least one event scheduled to occur before December 2017 and one event to occur early in 2018.
This position is very much a collaboration between you and UKSHA. You will work with the UKSHA Board of Directors, UKSHA staff, our members, and our Community Engagement Committee to complete projects throughout the summer. Much of this work will involve developing plans for UKSHA to implement after the summer has ended. You will be sowing the seeds that will help our cooperative community blossom for years to come!
Position Training:
The Community Engagement Intern will receive a personal orientation to UKSHA, including attending meetings at all three houses and observing decision-making at the board level. Additionally the intern will be invited to participate in any trainings or workshops offered to the UKSHA membership during the time of their stay.
Dependent on the intern’s level of experience, UKSHA staff may also provide training in volunteer coordination, fundraising, non-profit administration and governance, communications, event planning, and leadership skills.
The intern will have the opportunity to learn community engagement best practices and leadership skills while helping to create a plan for engaging local non-profits, potential donors, UKSHA alumni and other community members. The intern will attend all meetings of the Community Engagement Committee and the UKSHA Board of Directors, as well as meet regularly with UKSHA staff.
Skills Development & Learning:
The intern will develop:
- Skills in project and time management, communications, networking, long-range planning, and volunteer coordination
- Knowledge of cooperative housing and non-profit operations
Other details of working conditions:
The Community Engagement Intern will be provided a room at Sunflower House and have access to shared work spaces and computer.
Compensation ($):
$350, paid monthly
Is Room Included?:
Yes
Working Hours:
Flexible
Total Hours of Work Per Week:
Up to 20 hours per week, depending on selected intern's background and interests (Please note: may affect compensation offer)