the Fellowship. Fellows will be hired on a rolling basis, and they will
begin work on June 25. ***
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
announces the New Americans Democracy Project, a four-month fellowship
program for young people who are interested in working hard while
exploring a career in social justice and electoral/political work,
receiving quality training, and contributing to the participation of new
citizens in the American democratic process.
The program will run from June 25 to November 9, 2012, and will pay an
educational stipend of $325 per week. Participants will receive training
in the skills of community organizing, non-partisan voter registration
and "Get Out The Vote" (GOTV) efforts from the staff, members and allies
of ICIRR. These allies include community-based organizations with
decades of experience in community and direct-action organizing as well
as national groups like Wellstone Action and the Center for Community
Change, both national leaders in electoral organizing and training.
Furthermore, ICIRR will provide training on immigration issues and
working with immigrant communities.
Fellows will initially receive 4 days of paid training, supplemented
with trainings throughout the length of the fellowship. Fellows will be
placed with allied organizations in immigrant communities around the
metro-Chicago area. ICIRR staff as well as a mentor from the Fellow's
host organization will provide day-to-day supervision.
Fellows will work with their placement organizations to develop a local
volunteer recruitment strategy and carry out intensive voter
registration campaigns, focusing on new citizens in immigrant
communities. In the weeks leading up to the November 2012 elections,
fellows will work with these volunteers to conduct GOTV activities. All
work will be non-partisan (not supporting a particular candidate or
party), and will be carried under non-profit 501(C)(3) guidelines.
We are looking for applicants who are willing to work hard and are
passionate about social justice and democratic participation. Previous
experience is not required, but helpful, and we anticipate that
successful candidates will have been active in their communities on
issues that matter to them. Because fellows will be working with
community volunteers and conducting extensive outreach, this will be
more than a 9-5 job, and will require commitment and flexibility. It
will be essential to have a full-time use of a car. We will pay mileage
and specific job-related expenses.
Applicants who speak languages of targeted immigrant communities are
especially encouraged to apply: Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Polish, Hindi,
Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, etc.
Because of the rapid growth of immigrant populations beyond the city of
Chicago, placements will be in Chicago as well as in some or all of the
following locations: Waukegan, Wheeling, Glenview, Skokie, Schaumburg,
Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Elgin, Carpentersville, Aurora, West Chicago,
DuPage County, Joliet, Melrose Park, and Bridgeview.
We anticipate that several fellows will be hired into full-time jobs as a
result of their fellowship experience. In 2006, 2008 and 2010 a
significant majority of fellows attained full-time jobs in community
organizing and social justice organizations, while the rest returned to
post-secondary education. At the end of the fellowship, we will work
with all fellows who are interested in obtaining work in the field to
provide assistance in applying for jobs, including career counseling,
resume review, networking, and providing references.
Application Deadline: April 15, 2012
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