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Introducing Asian Americans United (AAU)鈥檚 CAP Internship

January 25, 2019
Asian American Studies - Event

Apply by Monday, Feb. 18

The AAU Summer Program is seeking 1 college undergraduate intern who will have the opportunity to work as a Community Action Project (CAP) Intern and serves as a mentor to high school youth teachers and the summer school students.

INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICANS UNITED:

Asian Americans United (AAU) exists for people of Asian ancestry in Philadelphia to exercise leadership to build our communities and unite to challenge oppression. Our social justice works include grassroots community organizing, advocacy and youth leadership development, with an emphasis on low income, immigrant, and former refugee communities.

VISION:

The AAU Summer Program is a combined youth leadership program and a summer school for children. By training high school students to be teachers and mentors to children in their community, we simultaneously:

* serve an unmet community need for affordable summer enrichment programs,

* provide positive role models for children;

* enhance children鈥檚 learning with a multicultural literacy-based interactive curriculum, project-based learning, and caring tutors and mentors

* create the opportunity for youth to make real world contributions to their communities,

* bridge generations, and

* develop their academic, leadership, and personal skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

Youth Leadership training takes place in a week-long intensive pre-summer school training as well as one day a week during the summer school. The program concludes with two post-program reflection days. Training generally consists of workshops as well as team and skills building sessions. The summer school runs four days a week, Monday through Thursday, with Fridays reserved for staff training and debrief. AAU Summer Program is designed to develop the leadership potential, cultural identities, and social justice consciousness of all program participants, so that they can make a positive difference and effect necessary change in their communities.

CAP is a 1.5 hour block that students from each grade level attend twice a week. CAP lessons serve as a chance for students to engage in a hands-on learning opportunity that can connect and positively impact the community. In 2010, AAU transformed a vacant lot into an urban gardening space because of the lack of green space in the Chinatown and Chinatown North neighborhoods. Since 2010, the Inch-By-Inch garden has served as a central component of CAP lessons where students learn about heritage plants, urban gardening skills, environmentally conscious practices, and community development. Past projects have included building wooden planters, constructing rain collection system, collecting seeds from fresh fruits and vegetables, and conducting neighborhood walks and surveying green space in the neighborhood. Although the garden has been an important component of the CAP curriculum, interns are welcome to bring their own areas of expertise, introduce new ideas or themes and mold the curriculum with staff guidance.

The CAP Intern position is a full-time position. Applicants should be energetic team players who have strong leadership potential, a positive attitude, a high level of self-motivation, and a willingness to learn and work with children and teenagers. Applicants must be committed to working for social change, activism, and community building. Familiarity with issues facing Asian American communities or other low-income communities in Philadelphia is strongly recommended. Good communication skills and supervision skills are required. Additionally, bilingual ability in an Asian language is beneficial but not required. Applicants with interest and or experience in urban gardening are encouraged to apply.

IMPORTANT DATES: Start Date: June 3, 2019 & End Date: August 9, 2019

COLLEGE INTERN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Work as part of the Leadership Team to oversee the day-to-day functioning of the program

Play a mentorship role to high school team members

Create a positive school experience for high school team members, children and parents by being prepared, enthusiastic, and caring

Develop and teach CAP curriculum for children

Supervise and delegate tasks to high school team members as needed

Participate as a team member in the school set up, clean up, meal preparation, event planning, and other tasks required for smooth running of the summer school

Participate in all staff training

Assist in daily service site operations

Assist with administrative responsibilities as needed

Take part in daily program debrief at the close of each day

COMPENSATION: A full time commitment for six weeks is required. Students are encouraged to apply for summer stipends and grants through campus resources if available.

APPLICATION: To apply, please contact Rebeca Salas (rsalas@brynmawr.edu) so that she can email you the application. If you have further questions, please contact AAU at 215.925.1538 or email Teresa Engst at mailtomailto:rsalas@brynmawr.edu.