[Csi-L] Working for Social Change

[Bhat, Christine]

I am forwarding this message on behalf of Hannah Wittmer of DART.

Dr Bhat


-----Original Message-----
From: Hannah Wittmer [mailto:hannah at thedartcenter.org] 
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 6:03 PM
To: Bhat, Christine
Subject: Thank you, and one last favor

Dear Prof. Bhat,

I hope you're doing well. I am writing to thank you for your help in spreading word of our visit to OU, and to ask you for one last favor. As you know, the DART Center with the help of the OU career center will be hosting an Info Session this Monday, November 7 at 6:00pm in Bentley Hall 129 to introduce students to career opportunities available in the field of community organizing. I am writing you once last time to ask that you please pass along this brief reminder of our visit (see below). 

I know these multiple messages can be pesky, but it sometimes requires a bit of repetition to get people to attend an Info Session and I'd hate to have folks miss this opportunity. Take care. 

Sincerely,

Hannah Wittmer
Associate Recruitment Director
Direct Action and Research Training Center
(785) 506-8915
hannah at thedartcenter.org
www.thedartcenter.org


Message to forward to graduating OU students and alums:

**************************************************
Careers in Community Organizing for Social Justice Available to OU students and alums!

The Direct Action & Research Training (DART) Center will be on the OU campus on Monday, November 7 at 6:00pm in Bentley Hall 129 to discuss careers in the field of community organizing with students interested in empowering their communities and working for social change.

Please RSVP your attendance by contacting Hannah Wittmer at hannah at thedartcenter.org or 785.506.8915 with your name, phone #, email, and year in school.

After years of research into best practices, experimentation, evaluation, and refinement, the Organizers Institute has become THE elite field school in the training of grassroots community organizers in the country. 
 
DART is now accepting applications for the 2012 DART Organizers Institute, the paid, four-month field school for people interested in launching a career in community organizing. Participants will undergo a combined classroom and field training covering such topics as:

* Entering a community
* Identifying and training local leaders
* Strategic planning and issue cutting
* Relationship and community building
* Direct Action on community issues
* Fundraising

The DART Center, has built coalitions throughout the country that have won important victories on a broad set of justice issues including:

* Education reform in low-performing public schools
* Job Training
* Drugs and Violence
* Criminal Recidivism
* Living Wage
* Neighborhood Revitalization
* Predatory Lending
* Affordable Housing, etc.

The DART Organizers Institute combines a classroom orientation with on the ground infield training at a local grassroots organization and in-field training site.  Organizers are provided with a cost of living stipend and travel. After successful completion of the program, DART will place graduates into permanent full-time salaried positions earning $32,500/year + benefits.  DART is a 501(c)(3) organization, therefore, employees of the DART Network are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness under the recently enacted College Cost Reduction and Access Act. 

The DART Organizers Institute will occur twice in 2012, with the first training beginning in January 2012, the second in July 2012.  Training locations will include placements in several states around the country.

Although it may be helpful, no direct experience is necessary. Participants in the DART Organizers Institute must demonstrate a desire to pursue community organizing as a long-term professional career. A master's degree, JD, or similar life experience is preferred though not necessary. Candidates must have a college degree or be graduating prior to July 2012. Also, candidates must display a workmanlike diligence, be driven to produce sustained results, have proven capacity to build relationships of trust, create and execute a plan, act professionally, feel comfortable working with religious institutions, be accountable and willing to hold others accountable, demonstrate disciplined thought and action, and work in a team setting.  Community Organizers must also have access to a car during their training and be flexible regarding relocation. Fluency in Spanish/English is a plus and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Low-moderate income communities across the country are feeling the bite of the recession that began in December 2007. Cutbacks in human services and education, layoffs and persistent unemployment, home foreclosures, increased youth violence, predatory lending, and other serious issues are day-to-day realities for many. Now is the time for a new generation of community organizers to step up, unite people, and transform our communities. DART is recruiting and training that new generation. 

To find out more about DART or to apply, we encourage you to contact Hannah Wittmer at hannah at thedartcenter.org or (785) 841-2680. You can download applications or view profiles of DART Organizers Institute alumni at the DART website: www.thedartcenter.org.