Internships and volunteer opportunities with CBI in support
of it's work are available year round, and in most cases can be custom-designed
to match your skills and interests with the needs of our international
programs. The global nature of this work lends itself to being done
long distance, particularly given access available through the Internet.
Face to face experiences such as participating directly in our international
conferences are also available.
Opportunities are designed to allow individuals in any geographic location
to accomplish designated tasks, in most cases on each person's schedule,
and for inclusion of individuals with different levels of time to commit.
*
*
A minimum amount of time commitment, follow-through,
and consistent contact are required for this important work. Our Volunteer
Coordinators and staff make themselves fully available to support and
guide volunteers, and we both appreciate and rely on each individual
following through with whatever tasks they agree to assist with to accomplish
the mission of the conference.
If interested please click
here to complete the Volunteer
and Intern Form and submit to our CBI office via E-mail, fax, or
land mail.
(a pdf version
of the Volunteer form is also available here)
A
pdf Print version of his page is available by clicking here
VOLUNTEER
placements offer meaningful professional work experience that
can be documented for resumes, as well as provide unique opportunities
to meet and work with leading edge international thinkers and practitioners,
contacts with organizations throughout the world that can potentially
open job opportunities, and invaluable personal experiences.
INTERNSHIPS
are available for academic credit in related fields. In cooperation
with the International Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA), CBI
provides placements in wide variety of fields, including but not limited
to psychology, social work, sociology, education, mediation, communications,
community development, political science, law, journalism, environmental
studies, religious studies, expressive arts, computer sciences, and
finance. Students are advised to consult with their department and/or
professors regarding specific criteria and requirements for academic
credit, and to arrange for official approval.
Research opportunities also exist.
Priority Task Areas Include:
1) Social
Networking and Marketing: Developing and enhancing existing
social network and communication platform presence (Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, website interface, etc.), as well as expanding presence into
other virtual platforms.
2) Fundraising
and Development: researching funding opportunities, writing
grants and requests for corporate donations, and assisting with fund
raising campaigns for vitally needed funding to support CBI's work.
3) Conference
Operations: Assist in development, production, and operation
of major international professional conferences
on conflict transformation and healing addressing crucial
issues of our time, and in developing outcomes and products of these
conferences.
4) Training
Projects: Assist in supporting human
service capacity building training
projects
to assist communities in developing countries that are regions of conflict
in acquiring the necessary skills and resources for healing themselves,
improving civil society, and maintaining peaceful relationships with
other communities and groups
We are always working to
develop a strong pool of volunteers and interns to help share in the
international work of CBI. If this is of interest to you we invite
you to submit the brief Volunteer
and Intern Form and to contact us for further details and next steps
at:
SOlweean@aol.com
-or- 269-665-9393
Social Networking and Marketing:
Assisting our staff in optimizing the
important use of virtual technology to advance our work and share knowledge
globally by:
1) Managing,
developing, and enhancing existing CBI sites on Facebook, Jumo, Twitter,
Google+, etc. to promote it's programs, share knowledge,
facilitate dialogue and engagement, and build community.
2) Managing,
developing, and enhncing existing CBI media sites, such as YouTube,
to publish and archive video, audio, and graphics from conference proceedings,
trainings, interviews, special productions, documentaries, etc.
3) Expanding CBI's presence into other
virtual platforms.
4) Interfacing the above with CBI's
website
Fundraising and Development:
Assisting our administrative staff
in generating the necessary program funds to continue the humanitarian
work of Common Bond Institute and the International Humanistic Psychology
Association.
Activities available include:
1) Researching and determining
appropriate donors, including foundations, corporations, and individuals,
and assessing funding priorities that meet our work and mission.
2) Writing grants and requests for
funding.
3) Evaluating grant outcomes to
meet reporting requirements included in grant budgets.
4) Assisting in planning and organizing
fundraising strategies and programs.
5) Building donor database
and relationships with donors.
- The
majority of this work can been done on your schedule.
- Experience with grant writing
and fundraising preferred.
Conference Operations:
Joining our volunteer team offers rich, invaluable professional and
personal experience in supporting the mission of our international conferences
through networking, direct interaction with prominent experts and visionaries,
organizing a major international professional event, and assisting in
developing program components and outcomes.
Examples of Pre-Conference, On-site, and Post-Conference tasks are listed
here:
A. Pre-Conference:
1) Publicizing the Conferences:
(a) Public Relations / Media
Contact: Assist in developing and implementing publicity programs
to raise awareness of the conference, including:
[1] Gathering
contact information for various media
sources (newspaper,
TV, radio, Internet publications, Internet
radio, etc.) to send Press Releases, Public
Service Announcements,
and Calendar Listings to.
[2] Assist
staff in arranging for media interviews of CBI
representative
& presenters
(b) Contacting and Networking
with relevant organizations, such as universities and colleges,
NGO's, professional and community organizations, activist groups,
community and government representatives, events, etc. to inform of
the conference, encourage participation, and ask to provide them with
conference materials for posting and distributing to their networks.
(c) Publicizing through Social
Media sites (see above and below under Technical Assistance).
(d) Sending out E-mail-tree/fax
tree/and phone-tree announcements
(e) Posting & distributing flyers
& notices at various locations (on campuses, at organizational
sites, at relevant events, in public locations such as bookstores,
Internet cafes, coffee houses, restaurants, etc.)
(f) Posting in hardcopy publications
(journals, newsletters, magazines, calendar of events, etc.)
(g) Internet promotion:
Researching relevant websites, event calendars and directories, &
social networking sites to post notices, E-mailing notices to interested
mailing lists & networks, developing a contact list for various
schools and departments, etc.). A written process and materials for
this task is provided.
2) Technical Assistance:
(a) Website work - (depending
on skill level) Examples: Assisting in formatting and editing web
pages, creating and designing pages, adding new Interactive features
for use during and after the conference, operation of a conference
blog, E-conferencing set-up and operation, editing E-Journal articles,
creating components of a web-based multimedia resource library of
audio-video, written, and graphic materials from our conferences,
trainings, etc.)
(b) Developing and maximizing
use of social networking sites and vehicles (Facebook, etc.)
to raise awareness of conferences, share learning and opportunities
for involvement, and promote on-going public dialogue on vital topics
and issues addressed through CBI's conferences.
(c) Desktop publishing.
Assisting with text, graphics, and layout for a hard-copy on-site
conference program, a collection of presenter articles, and any additional
publications, documents, or printed materials related to the event.
(d) Assist in creating media
features for the conference (including a media room highlighting
organizations doing good work in the world).
3) Networking
with key related organizations to enlist representation at conferences
and cooperation on applications of conference outcomes and putting principles
into practice.
4) Recruiting Resource Support:
(a description of these, along with order forms, is provided)
(a) Ads for the hard-copy
on-site program and
separate participant tote bags
(b) Display table rentals
(c) Showcase table agreements
(d) Contributions of in-kind
items and services
(e) Contributed gift items
to insert in the tote bags
(f) Funding development:
assist staff in identifying and researching funding opportunities
(including grants and corporate donations), writing and submitting
grants, and assist with fund raising campaigns.
5) Clerical and Logistics Assistance:
Assisting with pre-conference correspondence, monitoring, and status
tracking of conference inquiries, etc. Assisting with creating and
organizing site materials (equipment, registration materials, signage,
etc). Assisting with presenter relations and logistics (confirming
presentation needs, confirming dates of attendance, whether meals
or hotel rooms are needed, etc.).
Note: # 1, 3, 4, and 5 above can be done by individuals
with basic computer, E-mail, Internet, and people skills. #
2 above does require at least a basic level of skill in web management
and design, desktop publishing, and/or media & graphics.
B. On-Site:
Assisting conference staff with overall operations and logistics during
the conference. *(It is preferred that all "on-site" volunteers
first be involved in "pre-conference" assignments for a minimum
period of time to ensure they are linked to our operational team and
each other, and oriented to the conference purpose and structure before
assigned on-site responsibilities. We endeavor as much as possible to
schedule volunteers in a way that allows them to participate in conference
program sessions they indicate as a priority.
1) Registration and Participant Support:
(a) On-site Check-in and Registration,
and data management.
(b) Assist in organizing site
materials: name tags, signage, participants packets, supplies,
etc.
(c) Managing and monitoring Information
Boards
(d) Responding to questions and requests
as needed
2) Technical Assistance:
(a) Equipment management and operation:*
Assisting staff with setting up and operating basic equipment
for sessions, events, and exhibits (LCD PowerPoint projector, DVD
player, TV, overhead projector, Public Address system, laptop computers,
etc.). Assisting staff or recording service with set-up and monitoring
for audio/video recording of proceedings.
(b) Assisting with setting
up and operating media features* (media exhibits, media room,
E-conferencing, Internet blog, etc.)
(c) Assisting with room set
up if needed for day sessions and evening events (seating, etc.)
* This task area does require a minimum level of skills in
working with various basic equipment.
3) Presenter Support:
(a) Session Monitors. Monitoring
sessions and assisting presenters during the session with various
needs (passing out handouts, distributing and collecting evaluation
forms, etc.). *We attempt to assign volunteers to sessions on their
preference list, as this offers opportunities to have direct interaction
with presenters, including sometimes acting as a presentation assistant.
(b) Assisting presenter creating Evolving
Expressive Arts interpretation of conference.
4) Dialogue Process Support:
(a) Dialogue Group scribes: Being
one of several scribes taking notes of content during facilitated
dialogue groups (notes from each break-out group are then collected
and compiled at end of day)
(b) Compiling and Posting daily
summary of all dialogue
group notes on CBI website blog at the end of each day
during the conference.
5) Monitoring Conference Community Meals.
6) Resource and Networking Hub:
Monitoring and assisting team with a designated space at the conference
where participants come to explore, brainstorm, and share effective,
practical methods, tools, and technology for expanding direct person
to person (public) engagement in a global community, and to promote
networking and collaboration beyond the conference.
7) Conducting
videotaped Interviews with participants, and taking
conference photos for conference resource library and photo
album.
8) Misc. Tasks as needed (site
move-in & move-out tasks, meeting key presenters at airport to transport
to hotel, participant relations, distributing & collecting evaluation
forms, misc. errands, etc.)
C. Post-Conference:
1) Assist with compiling
and organizing data and informaton
for future program planning and development, and to make available,
including information on outcomes, requests for cooperation from
the conference, action planning materials from dialogue groups and Resource
& Networking Hub, participant evaluations, conference roster, etc.
2) Assist with organizing follow-up
meetings and community-based dialogue
groups, networking for
collaboration, and linking these processes to future conferences.
3) Assist with editing
and programming recorded conference materials and graphics
to produce multimedia resources for inclusion in a virtual
resource library offered through our web site to disseminate
conference content and outcomes to the global public.
4) Assist with expansion
and development of conference website as networking and information
hub, and an interactive vehicle for continuing the dialogue, promoting
cooperation among participants between annual conferences, and sharing
materials generated from these events.
5) Assist with compiling,
formatting, and editing articles for
E-Journal, as well as additional publications, documents,
or printed materials.
6) Assist with E-newsletter
/ Blog to inform participants and interested parties of outcomes
and future plans, promoting cooperation on practical applications, receiving
news and information from participants to share, etc.
7) Additional Tasks as they emerge,
to include input from participants, presenters, and volunteers.
Creative ideas for pre-conference,
on-site, or post-conference processes are always welcome.
Depending on the amount of pre-conference and on-site
work and time put in, an intern or volunteer can earn a discount, and
in some cases up to a waiver, of the conference program fee portion
of costs. Details are available through our Volunteer Coordinator.
For details on current efforts refer to links in the side menu of this
website.
