student Leadership Positions - 2020/2021 Academic Year

Comm Team - Specialists

All positions will work closely with the Marketing & Communications Director at the Bennion Center. There are a total of 1 coordinator and 9 specialist (graphic design, photography, video, social media, editorial, email, website, recruitment, and outreach) positions to choose from based on your personal or career interests. Dependent on needs, student volunteers will also be added to each of the specialist areas of interest below. If you want build your portfolio, gain resume experience, or simply just be a part of something - come be a part of this newly imagined comm team with us! 

 

video specialist

This position helps storyboard, plan, and execute video projects by working with the director and team of video volunteers to identify stories to tell via video. Responsible for the execution of filming, editing, and team planning for what video ideas are agreed to at the beginning of each semester. Some video examples include on-site community events or programs b-roll, people interviews, and planned video concepts.  

 

Meeting Schedule

Weekly

• Coordinator & Director (1 hour)
• Specialist & Director (1 hour)
• Specialist & Volunteers (as needed)

Monthly

• Team Meeting every 3rd Friday of the Month (1 hour)

Semester

• Fall Kickoff Team Meeting (2 hours)
• Spring Kickoff Team Meeting (2 hours)
• Fall Comm Team Retreat (tbd)

Contact Chris Wada, chris.wada@utah.edu with any questions.

Community Partnership Programs – Partnership Liaison

Partnership Liaisons manage ongoing volunteer programs with local community organizations and schools. Partnership Liaisons work with a student coordinator (Issue Area Coordinator) and Bennion Center staff partner to best serve the needs of community partners and other volunteers. It is strongly recommended that prospective Partnership Liaisons volunteer with or visit the community partner prior to applying for this position.

Partnership Liaisons are expected to serve 5-10 hours a week, depending on the program. Some programs may also require engagement during the summer months (see application for details).

In addition to the general duties of a Bennion Center student leader, Partnership Liaisons are expected to:

• Volunteer regularly within the respective program (see Volunteer Interest Form for a description of each program).

• Recruit, orient, train and retain volunteers as necessary for your program.
• Respond to prospective Volunteer Interest Forms (VIFs) within 24-48 hours.
• Maintain regular communication with your respective staff partner, community partner, and Issue Area Coordinator.
• Complete all required Community Partner Agreement meetings by the established deadlines.
• Maintain a VIF tracking spreadsheet (a database of all prospective, current and past volunteers, including contact information and university ID).
• Keep track of monthly hours served within your program by Bennion Center volunteers.
• Attend monthly meetings facilitated by your Issue Area Coordinator.
• Perform the duties required by the specific program (see specific program description for details).
• Be a Bennion Center Ambassador: build an in-depth understanding of the programs and opportunities at the Bennion Center
• Complete Motor Pool certification (or identify yourself as a non-driver)
• Complete Youth Protection requirements (applies to certain programs only) 

Commitments

Weekly

• 1 Office Hour (Front Desk or Programming)
• Program Commitment (with Community Partner)

Monthly

• Issue Area Meeting
• Hours Logs/Reflections

Semester

• Attend Legacy of Lowell Saturday Service Project (Fall) & MLK Saturday Service Project (Spring)
• 1 Leadership Workshop (per semester)
• 2 hours tabling (per semester)

Year

• Student Leader Orientation (Dates TBD)
• 3 Community Partner Agreement meetings per academic year.

 

Advocacy

Catholic Community Services:  This program consists of tutoring refugee clients who speak English as a second language, assisting clients with refugee status by teaching them how to utilize public transportation, become a tutor within the Foster Care program, assist with childcare during client appointments, or become a youth mentor. All programs and activities center around aiding refugee families. One can expect to dedicate 2-4 hours weekly in fulfillment of this position.

Take Care Utah:  With the new expansion of Medicaid, the leader in this role will help enrollment navigators with various office tasks. This may include: entering applicants into the database, making coverage-to-care calls, finding out whether applicants were approved for health insurance. We also have various outreach events that allow us to attend elementary schools, high schools, and more! All volunteers are welcome!

 

Arts and Recreation

Arts for Youth: The Arts for Youth programs works in cooperation with Promise South Salt Lake at the Historic Scott School location. The program plans and implements art-related activities for elementary-age children in cooperation with the Promise SSL team. Activities may include crafts, music, dance/theatre.

Camp Hope: Camp Hope works with children and teen victims of crime. Volunteers in this program serve as camp counselors as well as mentors in a year-round program. Volunteers are expected to attend monthly mentor events with the youth program.  Some mandatory dates for the program include a two-day training in May and the week of camp that will take place June 29^th-July 3^rd.

Special Olympics Utah Team:  Support the U of U Special Olympics Utah team throughout the year at weekly practices as well as at area and statewide events. Volunteers are needed to help coach athletes or play on a Unified Sports team. You do not need to have a strong proficiency in a sport to coach - training is available. The sports for each season are as follows. Fall: soccer, bocce, golf. January: snowshoe. January-March: basketball skills, 5v5 & 3v3. Spring/Summer: track and field, softball, and swimming. August: bowling invitational. You may choose to coach or play the sport(s) that interests you during any particular season.

 

Education

Hser Ner Moo: The responsibilities of this program include planning and assisting with afterschool programming for kids, many of whom are refugees ages 6-18. Programming may include reading club activities, art projects, academic program,sn and play time. The program director is required to be at the program at least 2 hours per week sometime from Monday-Thursday.

 

Mentorship

Road Home Teens Night Out: This position will require you to plan weekly activities, take teens out to activities and coordinate other volunteers for the activities. Additionally, you must acquire donations and/or discounts for each activity. This program is for the benefit of teens experiencing homelessness. Though volunteer hours are on Wednesdays from 6:30-9:30 Pm one can expect to dedicate 4 weekly hours to this program.

 

Sustainability and Food Justice

Edible Campus Gardens: The leader in this program will work with the various campus gardens across campus to engage in work around ecologically sound and just food systems. Gardening maintenance as well as education around gardening will be part of this role. The leader in this role may also help with the campus farmers market in the fall.

Feed U Food Pantry:  The Feed U Pantry is a board within the Union Programming Council (UPC) which has its own specific set of requirements including event programming, attendance of monthly meetings, 8 office hours per week, and attendance at other UPC events like Crimson Nights. Because of this, the position also consists of a separate application and interview process through UPC that begins in mid-April. The position also is paid under UPC because of the increased responsibility. *Individuals interested in this position must apply through the Union Programming Council.   

Meals on Wheels: This leadership opportunity has about it the responsibility of assisting in delivery pick up for the purpose of helping aging adults living near the university.

Real Food Challenge: The specific tasks that are available for students to participate in change with each semester. In general, they are related to our four main goal-areas: education, policy, procurement, and research. The Real Food challenge strives to engage the campus community in ecologically sound and just food systems by collaborating with dining services and other food entities on campus to improve sustainability, health, and access to affordable food options on campus. As an example of projects, students could be asked to identify and connect with new producers whose foods are certifiable as Real, collect information about known producers for Dining Services, perform an assessment of the University's food purchases using the Real Food Calculator.  Students who volunteer with the Real Food Challenge will have the opportunity to communicate and provide resources to the university community to make conscious choices about the food they purchase. 

Social Justice Gardens at Mountain View:  The Program Director will design gardening-related classes for a group of about 10 elementary students to teach them how to grow healthy, organic food.  The classes will also provide students with an alternative educational space for hands-on experience in learning opportunities. One must be able to conduct physical maintenance on the garden, as well as constructing/deconstructing elements of the garden. Program directors can expect to dedicate around 4 hours a week for this program.

The Rotaract Club of Salt Lake is a service-focused, professional organization for people aged 18-30. Rotoract is sponsored by the Salt Lake Rotary Club and Rotary International. Members of Rotaract participate in a variety of community engagement project and meet every other week on Sundays. Members of Rotoract attend leadership and professional development conferences, network with other Rotaractors and Rotarians, and participate in international humanitarian expeditions.

Please note that this position is only eligible to members of Rotoract and must be approved by the Rotoract club.

Service Corner - Specialists

The Service Corner through the Bennion Center has the opportunity for some exciting growth and development in 2020 with the inaugural year of the Gail Miller Community Engagement Tower as part of the Bennion Center’s First Year Experience. The Service Corner will be part of the larger plan of engaging first year students as well as the larger student body. The Service Corner leadership will also be responsible for developing new projects that truly meet community identified needs. We are looking for leaders who have flexible schedules and innovative ideas.

 

training & outreach specialist

This position is primarily responsible for training volunteers on the various Service Corner projects and organizing opportunities for various campus and community groups. Addition responsibilities are listed below:

• Attend regular Service Corner team meetings.
• Flexibility to teach, meet up and instruct campus and community groups on service corner projects or be able to attend their events or group meetings.
• Maintain and organize supplies.
• Be knowledgeable in all Service Corner projects.
• Develop relationships with residents and resident advisors in the Gail Miller Community Engagement Tower (GMCET).
• Develop relationships with the Bennion Center’s First Year Experience Leadership Team.
• Assist in the Service Corner locations at both the Bennion Center and the GMCET for a minimum of 2 hours a week.

Alternative Breaks Student Positions

The Alternative Break program supports active citizenship by offering transformative justice- and travel-based volunteer experiences over university breaks where students engage with service, education, and dialogue in a team setting in order to address social and environmental issues. If you have participated in a U of U Alternative Break trip, you are eligible to apply for student Site Leader and E-Board positions!

AB SITE LEADER POSITION

Spend a year planning an immersive, justice-based community engagement experience for ten other students around an issue you’re passionate about.  Site Leaders are current U of U students that are paired with a Staff/Faculty Partner to support them through the process as they learn skills such as conflict resolution, community development theory, inclusion practices, and explore how justice relates to volunteerism both locally and nationally.

Time Commitment: 5-8 hours a week

What we look for in our Site Leaders:

• Positive, enthusiastic, and encouraging attitudes
• Mature, responsible, inclusive, passionate individuals
• Students whose commitments, class schedules, and work arrangements allow them to fully commit to the program and its requirements

Site Leader positions are available for all 2020-2021 Alternative Breaks experiences.

 

2020-2021 AB experiences tentatively* include:

 

FALL EXPERIENCES

• Housing Justice: Seattle, WA
• Identity & Environmental Exploration (First-Generation Experience): San Rafael Swell, UT
• Immigration: San Diego, CA
• Refugee & Human Rights (weekend): Salt Lake City, UT
• Urban Environmentalism: Portland, OR
• Wildlife Habitat Conservation: Lakeview, MT

SPRING EXPERIENCES

• Animal Advocacy & Rehabilitation: Kanab, UT
• Coastal Ecosystem Restoration: Point Reyes, CA
• Community Health: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• Defeminizing Poverty: Denver, CO
• Environmental Stewardship (weekend): Moab, UT
• HIV & AIDS: Hollywood, CA
• Housing Justice: Seattle, WA
• Hunger & Food Justice: Seattle, WA
• Immigration: San Diego, CA
• Indigeneity: Colorado Plateau
• Marine Conservation: Santa Cruz, CA
• Queering Justice: San Francisco, CA
• Urban Environmentalism: Portland, OR

*students who are interested in proposing a new Alternative Breaks experience are encouraged to do so in coordination with J Swanger, Alternative Breaks Program Manager.

 

AB Executive Board Positions

AB E-Board Coordinator responsibilities are in addition to Site Leader responsibilities. Each Coordinator also serves as a Site Leader with the AB Program.

Chair Elect

Design Coordinator

Development Coordinator

Recruitment Coordinator

Reorientation Coordinator

Social Media Coordinator

 

CHAIR ELECT POSITION OVERVIEW (5-7 HRS PER WEEK IN ADDITION TO SL DUTIES)

The purpose of the Chair Elect role is to create cohesion across the AB leadership team (includes Site Leaders) and support the current AB Chair. This role requires completion of administrative tasks, strong peer mentorship, group training facilitation, and other duties as assigned.

*It is common practice for the Student Chair Elect to take on the AB Student Chair role the following year depending on a student’s graduation date. In other words, this role could be a two-year commitment with AB (but it does not have to be).

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Provides ongoing administrative support to student Chair and AB Admin Team
• Attendance at summer Break Away conference (1 week)
• Foster the development of the Executive Board and board members (AB Coordinators)
• Provides support and recognition of individual Site Leader efforts
• Promote and cultivate a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Participates in weekly AB Admin staff meetings (1 hr a week)
• Bennion Center Student Board Representation (2-5 hrs a week)
• Attend Bennion Center events as available and necessary
• Coordinate attendance of Site Leaders at Bennion Center events in collaboration with the student board
• Serves as the key representative of the AB program and Bennion Center at all times
• Serves on selection committee for AB participants
• Enters post trip assessments and community partner surveys post Fall and Spring Break trips
• Reports directly to Alternative Breaks Coordinator
• Create and implement creative marketing and recruitment strategies with Executive Board
• Part of Staff Partner interviews if time allows
• Co-facilitate Reorientation
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

 

DESIGN COORDINATOR POSITION OVERVIEW (5-7 HRS PER WEEK IN ADDITION TO SL DUTIES)

The purpose of the Design Coordinator role is to increase awareness and visibility of the AB program brand. This role requires development of recruitment materials and managing the AB program’s social media presence.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Develop all printed, physical, and non-social media marketing materials and branding elements for the Alternative Breaks program (including flyers, posters/banners for various displays, promotional videos, infographics and reports, etc.)
• Familiarity with Adobe cloud and previous experience in photo/video editing are desired (though not required) of the person in this role; flyer creation and print marketing techniques can be learned upon entering the position
• Manage and update the AB Bulletin Board outside of the Bennion Center
• Create a large visual display for the program in the display case of the Union building
• Assist AB Staff Coordinator with website communications and updates
• Assist Chair and Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Participate in weekly E-Board Meeting
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

 

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR (5-7 HRS PER WEEK IN ADDITION TO SL DUTIES)

The purpose of the Development Coordinator role is to direct fundraising initiatives on behalf of the Alternative Breaks program to ensure the short-term financial accessibility for all potential AB participants as well as the long-term fiscal sustainability of the program. This role requires initiative, vision planning, creativity, and collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Explore programmatic options for on- and off-campus fundraising/development initiatives
• Involve the AB Leadership Team and participants in a minimum of one fundraising event per semester
• Host one or two AB Financial Information sessions for student participants alongside the Bennion Center Staff Advisor and the Student Chair
• Assist in the selection of AB participants
• Enter Post-Trip Assessments and Community Partner Surveys upon the completion of AB trips
• Encourage Site Leaders to attend Legacy of Lowell, Saturday Service Projects, and other Bennion Center events
• Assist Chair and Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

 

RECRUITMENT COORDINATOR POSITION OVERVIEW (5-7 HRS PER WEEK IN ADDITION TO SL DUTIES)

The purpose of the Recruitment Coordinator role is to provide ongoing invitations to participate or collaborate with the AB program and for the AB brand to be shared. This role requires organization of Site Leader tabling opportunities, classroom presentations, and utilizing university communications networks.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Coordinates with Chair, Executive Board, and Admin Team to carry out all recruitment initiatives, with delegation to the AB team, by submitting proposals, coordinating presentation opportunities for classrooms and student groups, organizing tabling supplies and opportunities, etc.
• Submit proposals and coordinate presentation opportunities for self, Executive Board, and Site Leaders
• Admin tracking of student VIF forms and student attendance at info sessions
• Assist Chair and Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Participates in weekly AB E-Board meetings
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

 

REORIENTATION COORDINATOR POSITION OVERVIEW (5-7 HRS PER WEEK IN ADDITION TO SL DUTIES)

The purpose of the Reorientation Coordinator role is to support the process of reorientation during pre-trip, on-trip, and post-trip transformation. This role requires collaboration and resource sharing between the AB team and community organizations to promote local active citizenship.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Get Site Leaders & Participants out to Legacy of Lowell, BC Events, and Saturday Service Projects
• Plan and coordinate Reorientation event with EBoard, Admin Team, guest speakers/presenters, and participants attending and create a post-reorientation newsletter
• Explore and share information about opportunities to keep AB community engaged in the local community, including creating a reorientation newsletter
• Assist Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for site leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Participates in weekly AB E-Board meetings
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

 

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR POSITION OVERVIEW (5-7 HRS PER WEEK IN ADDITION TO SL DUTIES)

The purpose of the Social Media Coordinator role is to increase awareness and visibility of the AB program brand via online platforms. This role requires the management of the AB program’s social media and online presence as well as contribution to the larger Bennion Center’s social media initiatives.

• Performance of site leader duties as described in SL application
• Full participation as a Site Leader in all retreats, trainings, meetings, and program requirements
• Coordinates the management of all social media for the program (AB Instagram account, AB Facebook page; serve as liaison for BC Instagram/Facebook/Twitter accounts/pages)
• Includes developing overarching and holistic social media plans/campaigns; developing original content for the program; and soliciting, reviewing, and posting content from the program’s Site Leaders
• Assists AB Program Manager with website communications and updates
• It is expected that the person in this role will also contribute to the program’s event planning and execution, insofar as capacity and interest allow
• Assist Chair and Chair Elect in cultivating and promoting a peer atmosphere for Site Leaders, creating a strong community presence in the program which encourages peer mentoring, collaboration, inclusion, and team unity
• Help prepare the logistics of Fall and Spring Weekend Retreats (planning, facilitation, food, prep materials, agendas, etc.)
• Participate in weekly E-Board Meeting
• Other administrative duties as needed in support of programmatic aims

Please contact J Swanger at j.swanger@utah.edu or (801) 587-9027 if you are interested in the Chair Elect or Coordinator roles.