Do you know somebody who is ready to get in a little bit deeper with ROP? Our beloved intern Katy Giombolini will soon complete her time with us, and we’re looking for somebody to fill her shoes.
Contact cara@rop.org with any questions. Get in touch with us by Friday, June 17th if you’re intrigued.
Seeking an ROP Organizing Intern
The Rural Organizing Project is a movement organization – which means that our work is volunteer-led, visionary, and accountable to an active, participatory base. An internship with ROP offers a rooted view of what it takes to organize for real social change in rural America, and is geared towards supporting participants in their path of developing organizing skills and savvy.
Our internship program has one or two active participants at a time, who make a 6-9 month commitment at 16-24 hours per week. We expect interns to work 2 days a week from the ROP office in Scappoose, located about 40 minutes from Portland, and be open to occasional travel. We have a small stipend available upon successful completion of a month-long trial period, and can support interns in finding solidarity housing in the area.
About the Rural Organizing Project:
Our mission is to strengthen the skills, resources, and vision of primary leadership in local autonomous human dignity groups with a goal of keeping such groups a vibrant source for a just democracy.
We work to create communities accountable to a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people, the need for equal access to justice, and the right to self-determination.
ROP has a rich history that stretches back to fighting the radical right in the early 1990s as they attempted to deny basic dignity to our LGBT neighbors, and extends into the current post-911 days of fear mongering politics and economic crisis. We work in collaboration with our 50+ member groups – human dignity groups – which seek to create a beacon of progressivism in every county of the state. In order to do that, we have a serious but exploratory approach to organizing. We believe:
* Every person counts, no matter who they are or where they live,
* Every issue is interconnected
* Only through transformational organizing can we achieve real change
In order to put these beliefs into action towards a more just world, we support our member groups as coaches, capacity experts, strategists, and leaders. Our focus areas are civic participation, racial, gender, and economic justice.
Description of the Internship:
During their time at ROP, Organizing Interns with ROP learn core skills like the organizing conversation, campaign structure, and strategic planning, while growing in their analysis of what makes social movements strong, and working alongside a dynamic team. This internship is for people who are itching to get their organizing feet wet or hone their skills, who have fresh ideas they want to see in practice, and an open mind for trying on new organizing styles.
Each internship will be a combination of practice doing capacity-building with our human dignity groups, implementing ROP programs in the field, doing office-based phone & research projects, and shadowing more experienced organizers in their work.
Qualifications:
We are currently seeking interns who want to explore their own contributions to the social movement. That said, interns must have the following qualifications:
* A commitment to social justice and a respect for the human dignity of all people
* A sound political analysis and an open mind
* An interest or background in small-town and rural life
* Willingness to try new things and experiment with new organizing strategies
* Ability to be self-directed and seek support as needed
* Basic fluency with Microsoft office, Internet, and ability to learn new tech systems
* Dedication and perseverance. The rewards of organizing are huge, but the work can be tough.
Interns will need to be self-motivated; our best interns bring their own sense of justice to the work, and try on ROP methodologies with fresh eyes and intent.
How to Apply:
Please send a resume along with answers to the following questions to Amanda Aguilar Shank at cara@rop.org. Contact Amanda with any questions, I’m happy to talk with you by phone or email.
- Why are you interested in working with ROP? What is it about our work that excites or intrigues you?
- Do you want to be an organizer? How do you see that community organizing fit into the larger goal of acheiving social justice?
- How does an internship with ROP fit into your long-term personal goals, or your own path towards finding your niche?
- What skills would you like mentorship or practice in developing?
- What are some of the strengths or passions that you would bring to the work?