[pic]
Organizers Institute
APPLICATION FORM

Instructions: Unless otherwise stated, you may use as much space as you need to answer the following questions. Please include the original questions along with your answers when you submit your completed application. Email your completed application with resume to: careers@thedartcenter.org or fax to: (785) 841-2680.

1. Please type your name, today’s date, and how you originally heard about this position.

2. Were you nominated by a scout? If so, please provide the scout’s name, institution, and contact information (not mandatory). No, a scout did not nominate me.
3. Writing Sample: Please read the following statement and answer the question below using between 300-500 words.

Community organizing as practiced within the DART network is the process of building powerful congregation-based community organizations to secure a greater degree of justice through organizing large numbers of people. Most of us do not have enough money to negotiate with powerful people and institutions like banks, mayors, police departments, health care systems, or utility companies. Their control of money or public policy often gives them power over us. However, we do have lots of people in our communities who share a mutual interest in seeking just economic and political systems. With large numbers of organized people, we can build a position of power in relationship to these institutions.

Why would you like to be a part of building power among people for justice?

I would love to become part of building power among people for justice because many people do not realize their full potential to make a deep impact on the neighborhood around them. As a Community Organizer I would allow the community realize that their voice has the power to be heard for justice. The justice needed in their community would be in the form of healthcare reforms, minimizing crime, lack of mentors for troubled youth, food, affordable housing, safer parks, political issues, better education, etc. The purpose of community organizing is to focus on the collective solution to the community’s problems. My job would be to build more and stronger leaders in the philanthropic community, while improving the overall physical state and mentality of the community itself. Justice will be for the people who worked for change and the future generations of the community. DART Organizers Institute would be my chance to get the community’s voice to be heard by the political and corporate leaders in their city. I have always been driven and passionate to help others. I can indentify with all walks of life, varying religious, race, backgrounds, ages, and experiences. I believe that no matter the difference varying from individual to individual we all can unite to the common goal of improving justice. I have the capacity to develop and execute community programs while building trusting relationships with these communities. I am very self-driven and if I know a change or improvement is possible I will work my best to build power amongst the community’s people. As a part of this effort I would be fulfilling my need to help others and improve overall state of affairs as well as giving them the tools to help their own communities. I would have renowned gratitude to know I have improve so many people’s quality of life.

4. Do you have a reliable car (you must have a reliable car by the start of training in July 2010)? Yes, I have reliable transportation.
5. Do you speak a foreign language fluently (not mandatory)? No, but I plan to improve my Spanish skills in the near future.
6. Do you possess proof of authorization to work in the United States (examples could be a United States Birth Certificate or passport, Social Security card, proof of permanent residency, etc.)? I possess proof of US citizenship that includes birth certificate and social security card.
7. Writing Sample: Using 300-500 words, describe your three most challenging accomplishments and explain how you were challenged by each one?

I have always had a passion for philanthropy. My college major in advertising was an interest and desire unfortunately it lacked my true passion in humanity. As a senior in college I was required to have a field internship to graduate. I tried the tradition advertising and marketing firms. I had been on countless websites and interviews looking for the right opportunity. I knew that knowledge of advertising and mass communications could be used in numerous ways. I did research on possible internships when I came upon the National Kidney Foundation of the Virginias. I felt I would make my own opportunity. I contacted the Director and Communications Manager for the Richmond, VA area to set up a meeting. I set-up a PowerPoint presentation on how an intern could help through press releases, event fundraisers and spreading information about kidney disease to the community. After nine months of search I found what I wanted in an internship and career. When I began college I was prepared for the course-load, missing my family, missing a few holidays even but I was not prepared for life outside of my educational endeavors. Maybe I was naive but nothing could have really prepared me to gain independence and maturity but through life’s experiences. I applied and was eventually offered the position as resident assistant. I was trained and well aware of the requirements of the position to keep my community safe and functional. Yet it challenged me beyond programs, bulletin boards, and roommate arguments. I had to deal with unwanted pregnancies, drug abuse, depression, residents failing out of school, and even death. I had to help others couple through advising, mentoring, and finding counsel while being a leader among my peers. It was an experience that will never be forgotten. I grew up in mostly a single parent household. My mother had been on and off relationship with my father for almost thirty years with two marriages, two divorces, and two children to prove it. The reason for these events was because of my father’s on and off relationship with drugs. He had spouts of dry spells where he was the perfect citizen, husband, and father. While the other times we was emotional and physical abusive or absent. The family might have hindered him from full recovery because they cared so much. He might have never actually planned on completely quitting his dangerous habit. But it hurt to see him homeless on the streets or so high that he did not recognize his own children while begging for change. The family had a meeting and decided it was best to let him go. Even to the point of getting a restraining order. So he could figure out what was more important to him, having a family or doing drugs. It was hard but five years later he was completely clean, healthy, and cheering as his only daughter walked across the stage of her college graduation.

8. Placement for the 15 week field training program:

When deciding where you will be placed for training during the DART Organizers Institute, our objective is to ensure you will receive the best training experience possible so that you may launch a career within the DART network. This will require flexibility among those selected for training, but we are also interested in knowing where you would like to be placed. Below are the locations where we expect to place Organizer Trainees for training in 2010:

▪ Florida Locations: Ft. Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Miami, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach ▪ Indiana Locations: Evansville ▪ Kentucky Locations: Lexington, Louisville ▪ Ohio Locations: Columbus, Dayton, Toledo ▪ Virginia Locations: Charlottesville, Richmond

After reviewing this list, please provide up to four cities where you would like to go and one city you would prefer not to be placed during training. Also, please explain your overall flexibility regarding your training placement?

❖ Preferred Locations o Ohio ▪ Columbus ▪ Dayton o Virginia ▪ Richmond ▪ Charlottesville ❖ I am familiar with these communities I preferred. Yet, it is hard to list a city I would prefer not to go because every community has a need and an opportunity to grow. There are many other cities not even listed that need an organization like DART.

9. Permanent, salaried placement after the 15 week training:

DART expects to place successful graduates of the DART Organizers Institute into one of its twenty affiliated organizations as full time, salaried Community Organizers. Our objective at this point will be to place you where you will be happy living and working, as well as, fill vacancies within the DART network. We have affiliates in the following locations:

▪ Florida Locations: Ft. Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Miami, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach ▪ Indiana Locations: Evansville ▪ Kentucky Locations: Lexington, Louisville ▪ Ohio Locations: Columbus, Dayton, Toledo ▪ Virginia Locations: Charlottesville, Richmond

After reviewing this list, please explain where you would like to live and work permanently, as well as, your overall geographical flexibility?

I am open and flexible to any community listed. I am willing to be a service to my preferred locations of training and permanent placement in Columbus, OH and Dayton, OH as well as Richmond, VA and Charlottesville, VA. However as mentioned above I am open to work for DART in any location.

10. Do you intend to use the DART Organizers Institute to launch a career in community organizing within the DART network of organizations? Why or why not?

Yes, I would love to work for DART Organizers Institute. As a postgraduate I had no idea what I wanted to do with my education or what career path to go about. There are many options yet there are barriers like experience or acquiring another student loan. I have a Bachelors degree in Mass Communications. I just knew I wanted to help people. So, I continued my search and came upon the DART Organizers Institute. I saw the video and read further into the opportunities DART has to offer. I knew this opportunity was meant for me because I always wanted to make a difference. Growing up in the inner city I wanted to improve the community because so many people were struggling to just barely have shelter, or food, basically survive with the bare necessities. I noticed that this people were not lazy nor quitters. They just lacked the opportunity and chance due to their circumstances. I believe DART offers this opportunity through Community Organizers that have the drive and passion to build stronger, better, and united communities.

11. Please describe your experience working with religious congregations (if any). How do you feel about working with religious congregations?

I have worked with the Non-Denominational Christian congregation mostly all my life. I believe that religious organizations are the staple that holds a community together. When there is a need in the community religious organizations have provided support and filled any gaps through feeding the hungry, childcare, providing clothing, and rearing the community to become stronger faith-based families. I believe DART had it right to work through various religious congregation outlets for change and justice. I have no problem working with these affiliations because they are filled with the community’s leaders, which would contribute to the Community Organizers efforts to help the community.

12. What specific achievements in your life would exemplify a quality of self-motivation (for example, an initiative you started from scratch, going beyond given expectations in the work place or school, etc.)? Please explain.

In the neighborhood I was raised in there were not any expectations as far as education. If someone finished high school it was great. But if they did not finish and found any type of job it was also great. I always wanted to go to college. I use to watch the television series “A Different World”. It was about the college experience of young African-Americans. I loved the show and I wanted to experience college for myself. But any people tried to discourage me of the possibility because of the cost. Some even tried to say it was too hard or even mention that I was not going to finish anyway so do not go at all. My own grandmother said,“ It’s no point. You go down there (to the college), end up pregnant, and that man not going to want you or take care of your baby because he going to have other plans.” These opinions almost had me convinced. I wanted to prove them wrong and I became very passionate about school. That passion turned into a drive. These drive become so strong I decided to go to school out of state. That would show that I was independent and different from their expectations. I finished high school at one of the top students in my class with a 3.89 GPA and 30 college credits. I worked two and a half jobs most of my college career while still finding time to work with other college students improve their community and help each other as well as those in the community outside of college. I graduated in May 2009 with Cum Laude Academic Honors. Everyone in my family and neighborhood was so proud that began to brag. But the best part of my endeavors was that many of my friends I left behind said I had encouraged them to attend school or improve their lives. My self-motivation turned out to be way more than a self- attempt to prove people wrong but it was living proof that you can do anything you set your mind to.