UW CELE Center Student Job Opportunity: Communications Assistant

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Position available: CEC Communications Assistant
Department: UAA, Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center
Hours: 12-15 hours per week, flexible with student’s schedule
Compensation: $19.97 per hour
Work Study Job Number: CELE02

Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) shapes, advances, and stewards a world-class
undergraduate academic experience for students at the University of Washington. Staff, faculty
and students in UAA deepen and enrich the learning experience for all undergraduates,
recognizing and supporting the unique learning path of each individual student and the
commitment of each academic program to excellence in learning and teaching.
Within UAA, the Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center unit
provides students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to
contribute to thriving communities. Building authentic community and campus partnerships
drive our work. CELE programs are centered around the areas of community-engaged learning,
democratic engagement, leadership education, pK-12 student success and place-based
initiatives.

The CELE Center is accepting applications for a Community-Engaged Courses (CEC)
Communications Assistant. Community-engaged courses combine service in the community
with structured preparation and reflection opportunities, and address concerns that are
identified and articulated by the community.
Objectives: The Community-Engaged Courses (CEC) Communications Assistant will work in
close cooperation with CEC staff in the CELE Center to provide support on key components of
the center’s Community-Engaged Courses program and will support digital communications
through email, web contact forms, and CELE social media channels. The CEC Communications
Assistant will contribute to the University of Washington’s commitment to community
engagement through supporting both community organizations and undergraduate students in
the community-engaged learning process.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Under guidance of CEC staff, participate in the development of undergraduate community-engaged courses positions by communicating with contacts at community-based and non-profit organizations by phone, email, and in-person.
  • Provide peer advising to students from community-engaged courses, managing student
    inquiries both in-person and over email.
    Support CEC staff in quarterly database management with processing forms, updates
    and documentation.
  • Assist with in-class presentations to community-engaged courses during the quarter.
  • Graphic design and content development for outreach materials and event collateral.
  • Represent the CELE Center at tabling and outreach events on campus.

Required Qualifications:

  • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
  • Ability to work effectively with diverse populations of students, community
    partners, and staff.
  • Experience navigating and managing digital platforms.
  • Highly motivated and self-directed.
  • Genuine interest in community engagement and service.
  • Interest in personal and professional development.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with community engagement/service/volunteer work with community
    organizations or non-profits in the greater Seattle community.
  • Practice in public speaking and/or presentations.
  • Exposure to platforms such as Prezi, Canva, and Mailchimp.
  • Interest and excitement around communications.

Benefits:

  • Valuable experience for students to gain professional and personal development
    through work experience and coaching.
  • Interesting/relevant work environment for students who are already involved or
    interested in student services, public service, and non-profit work.

To apply please submit the following:

  • A current resume including the names and contact information for two references.
  • A cover letter that includes:
    ○ Why you are applying for this position
    ○ Articulating your interest in communications, peer advising, and developing
    community-campus relationships.
    ○ A description of two to three things you seek to learn from this opportunity

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until filled. Application review will begin in mid-August, and priority consideration will be given to applications received by August 19. The student selected for this role should plan for orientation and training to begin the week before Autumn Quarter classes start; exact schedule during the week of September 16, 2024 to be determined after hire.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450/V, 206.543.6452/TTY, 206.685.7264 (FAX), or dso@u.washington.edu.

Priority Deadline: Please submit all materials via email by Monday, August 19 to engage@uw.edu. We are hoping to conduct interviews during the final week of August and make hiring decisions during the first week of September. Questions can be directed to Maria Lee, Program Manager of Community-Engaged Courses at the email listed.

Box 352803
171 Mary Gates Hall Seattle, WA 98195-2803
206.543.4282
engage@uw.edu
https://cele.uw.edu/

Bloomberg Green Festival — Students attend free!

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Bloomberg Green Festival is a global collaboration between innovators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, artists, activists, musicians and more, to explore new solutions spanning the entire climate spectrum.

Headquartered at our Seattle Center campus, the festival will cover four themes vital to creating practical, collective change: Technology and Innovation, The Climate Economy, Greener Living and Green Policy. Through dining experiences, performances, installations and cultural moments, guests will be immersed in interactive learning, participate in data-driven experiences and build relationships with world-renowned experts. Whether you run a business or a household, lead a non-profit or work within your community group, have already begun effecting change in an organization or don’t know where to start, or simply want to learn how your everyday choices can contribute to a global movement – this festival is for everyone who cares about this planet and all 8 billion of its fans.

If you are a current UW student of any major, admission to this festival is completely free! Please email miajlh34@uw.edu to receive a promo code to register.

CoEnv Highlight: UW researchers use DNA to investigate a green crab whodunit

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Over the past several years, shellfish growers in Washington’s Willapa Bay have raised the alarm that Manila clams, one of the region’s most important commercially grown shellfish, were inexplicably declining. At the same time, these aquaculturists have witnessed growing populations of one of North America’s most destructive invaders: the European green crab.

But determining if the crabs were directly responsible for the declining clam populations — that is, whether they were eating them — was trickier than it sounds. Marine ecosystems are complicated, and as it turns out, green crabs don’t give up their secrets easily.

“I’ve spent more than 20 years trying to figure out what crabs eat,” said P. Sean McDonald, associate teaching professor in the UW Program on the Environment and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. “It is an incredibly difficult proposition. Crabs are like little self-contained blenders, and anything that goes into their mouths is immediately turned into a slurry. It’s like trying to identify the individual parts of a smoothie.”

COIL Project Bringing Students from the UW and Taiwan Together for An Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Learning Experience

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This spring, students in Professor Yen-Chu Weng’s course “Environmental Issues in East Asia” participated in an Online International Collaboration Learning (COIL) project with students from Taiwan on evaluating the accessibility of interpretive signs in nature parks. COIL is an approach to foster global competence through development of a multicultural learning environment that links university classes in different countries. Using various communication technologies, students complete shared assignments and projects, with faculty members from each country co-teaching and managing coursework (UW Bothell COIL Initiative). 

Professor Weng’s course partnered with Professor Chen-Chen Cheng’s course in Special Education from National Kaohsiung Normal University. Through a five-week collaboration, students from both campuses had joint lectures on the basic design principles for accessible interpretive signs and inclusive communication for people with disabilities. Project teams from each campus conducted field work to observe and analyze interpretive signs in their respective cities – The UW Arboretum and the UW Farm in Seattle and several parks in Kaohsiung and Tainan, two major cities in Southern Taiwan. The culmination of the COIL module was a mini presentation comparing and contrasting the accessibility of interpretive signs in nature parks between Taiwan and Seattle. (See student final presentations here.)

Students were asked to have a specific person with disabilities in mind as the intended park user when they visited the park and conducted the analysis. In addition to physical disabilities (vision, hearing, mobility), invisible differences in abilities such as reading abilities, education level, attention span, neurodivergence, and levels of interest in the subject should also be considered. Students analyzed the accessibility of interpretive signs in the following aspects: physical accessibility, communication accessibility, and multi-modality experience. 

There were seven project groups, and each group had a mix of students from Taiwan and from the UW. A total of 70 signs were analyzed. In terms of the purposes of the signs, they varied from maps and directions, environmental education (information on the species, ecology, and environmental science) to park rules and regulations. 

Most of the signs were written in a single language (either English or Mandarin Chinese). A few signs in Taiwan had English translations. Only a few signs had braille texts for the visually impaired. Most of the signs were informational and did not allow interactivity. Only a few signs had either QR codes for more information or flip panels that a user could explore more.

The learning objectives of this COIL module are multi-folded, including both an understanding and application of the universal accessibility concepts to analyze interpretive signs in nature parks and cross-cultural competency and reflection. 

One UW student shared that: “Analyzing signs in Seattle has truly broadened my appreciation of accessibility from various dimensions… The multi-modality dimension has highlighted the importance of providing information in different formats to cater to various learning styles and sensory preferences. It’s about recognizing that not everyone learns or absorbs information in the same way, so offering a variety of formats like visual, auditory, and tactile ensures inclusivity for all visitors.”

In terms of the cross-cultural collaboration experiences, several UW students shared that: “Collaborating with students from Taiwan was an incredibly enriching experience, one that I’m genuinely grateful for.” “This project allowed me to appreciate the privilege of speaking English as my mother tongue and how that makes it easier to collaborate with not just Americans but people of all identities.” “The COIL project allowed me to further understand how many similarities there are between the daily lives of people throughout the world, although of course differences still exist. When discussing accessibility, many of the same issues arose in both the United States and Taiwan.”

Students in Professor Cheng’s “Communication Training for Students with Disabilities” class also greatly appreciated this rare collaborative international learning experience. The following is Professor Cheng’s observation in her class. 

As students in Taiwan seldom encounter people from other countries, one student exclaimed right after her first online meeting with her U.S. partners, “This was my first time talking to a foreigner!” Her eyes shone with amazement that continued through the 5-week project. Learning wise, in addition to having a deeper understanding about the accessibility of interpretive signs in nature park, students from Taiwan experienced first-hand communication breakdowns when they tried to use English, a language they learned in school but did not have a use for in their daily life. While learning how to support students with disabilities to communicate, they now know, to a certain degree, what it felt like to be a person with a “communication need” while attempting to talk to their U.S. partners. A student shared afterwards, “Now I know what multi-modal communication means” as he gestured, mimed, and pointed all at once to make his point.    

In a post-COIL project survey, students ranked the following as having the strongest impact on their growth: Learning and understanding other ways of seeing the world, growth in self-awareness, greater understanding of different cultures, and understanding how to interact with people from different cultures. 

This COIL project was funded by the UW COIL Fellowship, the Global Innovation Fund, and the East Asia Center Travel Grant. Professor Weng and Professor Cheng will present their work at the North American Association for Environmental Education Conference this November. You can learn more about the project on this website: https://sites.google.com/view/uw-nknu-coil2024/home

ENVIR 480 Student Project Highlight

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Students from the Spring 2024 offering of ENVIR 480, Sustainability Consulting Practicum, hit it out of the park last week with their presentation on super-gas user conversion to electric vehicles!

In ENVIR 480, students are split into teams and paired with local Seattle organizations — often either businesses or nonprofits — to work on a client project that advances sustainability in the respective sector. This provides an introduction to the field of environmental consulting, and requires students to work together under a tight 10-week quarter deadline to collect and analyze data that will inform recommended next steps.

This past quarter, one team of students including Zola Ontiveros, Deja Jackson, Sophie Stetkiewicz, Callum Mitchell, and Zjada Baydass worked with Coltura, an environmental nonprofit striving to improve climate, health, and equity by developing policies that facilitate a switch from gasoline to cleaner alternative fuels. The students collected primary research on gasoline usage and EVs through the form of in-depth personal interviews, and used their data to develop a customized set of recommendations for the Coltura team. Congratulations to our wonderful students on an amazing quarter of work, and a special thank you to Professor Fred Pursell for his guidance, mentorship, and instruction of ENVIR 480’s Spring iteration.

Congratulations 2024 Scholarship Recipients!

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Ava Vaughan, Program on the Environment Undergraduate Scholarship

Ava is pursuing a dual degree in business and environmental studies with a minor in nutrition. She grew up on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington and spent most of her life on Dabob Bay. Her passions include sustainable food systems, conservation, and ESG reporting. During Ava’s time at UW, she has participated in a variety of activities but has focused her time particularly on Net Impact and the Dirty Dozen Student Farm Club. As incoming Net Impact President, Ava will continue her work at the intersection of business sustainability and ethics. She will also continue as the undergraduate student representative for the Population Health Initiative. After graduation in 2026, she intends to pursue a career in corporate sustainability or work in the nonprofit sector.

Cyril Clement, Program on the Environment Undergraduate Scholarship

Cyril is majoring in Environmental Studies and Medical Anthropology and will be graduating in 2026. He is from Bangalore, India, and is interested in the intersections of climate change and public health. He believes that community building is crucial to addressing the biggest issues our world faces. He was the project lead for the first Zero Waste Week, a program with the goal of creating a platform where participants can give the problem of waste generation a more conscious thought and learn about specific actions to mitigate waste production. He co-founded Narcare, a national non-profit and UW student organization that is dedicated to spreading awareness on ways we can protect ourselves and others from the dangers of the opioid crisis. For his anthropology honors thesis, he is exploring the role of health insurance navigators in improving access to healthcare for Washington State’s undocumented residents. He characterizes expanding access to health insurance as an environmental justice policy that can help protect migrant farmworkers from the health risks associated with climate change. Through his further studies and career, he plans to uncover ways to disrupt the policies and systemic mechanisms that contribute to environmental injustice and inequality.  

Sofia Berkowitz, Program on the Environment Undergraduate Scholarship

Sofia Berkowitz is an Environmental Studies major from Denver, Colorado graduating in the spring of 2026. Their focus within the major is on environmental justice and she is planning to minor in Public Policy. She has worked on campus this year with the Campus Sustainability Fund and next year will serve as the Chair of their Committee, as well as well as continuing her leadership role within the Zero Waste Week program. This summer, she is working as the Fundraising and Grants Intern at the non-profit ZeroWaste.Org as a Jackson Munro Public Service Fellow. They hope to use the skills gained through these opportunities to continue advancing local sustainability and equity, both on a social and environmental scale.

Volunteer at the 2024 Greater & Greener Conference

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Seattle Parks and Recreation is hosting this year’s Greater & Greener Conference in Seattle, from June 21 to June 25 – and we are in need of additional volunteers!

What is Greater & Greener 2024?

Greater & Greener is the premier event for innovators and decision-makers from across the global urban parks community. It’s the only event dedicated to exploring the full potential of parks as city-building tools. This year, it brings together more than 1,000 urban park leaders, city planning and design professionals, public officials, advocates, funders, and innovators from across the world for four days of wide-reaching discussions, dynamic dialogue, and energizing workshops on ways to keep parks at the forefront of innovation, civic priority, and public engagement.

We need volunteers!

There are a variety of ways you can support this conference. Learn more here. Please note, the site says that only employees of host organizations and their affiliates can volunteer. If you’re willing to volunteer, please consider yourself an affiliate of Seattle Parks and Recreation. Volunteer roles include event support, admin support, educational assistants, and potential tour assistants.

How can I sign up? Where can I learn more?

Sign up here. Please reach out to Jasmine Jose at jasmine.jose@seattle.gov with any questions.

Thanks for considering supporting this conference!

Water Conservation Internship, Seattle Public Utilities

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Position Description

Join us in helping our community keep their utility bills as low as possible and preserving a valuable resource for future generations. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) administers a regional water conservation program on behalf of SPU and 18 wholesale water utility partners, known collectively as the Saving Water Partnership (SavingWater.org). We are hiring 2 interns to support our regional water conservation programs. Work under these positions would include providing technical assistance and conducting outreach to the public, which could include the general public, multifamily housing providers, and/or commercial and industrial businesses about water conservation.

There are currently two (2) internship opportunities available at the undergraduate/graduate level.

This internship opportunity is for 2 years, or graduation, whichever comes first.

We require a minimum 1-year commitment for this internship.

Hourly rates:

  • Internship – $20.94 – $20.94 Hourly (undergraduate)
  • Internship – $25.68 – $25.68 Hourly (graduate)

About Seattle Public Utilities: Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a community-centered utility that delivers vital services to Seattle residents and businesses including drinking water, drainage and wastewater, and garbage/recycling/compost. SPU also provides drinking water for 1.5 million customers in the region. SPU’s work includes system maintenance and improvements and keeping Seattle clean. Over 1,400 SPU employees work with our community to provide affordable and equitable stewardship of our water and waste resources for future generations.

For more information about Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), checkout the:

SPU commits to Our City Values and Race and Social Justice as core principles that guide our work. We actively take steps to dismantle systemic racism and increase service equity. We value diverse life experiences and strive to create a workplace that is welcoming to all. We take steps to be inclusive and equitable in our recruiting, hiring and promotional opportunities.

Job Responsibilities

  • Gain skills and experience collecting, entering, and analyzing program data.
  • Gain experience conducting audits of program elements.
  • Develop ability to monitor service issues; develop work plans, and track program performance.
  • Develop skills in customer service and communications by working directly with customers, businesses, and community groups.
  • Deepen understanding of resource conservation strategies, including water demand management; this includes learning about our regional water supply system.

Qualifications

Education: Must be an undergraduate or higher-level student pursuing a degree in Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Asset Management, Environmental Science, Public Policy, Public Administration, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Communications, Building Operations, Facility/Property Management, or related field.

  • Students must be enrolled on either a part-time or full-time basis and maintain a 2.5 GPA for the duration of the internship.

Exception: Students are not required to be enrolled during the summer sessions but must provide documentation of continued Fall enrollment at the end of Spring quarter.

Hours: During school sessions, work hours will be scheduled to complement class schedules (15-20 hours per week). The internship opportunity may permit up to 32-40 hours per week during breaks and summer months. Work is normally between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday, with occasional weekend and evening obligations.

How to Apply: 

  • Upload your college/university’s unofficial transcript.
  • Cover letter indicating your interest in this internship.
  • Resume identifying how you meet qualifications of the internship.

Salary Information: 

  • The full salary range for this position is: $20.94 – $25.68.

Recruiters Contact: 

Selected applicants invited to the interview will be requested to provide references.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

These internships allow for the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. During breaks, interns may work up to 32-40 hours per week and will be required to come into the office or work in the field a minimum of twice a week. However, while school is in session, individual schedules will be agreed upon by the employee and their supervisor.

Who may apply: The City of Seattle encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experience. This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Volunteer with SER – Tikvah’s Garden Restoration Site

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Tikvah’s Garden is a charismatic bioswale of native plants outside of the Fishery Sciences Building, which has undergone restoration led by the UW Program on the Environment. After some recent blackberry invasion, they reached out to the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) to collaborate and have decided to take on the challenge. The site has an amazing foundation of dogwoods (Cornus sericea), Spirea, and many graminoids (Carex sp. and Juncus sp.) that support birds and pollinators, as well as process rainwater! Work parties occur on Fridays from 2pm to 4pm and will repeat weekly until the end of the quarter! So please join if you can to beautify the beloved Fisheries!

FareStart Volunteer Opportunities

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FareStart is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people gain skills to move out of poverty, while also working to feed the community. They have a number of volunteer opportunities coming up this summer for those interested in environmental justice, food systems, sustainability, and much more! Check it out below.

 

We have many volunteer opportunities for groups of 5-20 participants, including an event in July for a group of up to 75. We will be in the kitchen, out on the farm, in the community and on the golf course this spring and summer. We would be thrilled to have you join us. Experience first-hand the great work FareStart is doing in the community, make friends, team-build with your co-workers and get those good feelings!

Community Meals Kitchen

Groups of up to 5 on Sat/Sun 10am-3pm

  • Basic kitchen prep, no prior experience or food handlers’ card needed, lunch provided

Community Dinner

June 12, September 25, December 11, groups up to 10 people

  • Serve food and beverages to our staff & students during this quarterly celebration

Food Resourcing & Distribution Program

June-September, Groups of 10-20 people, Family Friendly (Ages 5-15 with adult guardian)

  • Spend time on our partner farms picking produce that will be incorporated into our Community Meals and redistributed via our Mobile Community Market
  • Help process, repack, and organize produce and staples in our downtown kitchen
  • Support our Mobile Community Market to redistribute fresh produce and staples to local communities

FareStart/Amazon Golf Tournament

July 26, groups up to 75 people, event prep groups up to 10 people

  • Many event roles are available including driving golf carts, helping with the putting contest, handing out box lunches and more!  Join us for a day on the course.

Click on the links above for more information or to sign up!