What is Associates 4 Social Change?
A4SC will start with an online course teaching some skills needed in a non-profit workplace. Then, in the spring, students will be placed in with partner organizations for an internship roughly five hours a week as a chance to help organizations and gain work experience.
Who are we reaching/who is the target audience?
This program is designed for high school and college students who are interested in nonprofit work but don’t have any prior experience. We strive to serve students from a diverse range of backgrounds. For organizations, we look to partner with organizations that reflect the diversity of our students, are in need of additional staffing support but might not have room in the budget, and practice grassroots leadership structures.
What is the online portion of the program?
The online portion is an eight-week online course where students read lessons and complete assignments. All students will receive personal feedback on their assignments. The goal of every lesson is to provide students with crucial job training skills and prepare them for work in a non-profit type environment. The lessons range from email communication skills to how to find information about grants.
What is the work experience portion of the program?
Upon completion of the online course, students will be placed with a non-profit with a staffing need and work there for around five hours every week until the summer. Students will continue to be supported by U4SC as they navigate their new workspace with weekly check-ins.