Thursday, July 7, 2011

Alumna Katie Blankenship Answers the Draper Dozen

Draper alumna Katie Blankenship (2009) recently got in touch with us about a career opportunity at the New York City Rock Camp (NYCRC), a nonprofit music education day camp for girls and boys ages 9-17 that she created following her graduation from Draper. We asked Katie to answer some questions about her time at Draper and activities now ('The Draper Dozen'). Her answers are below.






The Draper Dozen



1. When did you graduate from Draper?

2009

2. Did you attend as a full or part-time student?

Full Time

3. Do you still live in New York?

No

4. What do you like the most about New York?

The opportunities available in the arts for both career and leisure, the culture, and the food!

5. What do you dislike the most about New York?

The cost of living

6. What was the topic of your Master’s thesis?

Non-profit art administration

7. Why did you choose to pursue an interdisciplinary degree at Draper?

I was drawn to the wide array of classes and topics of study.

8. What project/career/interest are you pursuing now?

Law and Nonprofit art administration

9. What special activities or projects do you enjoy outside of your academic work and/or career?

Music

10. What was the last book you read for fun?

Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth

11. What are three things that you wouldn’t want to live without? Music, fresh food, my dog

12. Any words of wisdom for current Draper students?

Be mindful of your student loans and plan ahead on how you will repay them!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Flickr Commons Photofinds for the 4th of July

Happy 4th! Enjoy the long weekend!





Photo by Flip Shulke, Part of U.S. National Archives Collection



Photo by Danny Lyon, Part of the U.S. National Archives Collection


"Marion Duncan in costume for 4th of July play: Tavares, Florida" (1890)
Part of the Collection of the State Library and Archives of Florida

Anamesa Release and Party!!!

Hello and Happy Summer!

We are extremely excited to announce that the Spring 2011 issue is printed and available in the Draper office. Although it was a long time coming, the hard work of the Anamesa staff, Draper's support, and the superb quality of the pieces have made this a truly impressive issue. Copies are available in the Draper office so please feel free to stop by to pick one up!

And of course, the release of the journal means it's PARTY TIME!!! In celebration of the lovely summer weather, we are having the party outdoors this time. Think Brooklyn backyard, tiki torches, fire, free drinks, finger foods, the works. Here are the details:

Thursday, July 7, 8:00pm
637 Leonard St., #2
Greenpoint, Brooklyn (Take the G to Nassau)

Anamesa will provide drinks and snacks, but the punch bowl doesn't fill itself, so help us out to keep the party going strong!
We'll also have the Spring issue at the party, so come out to get your copy!

If you have any questions, please email us at anamesa.journal@gmail.com.

Thanks and congratulations again to everyone who helped make the journal happen this semester, and we hope to see you all at the party next week!

All the best,
The Editors

--
Anamesa
an interdisciplinary journal
www.anamesajournal.org

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Executive Director Position Open at NYC Rock Camp

After graduating from Draper in 2009, alumna Katie Blankenship created the New York City Rock Camp (NYCRC), a nonprofit music education day camp for girls and boys ages 9-17. The NYCRC is now looking for an executive director and Katie asked that we forward the position description to Draper students and alumni. Please see below for more information.

***

NEW YORK CITY ROCK CAMP (NYCRC) IS NOW HIRING!
We’re looking for our new Executive Director.

*****************************************************************************
NYCRC Executive Director:

Organization Description

NYCRC is a music education day camp that focuses on empowering youth through music and building community through shared musical expression. NYCRC is designed to allow New York City youth, regardless of race, class, or creed, freedom of expression and exploration in music and performance, and in so doing, to empower campers to find their own voice, sound, and beat without creative boundary or inhibition.

During one week of the summer, young people ages 9-17 spend five days attending instrument instruction; participating in workshops such as Recording, Songwriting and Photography; and attending band practice. On the first day, campers form and name their own bands and pick two volunteer camp staff members to become their “band managers,” who then guide practices and help campers compose a song. On Saturday, all campers perform their song in a professional showcase, where all campers, supported by an audience of family, friends, and community members, truly transform into rock stars.

Position Overview

The Executive Director oversees all operations of NYCRC including creating and monitoring budgets; organizing, facilitating, developing, and implementing all current and new programs; overseeing staff responsibilities and operations; creating and distributing marketing material to staff; reaching out to donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations; grant research and writing; securing locations for all programs and related events; planning and implementing curriculum for all programs; communicating and administering all program needs to other NYCRC departments such as IT, Marketing, and Fundraising; reporting all NYCRC developments and needs to the Board of Directors; and creating fiscal year financial reports of the Board of Directors.

Duties:

Curriculum development; creating and monitoring budgets; applying for grants; negotiating artist contracts; implementing fund-raising and outreach activities; supervising all program staff, volunteers, and campers, which includes recruitment, selection, and placement; planning and conducting training with staff and volunteers and seeing that the standards set-forth during training are maintained;
interpreting and complying with all camp policies and communicating them to staff, volunteers and campers; ensuring that camp facilities meet established standards before, during, and after camp sessions; maintaining good PR in the community; promoting high morale within camp itself; coordinating and overseeing the execution of the camp program, including volunteer assignments, workshop lesson plans, musical performances, and daily schedule; soliciting and organizing all musical equipment donations.

Required Skills:

We are looking for a candidate that is highly self-motivated, organized, and passionate about non-profit youth art and music programs. Candidate must have leadership experience, and non-profit experience is a plus. Candidate must be computer literate and have experience working in Excel, Word, Google Docs, Gmail, online social media sites, and online newsletter/mass email systems such as Virtual Response, Emma, etc. Candidate should be a self-starter and have the creativity, dedication, and imagination to develop NYCRC into multiple camp sessions and year-round music programming.

* Leadership experience in non-profit administration, including progressively responsible experience and a successful track record in grant writing, individual donations, corporate sponsorships and fundraising events.

*Strong understanding, commitment and passion for New York City Rock Camp’s mission and programs, and an ability to effectively advocate for the organization in a variety of situations and mediums.

*Experience managing budgets, reports, evaluation and staff or volunteer management.

*Excellent communication skills, including public speaking/presentations, phone communication, electronic communication, and written communication. Should have experience with donor correspondence, grant writing as well as communications with media, corporate and foundation contacts.

*Computer literacy including Macintosh OS X, Microsoft Office Suite, social networking, Google Docs.

*Ability to participate and work within a team while also being able to work independently with little supervision.

*Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and deadlines.

Salary and Work Hours

This is a part-time salaried position with the opportunity to develop the program into multiple sessions and year-round programming, thereby increasing the hours to full-time and creating a full salary for the Executive Director. We ask for flexibility in scheduling with some availability on mornings, evenings or weekends though our general office hours are M-F 9-5pm.

To Apply

Please send a cover letter, resume, and references to Katie Blankenship, Executive Director, at nycrockandrollcamp@gmail.com.
New York City Rock Camp is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, people of color and LGBTQ are encouraged to apply.

Office Manager Position Open at Scenarios USA

Scenarios USA Seeks Office Manager

Summary:

Scenarios USA, a national non-profit organization that uses writing and filmmaking to foster youth leadership, advocacy, and self-expression in students from vulnerable communities, is seeking an Office Manager. The Office Manager will be responsible for the organization and coordination of office operations, procedures and resources to facilitate organizational effectiveness and efficiency for a dynamic organization currently employing 7 full-time and 3 part-time staff. This is an excellent position for an energetic person to join a growing nonprofit. Founded in 1999, Scenarios USA has grown dramatically in its first decade having worked with tens of thousands of students. The Scenarios USA programs have proven to increase students’ connection to school, community and citizenship, and the Ford Foundation, a key funder, proudly cites it as a national model.

This position will begin as a permanent part-time position and may expand to a full-time position in the future.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting in developing/managing office system procedure and protocol, including those outlined in the handbook, hiring protocol/orientation guides and new employee training

• Providing administrative support as well as basic technical support (MS Office troubleshooting and point of contact for Admin@ScenariosUSA.org email address) for the office

• Answering phones, managing incoming/outgoing mail, maintaining office Calendar, and other administrative duties (including note-taking, filing, copying, faxing, scanning, updating staff and board contact lists, helping to keep the office clean)

• Maintaining office supply inventory and taking the lead on care and maintenance of office equipment and furnishings

• Coordinating staff travel including airfare and accommodation

• Assisting in managing accounts payable/receivable and managing office vendor relationships

• Managing administration and operations costs to operate within approved budget

• Managing and supervising other administrative/support staff and interns, as requested

Reports to: Finance & Operations
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Start Date: August 8, 2011

Qualifications/Skills:

• Outstanding time management and organizational skills

• Demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, organizational, oral communication, and written communication skills

• Computer proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel), experience with QuickBooks a preferred

• Ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources and record information accurately
and in the appropriate style for publication in different venues

• Ability to work in a hands-on environment

• Committed to the mission and programs of Scenarios USA

• College degree or relevant experience

• Attention to detail and high level of accuracy

Compensation:

3 days/week (three 8 hour days, including an hour for lunch); the salary and benefits for this position are competitive for similarly sized nonprofits; health insurance is provided only to full-time positions.

To apply:

Please submit a resume, contact information three references and a cover letter describing your interest in the position by July 15, 2011. We prefer applications by email. Please do not call to
check on the process. We will call you to set up interviews. Please send to: David@scenariosusa.org with the subject line: Office Manager Search.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by July 15th, but resumes may be considered until an appointment is made. Before applying, please review www.scenariosusa.org for detailed program information.

Scenarios USA seeks to hire staff who reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. Equal Opportunity Employer: This position will be filled without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

About Scenarios USA:

Scenarios USA believes that by valuing youth and investing in their stories, we can strengthen academic achievement, promote civic engagement, and support young people in becoming responsible and healthy individuals. Every aspect of the Scenarios USA program – from the classroom discussion and reflection to the script-writing contest, to the film production, to the public speaking engagements – is a two-way street that gives young people the power to work as full partners with teachers, professional filmmakers, and community and youth advocates. This formula has been proven effective in our program evaluation, and we are proud that The Ford Foundation, our top funder, continues to cite Scenarios USA as a model in the fields of education, youth development and adolescent health. For more information: http://www.scenariosusa.org