The MinKwon Center for Community Action (formerly YKASEC)
Fall 2011 Internship
Advocacy & Community Organizing Intern
The MinKwon Center for Community Action (formerly YKASEC) was established in 1984 to meet the needs and concerns of the Korean American community through our five program areas: Community Organizing and Advocacy, Social and Legal Services, Civic Participation, Youth Empowerment, and Culture. Since our founding, we have made a profound presence in the Korean American community through various grassroots organizing, education, and advocacy initiatives that address important community issues, including immigration policies at the national, state and city levels, voter rights, and culture awareness. The MinKwon Center places a special emphasis on meeting the needs of our marginalized community members, including youth, elderly, recent immigrants, low-income residents, and limited-English-proficient residents. More recently, it has expanded its program areas to work with the Chinese American community as well.
The MinKwon Center’s community organizing work seeks to engage Korean Americans in the Flushing area to work on issues around immigration, housing and labor. The internship responsibilities include assisting the community organizer in relationship-building with community members, participate in community outreach efforts and engaging in advocacy efforts in coalition with other organization and groups.
Internship Description
- Participate in community organizing efforts to engage community members, such as door-knocking, street outreach, and one-on-one meetings.
- Plan, coordinate, and facilitate regular meetings with community members to discuss housing, worker, and other local, state, and national immigrant right issues.
- Conduct educational activities for community members to inform them of issues that are impacting immigrant communities, including the Korean American community.
- Engage in advocacy efforts on behalf of immigrants, low-income community members, and communities of color, in coalition with other organizations and groups.
Details of Internship
- Supervision: Intern is supervised by the Community, Worker, and Housing Organizers.
- Compensation: While internships are not paid positions, academic credit has been arranged in the past.
- Hours: Interns are expected to work part-time for a minimum of 15 hours a week.
- Duration: The internship runs from September to December 2011. Specific internship dates will be discussed in person.
Requirements
- Applicants are required to have proficiency in the Korean language.
- Intimate knowledge of the Korean American and immigrant community in NYC is highly preferred.
- Have the desire to empower the Asian American community.
Internship applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Please submit a cover letter and resume by August 15th, 2011 via email to:
Liz Rhee
Organizer
Liz@minkwon.org