Badger Peace Corps Tips

Social Justice Internships

SuccessWorks is partnering with nonprofits and small businesses in Dane county to develop internships for UW-Madison students. With a variety of opportunities in data analysis, education, program evaluation, communications, publishing, and more, students can develop their professional skills while making a tangible, meaningful impact supporting communities in Dane County!

Find descriptions of some of these opportunities here!

Applications are due January 5, 2022, and most internships begin in late January or early February 2022.

These internships are for UW-Madison undergraduate students enrolled in the spring 2022 semester. L&S students are guaranteed a minimum stipend of $250. Students who are eligible for Federal Work Study may earn a $12/hour wage.

Many of these internships involve working with marginalized communities. Students with diverse backgrounds and identities are encouraged to apply. 

Participating Organizations Include:

• F.O.S.T.E.R. of Dane County
• Healing Our Hearts
• Girls Inc./Goodman Center
• Brittle Paper
• Wisconsin Literacy
• Urban Triage, Inc.
• Chrysalis
• JustDane
• Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development
• EXPO (Ex-incarcerated People Organizing)

Learn more about each specific participating organization, and about social justice internships here!

The Center for Pre-Health Advising gives great ideas here for how to stay productive and involved during the pandemic.

“Even as physical distancing and public health remain of utmost importance, there are an increasing number of opportunities to support your communities safely as we all continue to protect the health of people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. Many are sharing resources. The Morgridge Center has excellent ideas. Idealist gives a great overview. And we offer a number of additional (and overlapping) resources and ideas in the menu below. There are many ways to use time well during this time. In addition to looking for ways to be involved through volunteering, internships, and paid work, we encourage you to take time to learn, reflect, grow, and connect with people (including health professionals) in other ways as well.”

Literacy Network Internships

Literacy Network accepts volunteers, and have information here.

Literacy Network teaches reading, writing, communication, and computer skills to Dane County adults so they can achieve financial security, well- being, and deeper engagement with their families and the community.

Social Justice Hub opportunities:

• Social Justice Teams: You are invited to join or form a Social Justice team to directly work on an issue area of your choice, setting up for the fall, such as environmental justice, women’s rights, voting or criminal justice!
• Social Justice Hub Resources: Find out about the many social justice organizations, resources and educational activities supported at UW-Madison.
  • UW-Madison Social Justice-Related Organizations
  • UW-Madison Social Justice Resources
  • UW-Madison Social Justice-Related Education
  • Social Justice Books and Documentaries
  • Wisconsin Union Social Justice History
• Social Justice Newsletter: Request to be added to the Social Justice newsletter
• Social Justice Hub 5-Minute Trainings: Social Justice Hub Education Coordinators, Julia Gutman and Camilla Vellon, have created 5-minute Social Justice trainings. They are designed to easily be used in your online meetings. Workshop offerings, as they are updated, can be found here.
• Become a Social Justice Comic Series Artist: The Social Justice Hub Comic Series emphasizes increasing on-campus awards of social justice issues. It supports student and community artists sharing their social justice work. If you have a passion for social justice and art, let them know of your interest, or simply submit your artistic work, to socialjustice@union.wisc.edu. Share your social justice awareness, creativity and get published!
• Many, many more! Visit the Social Justice Hub’s website to explore even more opportunities.

Badger Micro-Internships

Click here to learn about how UW-Madison students of all majors can build skills and experience through these short-term assignments with a variety of employers.

Here’s a quick summary of what exactly micro-internships are:

Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. These projects enable Career Launchers to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as they seek the right full-time role. Unlike traditional internships, Micro-Internships can take place year-round, typically range from 5 to 40 hours of work, and are due between one week and one month after kick-off. Micro-Internships are used by companies ranging from those in the Fortune 100 to emerging start-ups, and go across departments including sales, marketing, technology, HR, and finance.

Micro-Internships are facilitated via the Parker Dewey platform, which connects Career Launchers with Companies in need of support.

SuccessWorks Resources

Here are some resources SuccessWorks has developed that students may need access to under the current situation:

• Events including career fairs, mock interviews, and a number of employer engagement opportunities
• Virtual & Phone Interview Prep Guide
• Internship/Job FAQs addressing the current market and steps to take
• Comprehensive Networking Guide
• L&S students with questions about the current job/internship market can be directed to SuccessWorks career advising (virtual appointments and drop-ins are available).

Also, regardless of whether you are a first year, or fourth, you should definitely take a couple seconds to enroll in this Canvas Module by SuccessWorks that guides you through whether graduate school is a good option for you, whether you should consider a gap year (or two!), and what options are available to you. It includes a portion called “Have you considered Peace Corps?” that provides great basic information for those who don’t have their post-graduation plan fully nailed down yet.

Academic Coaching and Tutoring Services in the Division of Diversity, Equity Educational Achievement is hiring coaches aka tutors.

Scholars are from CeO, People, Posse, First Wave, Mercile J. Lee, McNair and students who identify as indigenous/native american /american indian.

Perfect for any student who is looking to sharpen their teaching skills, reinforce their knowledge, flexible virtual hours, fulfilling rewarding experience,  peer to peer support and who want to earn some extra money.

How to Apply to be an Academic Coach:

If anyone is interested in becoming a remote coach, pay begins at $11/hour, the hours are VERY flexible, and this experience is a great way to give back, gain extra experiences, and connect with more students in the division!

To apply, visit this website, click on “Apply” in the top banner, and then click on “Become a Coach.”

This position is frequently available and for most of the semester.

UW BASES Program

Want to work with children, learn about homelessness, and make a difference in the life of a young student? Join the BASES program! Our undergraduate and graduate mentors are matched with early elementary school kids experiencing homelessness and provide in-school support to a child for a full academic year.

BASES has both class and service learning components. Students are prepared for this experience in a biweekly class that focuses on the potential of 1-on-1 mentoring relationships to aid young children’s adjustment to school and how to foster resilience both in and outside of school. Mentors will learn about the effects of poverty and trauma on child development through guest lectures, films, readings, reflective writing assignments, and discussions. Class exercises are designed to support students’ learning about homelessness, mentoring, societal forces, racial inequities, and emotionally responsive teaching.

The need in our city is enormous. Last year almost 1500 students in Madison Metropolitan School District were identified as highly transient or homeless. Applications are no longer being accepted for the 2021–2022 mentor cohort, but consider applying next year!

Please refer any questions to bases@education.wisc.edu.

Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes

Gain two semesters of language learning in just 8 weeks!

Online learning for summers.

Instruction in less commonly taught languages:

Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Burmese, Dari, Filipino, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Javanese, Kazakh, Khmer, Lao, Marathi, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sinhala, Tajik, Tamil, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek, and Vietnamese

Visit the WISLI website for information on language offerings and to learn about programming, deadlines, application criteria, and more!

Food Bank Opportunities

From Molly McCormick, American Red Cross – SW Chapter

Second Harvest Food bank of Southern Wisconsin – 2802 Dairy Drive Madison, WI 53718

Feed My People – 2610 Alpine Rd. Eau Claire, WI 54703

Point of Contact: Stephanie Jung Dorfman, (608) 906-4517 or sdorfman@feedingwi.org

Feeding America Eastern WI Warehouse Locations:

• Appleton – 2911 W. Evergreen Drive Appleton, WI 54913
• Milwaukee – 1700 W. Fond du Lac Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53205
• Point of Contact: Patti Habeck, (920) 427-5925 or phabeck@feedingamericawi.org

Adam Lemons from Team Rubicon volunteered at the Appleton warehouse location to answer questions or provide some feedback.  You can reach Adam at 585-330-5865 or lemons@teamrubiconusa.org.

Visit Volunteer Wisconsin, where anyone can search for other volunteering opportunities in WI.

Molly McCormick
RPCV Philippines 2015-2017
608-304-2096
molly.mccormick@redcross.org