Call for Applications: Humanities EXCEL Fellowship with United Way of Santa Cruz County – Community Impact, Winter/Spring 2025

We encourage work-study and non-work-study students to apply. This role is only open to undergraduate students with a declared or proposed Humanities major or minor and requires work authorization.

Application Deadline: Sunday November 10, 2024

The Humanities Division and The Humanities Institute are excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to work with United Way of Santa Cruz County.

The Humanities Experiential Career Exploration and Learning (EXCEL) Program connects Humanities majors and minors to organizations in the community for paid internships. In this cohort program, EXCEL Fellows gain practical experience and professional training while learning about positions outside of the university that build on their studies in the humanities. At the same time, community partner organizations benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise. EXCEL Fellowships carry on the success of THI’s Public Fellows program, and they foster positive collaborations between the campus and community, demonstrating the value of a Humanities degree for a range of careers.

Applicants must have a declared or proposed major or minor in the Humanities Division at the time of their application to be eligible. Please see the Humanities Division majors and minors list to check your eligibility before applying.

About United Way of Santa Cruz County:

United Way of Santa Cruz County’s (UWSCC) Community Impact Department is critical in creating social change in Santa Cruz County. UWSCC often convenes, bringing together stakeholders to address complex social issues strategically. Using a data-driven public health approach guided by equity and best practices, UWSCC aims to create long-lasting systems and policy changes that promote well-being for all. A key focus of UWSCC’s work is on youth wellbeing. Our youth initiatives are at the core of our efforts, emphasizing positive youth development and youth-centered practices.

The Initiatives include: 

• Jóvenes SANOS: (JS) Jóvenes SANOS is a youth advocacy and leadership program in Watsonville, California, dedicated to empowering, educating, and raising awareness about youth mental health in the community. The program aims to create an environment fostering a health and wellness culture through peer-to-peer conversations about mental well-being and promoting hope, resilience, and healing. Committed to equity and justice, Jóvenes SANOS actively participates in a UC Santa Cruz Youth Research project and partners with NAMI, the County Office of Education, and the Youth Action Network. By engaging in community-student research grounded in residents' lived experiences, Jóvenes SANOS seeks to highlight interpersonal and structural barriers, using the social determinants of health approach to examine the various factors affecting individual well-being.
• Youth Action Network (YAN): is a multi-sector collaborative of youth, adult allies, community partners, and youth-serving organizations across Santa Cruz County working to increase youth voice and leadership in local decision-making. YAN plans to increase youth voice and leadership in decision-making by strengthening youth-adult partnerships, providing opportunities for meaningful participation in the community, and through leadership development & capacity building. YAN also works with UCSC and partner organizations on a multi-year youth research project. 

Position Description: Community Impact Intern

Interns will work closely with the Community Impact Coordinators to support the coordination of implementation of the various Community Impact Initiatives. Responsibilities include but are not limited to meeting and event support, research on best practices, administrative tasks, social media and communications, and youth engagement. Interns can work with various youth and partners, representing businesses, community-based organizations, education, government, justice, and/or public health.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Meeting & Event Support (20%): 

  • Attendance Tracking: Keep accurate records of attendees at meetings and events.
  • Set-up and Clean-up: Assist with the physical setup and breakdown of meeting spaces and event venues.
  • Lunch Logistics: Coordinate lunch arrangements for larger events, including ordering, setup, and distribution.
  • Event Planning: Assist in the planning and executing of significant events, ensuring all logistical details are managed.

• Research (20%): 

  • Attending Youth Research Sessions: Participate in monthly Saturday youth research sessions to gather insights and data.
  • Supporting Internal Youth Research Session Planning: Assist in organizing and preparing for internal planning sessions related to youth research.
  • Collaborating with UC Santa Cruz Professors and Undergrad Students: Work with academic partners to align research efforts and integrate best practices.

• Social Media & Communications (20%):  

  • Social Media Management: Ensure regular and engaging content is posted.
  • Content Calendar Management: Maintain and update a calendar to schedule social media posts and other communications.
  • Newsletter Creation: Draft and distribute newsletters to keep the community informed.
  • Community Calendar Updates: Keep the community calendar current with upcoming events and important dates.
  • Graphic Design: Create visual content for social media posts, slides, and presentations.
  • Website Content Updates and Maintenance: Regularly update and maintain the organization’s website content.
  • Creating Reels for Events: Produce short video reels to highlight and promote events.

• Youth Engagement (20%): 

  • Attending Weekly Youth Meetings: Participate in weekly meetings with youth (Mondays, 4-6 pm).
  • Team Building Opportunities with Youth: Engage in activities to build teamwork and camaraderie among youth participants.
  • Making Engaging Presentations: Prepare and deliver engaging and relevant presentations to youth audiences. 
  • Attend Training: Participate in training to enhance knowledge of best practices and effective youth engagement strategies.

• Administrative Tasks (20%): 

  • Note-Taking During Meetings: Take detailed notes to ensure accurate records and follow-ups.
  • Outreach and Engagement with Community Partners: Conduct outreach to and maintain engagement with various community partners.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• You are a declared or proposed major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division and are in good academic standing. If your major or minor is proposed, you can declare by the end of the academic year in June. [strict eligibility requirement]
  • Eligible majors: Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism, Classical Studies, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Feminist Studies, History, Jewish Studies, Language Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Spanish Studies
  • Eligible minors: Black Studies, Classical Studies, East Asian Studies, History of Consciousness, History, Italian Studies, Jewish Studies, Language Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Philosophy, Spanish Studies
• Organization and communication skills
• Basic computer literacy (word, excel, ppt, google drive) 
• Social media and content creation familiarity or willingness to learn
• Works well independently and within a group
• Taken upper-division humanities and social science courses 
• Commitment to social justice & racial equity
• Desire to impact community & systems change

Internship Term: January 2025-June 2025

Hours: 10-15

Compensation: $20/hour

# Positions Available: 2

Location: Hybrid – virtual, in Capitola Office, and out in the community

Address:  4450 Capitola Rd., Ste 106, Capitola, CA 

• UCSC Humanities funds a ZipCar account and allows EXCEL fellows to make bookings to help secure transportation to off-campus shifts if needed. 

Mentorship:  You will report to United Way’s Director of Community Impact, Pamela Velasquez. The partner supervisor will delegate tasks and review your work, provide coaching, and help you understand what working in this field is like. You will meet to check in at least once per week.

Apply By Submitting

1. Your updated resume
2. A short cover letter (no more than one page) answering these questions: Why are you interested in this position? How does your academic expertise and skillset prepare you for this role? What are you hoping to gain from this opportunity?

REVIEW these resume and cover letter resources to ensure you are a strong candidate!

• Address your cover letter to the United Way team.

Once the application window closes on Sunday, November 10, at 11:59 pm, there will be an interview process with top candidates. This job is expected to start in early January.

Please contact the EXCEL Program coordinator, Kylie Rachwalski, at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.

The Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, The Humanities Institute, and the UCSC Humanities Division generously support the Humanities EXCEL Program.