KFAI
POSITION DESCRIPTION
News and New Media Training Assistant
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Position: AmeriCorps MemberProgram: Community Technology Empowerment ProjectPartner Agency: KFAI, Fresh Air, Inc.
Location(s):1808 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Site Supervisor and Title: Ahndi Fridell, News Director
CTEP Program Description:
The AmeriCorps Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) bridges the “digital divide” for new Immigrants and low-income communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Join AmeriCorps CTEP and help make the information age accessible to all. CTEP is a project of Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).
Site History and Mission
KFAI, Fresh Air, Inc. (KFAI) is a volunteer-driven community-based radio station serving the Twin Cities regional area. KFAI has been recognized locally and nationally for broadcasting information, arts and entertainment programming to an audience diverse in age, racial, social and economic backgrounds. KFAI produces shows in more languages (12) than any other station in the United States. For over 35 years, KFAI’s mission has been to provide a voice for people not represented by mainstream media, increase understanding between peoples and communities, and foster the values of democracy and social justice. KFAI’s program hosts are volunteers who are culturally and linguistically appropriate community leaders and artists, who produce and manage programs that reach out to their own communities. Program ideas are both community driven as well as internally developed to meet the intended audience needs. In this way, KFAI “stays tuned” to voices of the people who aren’t served by other media outlets, particularly New American listeners.
Preferred Site Schedule for Member
School year (Sept-May): Monday - Friday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Summer (June-August) Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. -4:00 pm; Friday 11:00 - 4:00 pm
Specific time split between KFAI and Christo Rey High School to be determined.
In addition, members attend professional development days with their fellow CTEP members to enhance service-readiness skills, personal attributes at the service site, and citizenship skills. These Corps days take place twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Fridays from 9 AM to 4 PM, and these trainings are mandatory. Members also attend statewide AmeriCorps events, such as the Martin Luther King Day celebration, and/or serve on the statewide InterCorps Council.
Essential Functions:
The AmeriCorps Member will work in KFAI’s News Department with responsibility for administering an intensive journalism training program on how to create professional quality radio news reports and programming for live radio and new media distribution (podcasting, blogging, social media networks and video). The project is centered on journalism training in news & programming research, reporting, creative writing, voice training, producing, digital recording and editing and videography. The project will especially target girls from Somali and Hmong communities as they are underrepresented in public broadcasting and new media. The AmeriCorps Member in this position will work with KFAI and selected students enrolled at Christo Rey Jesuit High School. The project is hands-on, technology based and designed to engage high school students to find their voice and tell their story via radio and new media. Each student participants’ final product or content will be developed for broad distribution, especially on KFAI’s evening news and KFAI’s existing language specific programming. Christo Rey Jesuit High School website: www.cristoreytc.org
- Train youth participants on the technical aspects of radio reporting, including digital editing, collecting audio, writing/scripting, blogging, podcasting and video documentation;
- Direct the hands-on training, including audio editing, writing and directed guidance and instruction;
- Work with the News Director to plan curriculum and direction of the program;
- Maintain attendance records and general files for each participant;
- Assist with and provide input into the evaluation process, in conjunction with KFAI staff, youth participants and others to be determined;
- Assist youth participants to plan and execute outreach activities in conjunction with volunteer mobilization efforts; and,
- Other training duties, related to this project, as assigned.
The AmeriCorps Member will be serving high-school aged (13-18) youth from the Somali and Hmong communities.
Minimal Functions:
- attending bi-weekly KFAI staff meetings;
- general administrative details relevant to her/his training responsibilities, such as responding to telephone and email messages; and,
- attending regularly scheduled (monthly or quarterly/to be determined) meetings with existing KFAI volunteers and programmers responsible for Somali and Hmong programming.
Required Qualifications:
- At least 17 years old;
- U.S. citizenship, naturalization, or permanent residency;
- Ability to travel within the Twin Cities;
- High school diploma or GED (or progress toward while serving for special circumstances);
- Basic personal computer skills (word processing, internet, email, etc.);
- Experience working with low-income and/or recent immigrant populations, especially in education or mentoring;
- Capacity to spend long periods of time at a computer; and,
- Ability to move up to 25 pounds.
Preferred Qualifications:
(One or more of the following are desired but not required):
- Post-Secondary Education;
- Bilingual in Hmong or Somali;
- Experience in volunteer management or youth supervision;
- Advanced technology skills, especially in web design, video production, or computer applications;
- Experience in staff training; and,
- Experience in broadcast transmission operation and digital editing.
Service Term:
Full-time: 1700 hours. Start Sept 7, 2010; complete by Aug 31, 2011.
Members Receive:
Full-time: A living allowance (approximately $450 bi-weekly), an educational award of $5,350.00 (upon successful completion), health and dental insurance plan including reimbursement of deductible charge, child care (d.o.q) and ongoing training.
How to Apply:
Apply online at my.americorps.gov and click on “Apply to Serve” (be sure to enter 06ACHMN0010008-0 as the “Program Listing ID,” or search for the Community Technology Empowerment Project). Contact: Joel Krogstad, joel@technologypower.org, 651.556.1384.
We are committed to recruiting and engaging individuals without regard to disability, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request. Alternative formats of this document are also available.