October 9: College Defensive Driving Class [Required to drive campus vehicles!]
This program is required for anyone who wishes to rent a College passenger or 15-passenger vehicle. If you might want to use a campus vehicle for volunteering in 2012-2013 get prepared by taking this class! There is no cost for the class but a driving orientation (a 1 hour review on the road) is required for 15-passenger Vans and larger vehicles. Class time is about 2 Hrs. REMINDER: A valid state license is required to take the class. Individuals wanting a 15-Passenger Van license must have 3 years of driving experience. To sign up email Ed Sullivan, Sullivan@middlebury.edu. Upcoming class: October 9, 9:00 a.m., Mitchell Green Lounge
Participate in E2 Environment & Equity Student Leadership Conference
Oct. 20th, 2012 (workshop) and Jan. 21, 2013 (conference) at ECHO Museum in Burlington
Student teams are invited to participate in the January 2013 E2 Environment & Equity Student Leadership Conference, which will explore the intersection of social justice and environmental sustainability. Teams of 5 or more people will gather on Oct. 2012 to learn and teach each other about environmental and social justice issues, and local service opportunities, and strategies for effecting change. Participants will have the opportunity to develop a project or workshop to present to the public as part of a community-wide MLK Jr. Day Environment and Equity Summit, and network with other Vermont environmental and social justice student groups. Registration is free, and transportation support from Middlebury to Burlington can be provided. Interested? Contact Ashley Calkins, jcalkins@middlebury.edu. Individuals or groups are welcome to contact me! More information here.
Applications due Wednesday (10/10) for February Middlebury Alternative Break Trips!
All students are welcome to apply to participate in the student-led MAlt trips over February Break! This year’s trips will focus on border and immigration issues (El Paso, TX), cultural and environmental awareness (Cherokee Nation), conservation in El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico), women’s empowerment (Dominican Republic), and the US prison system (New York).
Find more information and the application here.
Local J-Term internship opportunity at the Charter House emergency winter shelter – Application due 10/21
Spend your January Term interning at the Charter House Emergency Winter Shelter in Middlebury, which provides emergency housing to individuals and families through the winter months. Interns will support the management staff of the Charter House Emergency Winter Shelter in meeting client needs, maintaining a spirit of welcome and community within the building, and staffing the Shelter. Interns will gain an in-depth understanding of how The Middlebury Community Care Coalition and the broader community support the transition of homeless families to stable housing. Visit go/internships and click on “Winter Term” for information on receiving course credit for this internship. Visit MOJO and search for “Charter House” to find more information and apply for the internship.
Put your math skills to work in the community: AP Calculus tutor needed
A volunteer is needed to tutor a high school student in AP Calculus at the Middlebury Union High School Learning Lab. The student is available between 1:35 – 2:55 p.m. Monday – Friday and could meet during those times based on your schedule. Interested? Contact Jim Burnett, jburnett@addisoncentralsu.org.
Gym Partner Needed
A community member is seeking a gym partner and college student friend. This individual is an enthusiastic young woman with a cognitive delay as a result of chronic heart problems. Interested? Email Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu.
Staying in Middlebury over October Break? Volunteer with the Nature Conservancy of Vermont!
Upcoming worksite dates: Friday, 10/12, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10/13, 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
The Nature Conservancy of Vermont is looking for volunteers to join us in removing invasive plants (primarily buckthorn) from our Snake Mountain South Natural Area in Bridport this fall. These days are an excellent opportunity to get to know a great conservation organization here in Vermont, give back to your community, and to gain field experience. For these days we will be cutting and clipping non-native invasive shrubs which threaten the health of this beautiful forest. No experience required, just an interest in working hard in a very special place. Snake Mountain South, just south of the often hiked Snake Mountain, is home to rare amphibians and other wildlife, and many rare and uncommon plants and trees. This year, we will be working on top of the cliffs, so you can expect a good workout and stunning vistas. If you are interested in joining The Nature Conservancy on any of these dates please RSVP to Tim Duclos (tim.duclos@tnc.org) or call us at 802-229-4425 ext. 111.
Make an impact in a child’s life: Become a mentor for Community Friends
Enjoy making an impact in someone’s life? Want to strengthen the community in which you’ll be spending time? Become a mentor for Community Friends! Since 1960 Community Friends has been matching Middlebury College students with children from Addison County. Mentors and mentees spend time together weekly, exploring whatever interests may arise out of these friendships. Find more information and an application here. Questions? Contact Nestor Martinez, Mentoring and Youth Programs Coordinator, at 802.443.3010, nmartinez@middlebury.edu.
Like food? Join Nutrition Outreach and Mentoring (nom) in Cooking at the Teen Center
Date: Wednesday, 10/17 from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Nom is looking for volunteers to teach teens how to cook on Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. The group will be making a collection of appetizers and volunteers eat with the teens, too! If you are passionate about food and food education and want to connect to members of the community, this opportunity is for you! Email Nes Martinez at middlebury.nom@gmail.com to sign up to participate.
11/1-11/2 Virtual Conference Opportunity: Literacy as a National Priority
Registration is now open for the Read.Write.Act. Virtual Conference here. The annual Read.Write.Act Virtual Conference, connects college students at campus-based literacy groups from around the country with content specialists, community-based literacy organizations and other leaders in literacy who are committed to creating a more just society by engaging young people in literacy education. Virtual conference sessions will be held on Thursday, Nov. 1 – Friday, Nov. 2: Full schedule for Thursday, November 1st, Full schedule for Friday, November 2nd, Full schedule for Saturday, November 3rd. Student fee for Thursday and Friday: $25. Funding available from EIA Civic Engagement to support attendance, if you are interested email Ashley Calkins, jcalkins@middlebury.edu.
Volunteer in a “Website English” class: WordPress-experienced individual needed
The Diversified Occupations Program’s class called “Website English” gives students the opportunity to learn how to create, maintain, and write content for their WordPress-based webpage (http://doprogram.org). A volunteer is needed to be an occasional helper in the classroom, or act as a contact for questions about trouble-shooting their WordPress website. Interested? Email teacher Ian Hoefle, ihoefle@addisoncentralsu.org.
Need money for service? Apply to the Flex Fund to finance your initiatives!
Whether it is transportation expenses, pumpkins to carve with Porter hospital residents, or turkeys to cook at the local shelter, we want to help you serve others. Visit go/funding to find our application. Email scboard@middlebury.edu for more information.
Questions? If you have questions about any of these volunteer opportunities or want to learn more ways to get involved in the local community, contact Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu, 802.443.3099