Year-Long Paid Media
Positions! Join the Digital Arts Service Corps!
They
are
coordinating a wide range of positions at community media projects
around the U.S., being made available through the
national Americorps*VISTA
program that deploys national service volunteers to public media and
technology organizations that strengthen low-income and at-risk
communities and
the nonprofit organizations that serve them.
These include
positions at:
National Radio
Project, Oakland CA
Center for Media
Justice, Oakland CA
Free Speech Radio
News, Madison WI
Prometheus Radio
Project, Philadelphia PA
Public Radio Exchange,
Cambridge, MA
Urbana Champagne
Independent Media Center, IL
Reclaim the Media,
Seattle, WA
You can find the
complete list of positions here:
But be sure to
check the individual sites for more details, job descriptions, and
additional
benefits that might be available.
AmeriCorps*VISTA
members are not
volunteers. Instead, you will be charged with a broad responsibility
for meeting
goals and successfully bringing important community projects to
completion.
AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve full-time
for one year (365 days).
Benefits of Service
In
return for your service, AmeriCorps*VISTA and
the
Digital Arts Service Corps has many benefits, some more valuable than
others:
- $12,000 - $15,000/year living allowance. This
amount varies based upon the community in which you serve.
- $5,350 Education Award or $1,500 stipend paid
at the successful completion of your year of service
- Student loan deferment or forbearance on
qualified loans
- Limited health benefits and prescription drug
coverage
- Serve as part of a national team, facilitated
by the Transmission Project, to share resources, experience and advice
- The opportunity to gain high-level experience,
skills and access within the nonprofit sector. Many of our alumni have
gone on to full-time employment within their organization or another as
a result of their service within the Digital Arts Service Corps
Eligibility
AmeriCorps*VISTA
candidates must be a U.S. citizen, U.S.
national, or lawful permanent resident, be
team-oriented, and be willing to take on a wide range of challenges.
Some
listings may require college degrees or previous work experience. You
must be
at least 17 years old. There is no upper age limit, and many AmeriCorps*VISTA
members bring significant work and life experiences to their
assignment.
Self-initiative, flexibility and organizational skills are a must.
You must be available to
serve full-time for one year and are
prohibited from outside employment or attending full-time college
during your
year of service.
+++++++++++++++++++
NOTE FROM SOMEONE WHO'S IN THE CORPS:
Just want to add a quick supportive comment here --
I've been serving as a Digital Arts Service Corps VISTA at NY Media
Alliance, upstate in Troy, NY, for the past 9 months, and I have had a
<b>fantastic</b> time. I haven't been able to really save
money, travel much, or buy a lot of stuff, but as a 20-something
willing to move to a new community, the chance to work at a grassroots
media production, advocacy, and/or education organization, get paid a
small amount, get half-decent health insurance, and have my student
loans deferred is far more appealing than slogging through a retail job
while holding unpaid internships with commercial or public radio/media
organizations. I'm engaging with a new, dedicated community, learning
tons of new audio/video and web-related skills, and making connections
in the nonprofit arts and media worlds too.
Many of the nonprofits offering Transmission Project/DASC VISTA
positions would otherwise be unable to hire a full-time staff person
for these jobs, so you have the opportunity to help them grow in really
significant ways.
It's worth noting that not all of the positions listed on http://apply.digitalartscorps.org/ will ultimately
be funded, perhaps even after you've interviewed with an organization
and they've decided to bring you on as a DASC VISTA. This is how the
Transmission Project runs, given their limited governmental funding for
the project, and though it's not their fault, it can be incredibly
frustrating.
Anyway, I would still recommend applying to one or more positions if
you're in a similar place in your life.
You can contact directors Ben or Belinda (and not me please! I don't
represent the Transmission Project, I'm just a member) with further
questions: http://digitalartscorps.org/contact_us