Paid Community Organizing Training Program

The Direct Action & Research Training (DART) Center is currently accepting resumes from alums and spring graduating GVSU students interested in social and economic justice issues for their paid, four-month community organizing training program known as the DART Organizers Institute.

The DART Center has built non-partisan community organizations throughout the country that have won important improvements on a broad set of issues affecting low-moderate income people including:

· Education reform in low-performing public schools
· Job Training
· Drugs and Violence
· Affordable Housing
· Criminal Recidivism
· Neighborhood Revitalization, etc.

The DART Organizers Institute starts June 15, 2008 and combines a 7-day classroom with 15-week field training. Organizer Trainees will learn such things as:

· Entering a community
· Identifying and training local leaders
· Strategic planning and issue cutting
· Relationship and community building
· Direct Action on community issues
· Fundraising

This is a paid training program designed to promote successful graduates into permanent salaried positions making up to $35,000/year in starting salaries, plus benefits. Graduates from the DART Organizers Institute have gone onto accept Executive Director and Associate Community Organizing positions throughout the country. We continue to train the best of those working to build the power of low-moderate income neighborhoods to win victories on important issues in their community.

To apply, Grand Valley State University students must send an updated resume and completed application to: Ben MacConnell, the Recruitment Director at: institute@thedartcenter.org before March 17, 2008. You can also call him with questions: (785) 841-2680. To find out more about the DART center, check out our website: www.thedartcenter.org