Jobs/Internships

Employment

Elder Economic Security Initiative Director

WOW seeks a project director with attention to detail and strong organizational and management skills to take the Elder Economic Security Initiative to the next level. Ideal candidates will have a demonstrated understanding of federal and state public policies related to poverty and aging issues including, but not limited to, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SSI, food and nutrition programs, housing assistance.

The director will: oversee the effective utilization of relevant staff, interns and consultants including leading the Initiative team and coordinate activities; support fundraising goals including developing innovative program ideas, writing in part or all grants and grant reports; serve as the Initiative’s spokesperson and liaison to external meetings and coalitions; ensure the delivery of technical assistance to state partners and coalition members as a group (e.g., weekly policy updates, webinars, monthly and quarterly conference calls) and on a state by state basis; oversee all communications (including online) and evaluation efforts; provide input to the development of the WOW national policy agenda; and manage project budgets and monitoring expenditure of grant funds of the Initiative.

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TO APPLY:

Qualified applicants for this position should send a cover letter, resume, a writing sample and references by Wednesday, July 1,2009 by mail to Vivian Staples at WOW at 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 930, Washington, DC 20036, by fax to (202) 464-1660 or by email to vstaples@wowonline.org. Only applications with a cover letter will be accepted.

 

Internship Program

We offer year-round internships. We are no longer accepting applicants for summer internship positions. Please check back for more information regarding our fall internship schedule.

Wider Opportunities for Women is at the forefront in promoting policies that help women and low-income families move out of poverty and toward economic self-sufficiency. WOW seeks interns to assist with all of our federal, state, and local projects and policy. WOW seeks individuals who are passionate about women's equality and economic independence and would like to work for an organization helping families become self-sufficient.

WOW needs capable, enthusiastic and dedicated interns to support our groundbreaking work. Our interns work full-time or part-time, with a minimum of three half days per week.

These internships provide a great opportunity to hone research and writing skills, gain an in-depth understanding of the issues facing low-income women, and learn about the work of advocacy organizations around the country. Depending on the particular position, our interns have the opportunity to:

• Discover how interest group coalitions impact federal policy;
• Support organizations across the country in their work, including our state partners within our Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project;
• Sustain the strategic policy advocacy of local coalitions in the DC metro area;
• Help develop and teach a curriculum that educates teens about the realities of the labor market and encourages career paths to self-sufficiency; and
• Make great contacts in the advocacy world.

Wider Opportunities for Women offers six exciting intern opportunities:

1. Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Intern - This paid intern position will focus on implementing the roll out of a new economic security campaign and influencing policies and programs of states and local government consistent with WOW's mission, goals and objectives. As the intern in this position, you will: (1) Perform an analysis of existing economic security policies and proposed policies that are or have been introduced during 2009 legislative sessions, the states' revenue capacity and revenue structures in the wake of the stimulus bill and the new federal budget; (2) Assess these policies in relation to our current income adequacy measures and work with state partners to educate state-level (or local) policy-makers and administrators as appropriate; (3) Monitor and attend meetings and hearings that focus on policies and programs relevant to the states and related to FESS; and (4) develop a database of key statewide and legislative officers in the country, and (5) work with the FESS Director on other selected projects including on-line advocacy and social media projects. Open to graduate students in public policy, political science, public administration, communications or a related field of study. Preference will be given to individuals who can commit between six months and one year to this project.

2. Research Intern - This intern position will have the opportunity to work across programs, and to learn aspects of the organization's work that are of particular interest. The position will be of interest to those interested in any of the following: policy, economics, social work, women's issues, gerontology. Responsibilities include: assisting development of models, tools for policy analysis; assisting with data collection and management, development of online tools; assisting with the production of research reports; attending local conferences, roundtables, Congressional hearings; assisting with dissemination of WOW’s research and interaction with WOW’s state partners; and pursuing additional professional development activities of their interest.

Requirements include: comfort with numbers; interest in policy, economics, and/or social work; interest in women's, elder or other social equity issues; comfort with basic Excel; knowledge of SPSS preferred but not necessary.

3. Federal Elder Economic Security Policy Intern – Wider Opportunities for Women’s vision and mission of economic independence for women is intergenerational. In working toward that end, Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) has launched an exciting new effort, the Elder Economic Security Initiative that seeks to build economic security for elders through a multi-pronged approach that includes organizing, advocacy and research. WOW has partnered with nine states, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Connecticut and New Jersey to launch the national project. WOW has secured resources to expand the project to 20 states total and produce a national database with information on all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

One key resource of the Initiative is the Elder Economic Security Standard Index - a measure of income that elders require to meet basic expenses to age in place - including meeting their housing and health care costs while maintaining their independence in the community.

As the federal elder economic security policy intern, you would play a role in building the initiative and developing the public policy objectives. Intern responsibilities would include analyzing federal policy, attending coalition meetings and congressional hearings on program and policy issues (ex: Social Security, Medicare, long-term care, pensions, the Older Americans Act), developing policy memos and issue briefs, updating web resources, and disseminating policy activity to our state partners and network members. Further, you would respond to state partners’ requests for information and assistance, contribute to project development and strategy, and maintain and develop resources for the project.

4. Federal Economic Security Policy Intern – WOW is active in all facets of advocacy and policy work for low-income women and families. As the federal policy intern, you would attend coalition meetings and congressional hearings on program and policy issues (ex: workforce development, welfare, education, asset development), develop policy memos and issue briefs, update web resources, and disseminate federal policy activity to our state partners and network members. Our national programs engage in organizing, research, and advocacy --- using the common framework of economic security --- to design, implement and advocate for programs and policies that move low-income families and seniors towards economic independence. WOW works at the national level to leverage the combined experience and effort of its state organizing projects. As the Federal Policy Intern, you would analyze federal policy, respond to state FESS and EESI partners’ requests for information and assistance, assist with the research and construction of white papers, issue briefs, congressional testimony and other documents designed to educate federal policy-makers as well as those within the administration charged with implementation.  

5. Local Programs and Policy Intern - WOW initiates advocacy, policy, and programs for low-income women and families in the Washington, DC metro area. One of WOW's local programs is a career and financial planning workshop series for teens that assists them in career choices that lead to self-sufficiency. As the local programs and policy intern, you would work hands-on with the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Washington, DC, develop resources for internal and external audiences, and attend coalition meetings and local hearings on program and policy issues. You may also have the opportunity to research and develop curriculum, conduct outreach to communities in the DC metro region, and impact teenagers by teaching them about career choices and goals. This is a great opportunity to learn about grassroots organizing and the local political process.

6. DC Women's Agenda Intern - On the local level, WOW convenes the DC Women’s Agenda, which is a broad-based coalition that promotes women’s and girls’ equality, advancement, safety, and well-being through advocacy, education, and community input. The intern would participate in advocacy efforts before the DC Council with other organizations in DC, assist in organizing educational forums on pressing issues confronting women, and research and write fact sheets on current legislative issues. The applicant should have good writing skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

TO APPLY:

Mail or fax a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and two references to:

Attn: Intern Search Committee
Wider Opportunities for Women
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 930
Washington, DC 20036
Fax: 202-464-1660
Email inquiries to abest@wowonline.org

The internship will pay $10 per day.
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

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