| |
ThirdPath Institute Internship
Contact:
Hanne Weedon, Program Director,
hanneweedon@aol.com, or at 610-259-2345.
Unpaid spring/summer 2007 internship (with option to continue in the fall) with Philadelphia-based nonprofit ThirdPath Institute, as part of the “Working Class/Working Poor Project,” addressing economically disadvantaged families’ work-life balance issues. Responsibilities include reading and summarizing books, reports and articles written on work family issues from a variety of perspectives (academic, public policy, labor movement, etc.). Responsibilities also may include performing library research, compiling bibliographies, and searching titles.
Qualifications & Skills:
We are seeking a highly motivated, self-reliant intern who is interested in spending a summer reading, writing and learning about working class/working poor work-family issues. The ideal candidate would possess excellent reading, analytical and writing skills, as well as the ability to work independently, communicate effectively and complete assignments with accuracy and attention to detail. Willingness to take initiative, knowledge of Internet research, and previous research and writing experience a plus. Demonstrated proficiency with Excellent WORD and EXCEL skills required.
Flexibility:
Flexible 10-20 hours per week work schedule, depending on the intern’s interest and availability. Hours and location for completing the work are flexible. One face-to-face meeting per week will be required, in Philadelphia.
ThirdPath Institute:
The mission of the ThirdPath Institute is to assist individuals, families and organizations in finding new ways to redesign work to create time for family, community and other life priorities.
We have found that people are deeply motivated to make change when their family’s well-being is on the line. Therefore, focusing on parents - both mothers and fathers- who have already tested new ways of reconfiguring both work and family, becomes a highly effective way to create a blueprint for supporting wider change around our mission. In fact, we believe one of the most powerful ways to create workable solutions for many of today’s challenges - such as the growing income gap, decreased job security, greater time spent working, and cuts in public support systems - is to develop solutions in collaboration with the families who are on the front lines of these challenges.
Long-term our goal is to organize individuals, families and communities to influence larger systemic change - both within organizations and at the public policy level. Together with other likeminded people, we will shape a future where no person is required to choose between work and children, work and an aging parent, work and community involvement, or work and some other life interest. Instead, people will be able to follow a "third path," one that allows them to integrate work with other life priorities.
Working Class/Working Poor Project:
Working class and working poor families have always had to creatively juggle work and family responsibilities. Anecdotal evidence suggests many success stories exist where mothers, fathers, grandmothers, uncles and other extended family members have played significant roles in supporting strong family life. By collaborating with a variety of local community organizations, we hope to gather some of these success stories, develop local leadership around the issues, and offer locally run community support groups and workshops.
Long term, this project launches our goal of expanding the conversation about what local and national public policy changes need to occur to support families across the economic spectrum to adequately balance work and family responsibilities. Our plan is to see to it that public policy suggestions developed out of these conversations will better meet the needs of, and include the voices and opinions of, economically disadvantaged families. |
