Be a part of the COLAGE Family Week Volunteer Staff Team!
Apply Today!
COLAGE is currently seeking fabulous adults with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer parents to join us for an incredible week at this year’s Provincetown Family Week in Provincetown, MA July 26th- August 2nd, 2014!
To apply: Fill out the below application and back ground check consent form and submit it no later than Monday, March 31st, 2014 by emailing it to Robin Marquis, Program Director at
About COLAGE
COLAGE unites people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer parents into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders on our collective communities. Living in a world that treats our families differently can be isolating or challenging. By connecting us with peers who share our experience, COLAGE helps us become strong advocates for ourselves and our families. To learn more please visit our website at email Robin Marquis at or call (206) 549-2054.
FAQ’s
What is Family Week?
During this week, hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) parented families spend a week in Provincetown, MA. The COLAGE daily program includes recreational activities, workshops, creative expression activities, leadership development, and youth empowerment that allow participants to gain confidence and pride, make new friends, express themselves creatively, and have a lot of fun while connecting in enduring ways to community of other youth. The COLAGE Family Week staff is an enthusiastic team of adults who share the experience of having an LGBTQ parent. We create a fun and safe environment for all of our youth participants. In 2013, 144 youth ages 8-18 and 30 adult volunteers participated in the COLAGE Family Week program creating a vibrant community of people unlike any other.
Why volunteer?
Volunteering your time on the COLAGE Family Week Staff is an incredible opportunity to work with fantastic youth, develop friendships with fellow adults, gain leadership experience, social justice facilitation skills, and learn to be a strong advocate for ourselves and our families. Participating in Family Week as staff will connect you to this network of adults that will, in all, likelihood, become a second family. You will also have the chance to affect the lives an amazing group of youth. You will have the unique opportunity to connect with other adults with LGBTQ parents who are a part of the team. Although the week is very intense in terms of your time and energy, you will also be enjoying the queer friendly vacation atmosphere of Ptown, a beautiful beach community on the Cape.
What does it mean to be on the Family Week Staff?
The COLAGE Family Week Staff team works together to provide social, educational, and community building activities for youth ages 8 and up. COLAGE activities are offered for three groups of youth with LGBTQ parents: COLAGE Camp for 3rd-5th graders, COLAGE Crew for Middle School youth, and the COLAGE High School Program.
We expect that Family Week volunteers commit to a very busy week with daily meetings, facilitation, trainings, and staff support. Most roles require starting the day by 9am with our morning programming and often we wrap up the days into the evenings after checking in, planning for the next sessions, and processing that day’s activities. In addition to your work with youth during our programming, you may be asked to help with parent/adult workshops, events, and other activities that week. The total time commitment for our volunteer staff is from 3 PM Saturday, July 26th to 2 PM Saturday, August 2nd . Please give yourself plenty of travel time and check ferry schedules ( before purchasing airline, train, or other transport to ensure that you can start and end on time for the week.
Before the week begins, you must commit to being available for four conference calls beginning in April and read and respond to emails sent out by Robin Marquis. If you are not responding to emails and missing our phone calls, we will have to terminate your time as a volunteer.
Family Week staff can also choose to help develop workshops and contribute to activity planning. If you choose to do that, you will be communicating regularly with other staff starting in May.
Who can apply? To be a part of the COLAGE Family Week Staff you must either be 18 or have finished high school by July 26th, 2014 and have (or had) one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/ or queer parent/guardian(s). We seek to build a diverse and dynamic team of 25+ adults that reflects the youth we work with. People of color, male identified folks, trans folks, and folks with a transgender parent(s), are highly encouraged to apply.
What is the time commitment expected?
All staff are expected to arrive in Provincetown, MA by 3 PM Saturday, July 26th for staff orientation/training and to stay through 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 2nd. Please be aware, this is a commitment to early mornings and long days. As staff, you may be required to attend meetings as early as 7 AM and as late as 10 PM. This experience is a lot of work, and is uniquely rewarding.
What should I budget for? COLAGE volunteers are given the option of free communal COLAGE housing and basic meals, but you will need to budget for your travel costs. You may also choose to stay with your family or friends on your own. If you have the option of housing with your family or friends, we encourage you to do so as the staff houses are generally quite full. Volunteers are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from Family Week. Access to Provincetown is limited and most volunteers take the ferry which costs about $90 round trip :
Parking in Provincetown is very limited so be aware that if you drive you may need to pay for parking while in town. COLAGE has a limited amount of financial aid to support travel expenses for volunteers who find the travel costs prohibitive.
If you have any questions, please contact Robin Marquis at or (206) 549-2054.
Family Week Volunteer Application 2014
Applications are due Monday, March 31st, 2014
Basic Info:
Your Name: ______Date of Birth: ______
Preferred Gender Pronouns: She/her, He/him, They/their, Ze/per, Other:______
Current Address:
______
Street AddressCityStateZip Code
Permanent Address (if different from current address):
______
Street AddressCityStateZip Code
Phone Number: ______
Email address:______
T-shirt Size: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
Demographic Information: We ask that you share your demographic information so we can further serve our staff as well as accurately apply for funding. The answers to these questions are optional and confidential.
Race & Ethnicity: / Please check all that applyAfrican-American/Black/Caribbean/African descent
Arab/Iranian descent
Asian/South Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander descent
European/Caucasian/White
Latina/o, Chicana/o
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic/Mixed Heritage
Native American/Indigenous/First Nations
Not Listed Above (Please specify)______
Gender Identity:
Women (including Trans & Intersex)
Men (including Trans & Intersex)
Trans/GenderQueer/Gender Non-Conforming/Two Spirit
Intersex
Not Listed Above (Please specify)______
Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian
Gay Male
Bisexual
Queer
Pansexual
Straight
Not Listed Above (Please specify)______
I have one or more:
Lesbian parent(s)
Gay male parent(s)
Bisexual parent(s)
Transgender parent(s)
Queer parent(s)
Straight parent(s)
Not Listed Above (Please specify) ______
My family was created through:
Adoption
Foster Care
Donor Insemination
Surrogacy
A parent coming out
Not Listed Above (Please specify) ______
Do you identify as someone with a disability?
Do you identify as low income/poor?
Further Questions:
Do you speak any other languages fluently other than English?______
Have you attended Family Week before?
❏Yes, as a participant (approximately how many years):
❏Yes, as staff, (list years you have worked as staff):
❏No, this is my first time at Family Week!
I am available from Saturday, July 26th to Saturday, August 2ndfor Family Week in Provincetown.
YESNO
Preferred Age Group:Staff are assigned to one age group with whom they will predominantly work throughout the week. Please rank with the numbers 1-3 your first, second and third choices. COLAGE will do our best to accommodate your preferences. *If you just finished High School or are 18, you are not eligible to work as a High School facilitator.
___ No preference
___ COLAGE Camp (3rd-5th graders)
___ COLAGE Crew (Middle School/ 6th-8th graders)
___ COLAGE High School* (9th-12th graders)
___ If you selected the COLAGE High School program, please indicate if you are also interested in working as a facilitator with the Facilitator in Training (FIT) program for youth entering 12th grade which trains youth to work as facilitators.
Are you interested in any of our specialty positions (these are only available for returning staff)?
___ Camp Co-coordinator
___ Crew Co-coordinator
___ High School Co-coordinator
___ Housing Coordinator
Do you plan to stay in one of the COLAGE Staff Houses? Please circle yes ONLY if you do not have housing already available to you. YES NO NOT SURE
Do you have First Aid and CPR certification current through July 26th, 2014? YES NO
If not, will you renew/ make it current before July 26th, 2014? YES NO
Skills:Please share with us any skills that you have or are interested in gaining (workshops you could facilitate, activities you could teach, fundraising experience, other special skills you could contribute)
Application Questions for New Volunteers:
Why do you want to be on the volunteer Family Week Staff with COLAGE?
What is something you hope to gain from your experience as a volunteer?
Do you have any areas where you feel challenged? We ask so we can support you as a staff member.
Share any experience you have working with youth, working in fast paced and demanding environment, and/or social justice work.
Application Questions for Returning Volunteers:
What were some of the most rewarding aspects of last years (or a previous year’s) experience for you?
What was challenging for you and how would you work to change that this year?
What have you learned in the past year that will help you be an even better staff member this year?
Please share an area of growth you have had related to working with youth, social justice and/or volunteering.
Are you are interested in being a co-coordinator, house coordinator or intern?
If yes, what skills and experience do you have that will help you with this position?
References: If you have not previously served as staff at a Family Week, please send the reference form to two references and have them email the filled out form to Robin Marquis at . Below, include their full name, email and phone number. Returning staff do NOT need to submit references:
Name of Reference:
Name:
Email:
Phone Number:
Relationship to Applicant:
Name of Reference:
Email:
Phone Number:
Relationship to Applicant:
Background Check: COLAGE performs background checks on all volunteers working with youth.Along with your application, you must fill out the background check consent form at the end of this form.*Please note: COLAGE encourages people who were formerly convicted to be active in their community.
Certification
A. I certify that the information I have presented in this application form and any attachments is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
B. I agree to notify COLAGE immediately of any changes that 1) makes any information presented on this application form or attachments no longer true and correct, and/or 2) makes me ineligible or unavailable to volunteer.
C. I understand that the names of Provincetown staff members will be listed in COLAGE publications and reports.
D. I also authorize, whether listed or not, any person, school, current employer, past employers and organizations to provide relevant information and opinions that may be useful in making a selection decision. I release such persons and organizations from any legal liability in making such statements.
E. If I am under 18 years of age, I have included the signature of my parent or legal guardian.
______
NAME (printed) SIGNATURE DATE
Submit this application with completed Background Check Consent Form, and references for new staff, no later than Monday, March 31st, 2014 by emailing it to Robin Marquis at .
EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND SCREENING – CONSUMER REPORT – INVESTIGATIVE CONSUMER REPORT REQUEST, AUTHORIZATION, CONSENT AND RELEASE
(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT)
LAST NAME FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME SUFFIX (Jr., Sr. II, etc.)
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VeriFirst Background Screening, LLC. will utilize various sources of information it deems appropriate including but not limited to: credit reporting agencies, Worker Compensation records, Department of Motor Vehicle records, criminal conviction records, current and former employers, military records, education records, professional and personal references. I request, authorize, and consent to the release and disclosure of any and all information including but not limited to the above to Employer and VeriFirst Background Screening, LLC. I further request, authorize, and consent to the procurement of a Consumer Report by Employerand VeriFirst Background Screening, LLC. as part of the Employer’shiring background and investigation.
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Printed Name Position Applied For or Held
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Social Security Number Date of Birth Driver’s License No. State
Other names you have used or are also known as:
PLEASE PROVIDE ALL RESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS
Current Phone Number:
Current Address:
Street Apt.#City StateZip Code How Long At Address
Former Address:
Street Apt.#City StateZip Code How Long At Address
Former Address:
Street Apt.#City StateZip Code How Long At Address
Former Address:
Street Apt.#City StateZip Code How Long At Address
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