Asian American Studies 97/197 Directors: Jessie Mai & Chiravann Uch
Fall 2013 Faculty Sponsor: Jere Takahashi
Asian/Pacific Islander Recruitment and Retention Center
Internship and Committee Membership Application 2013-2014
Dear Prospective Intern and/or Committee Member,
Thank you for your interest in applying for an internship/committee membership with REACH! We are a progressive student-initiated organization that is committed to the service and empowerment of underserved Asian/Pacific Islanders by promoting higher education as a means to empower ourselves and improve the economic and social conditions facing our communities. This is a great opportunity for leadership, skill-building, and growth. Many of our past interns and members have now become coordinators and directors. As an intern/committee member, we hope to expose you to a variety of social, economic, and political issues our target communities deal with and in the process, empower yourselves to become part of some progressive and meaningful change in your own communities.
Educate. Empower. Change.
Ways to Get Involved:
●Apply to be an intern for one of our 7 amazing programs
●Join our (NEW!) Committee where you can learn more about REACH!, support other programs, and build professional skills
●Become an inspiring mentor for Let’s Rise Middle School Mentorship or True Asian Leaders (TAL) High School Mentorship
●Be a mentor and/or volunteer for specific events throughout the semester, hosted by Shadow, Outreach, Retention, Campus Organizing, and Senior Weekend
Need Academic Units?
We can offer 1-3 units from the Asian American Studies Department for the valuable work you do in REACH! that can be applied to an Education Minor and/or other field study requirements.
1 unit = 45 hours of field work + 4-page reflective paper due at the end of the semester
2 units = 90 hours + 5-page paper
3 units = 135 hours + 6-page paper
Questions? Contact Yee Leng Vang or Victor Phu .
Application Process/Important Dates:
Tues, Sept. 10thApplications Released
Tues, Sept. 24thApplications due by email to .
Title your file “ICApp_Lastname_Firstname”, PDF preferred.
Tues-Sun, Sept. 24-29Interviews (for select programs)
Sun, Sept. 29thFinal Decisions Announced!
Tues, Oct. 1stFirst Seminar (MANDATORY)
Internship Opportunities Available (Detailed Descriptions Below):
Campus Organizing 2 Intern Positions
Let’s Rise Mentorship3 Intern Positions
Outreach4 Intern Positions
Retention4 Intern Positions
Senior Weekend4 Intern Positions
Shadow4 Intern Positions
True Asian Leaders (TAL)3 Intern Positions
Committee Membership Opportunities Available (Detailed Descriptions Below):
Publicity
Hystorian
Awards
No Limit of Positions
General Questions? Contact:
●REACH! Directors at
●Chiravann Uch at
●Jessie Mai at
●Yee Leng Vang at
●Victor Phu at
Campus Organizing: 2 Intern Positions
Campus Organizing is the progressive soul of REACH! We aim to raise awareness within the REACH! community about political, social, and economic issues that affect the A/PI community, as well as other communities of color. We foster leadership through sharpening our political education and organizing skills, in order to build allies with on and off campus communities. Campus Organizing interns will collaborate with the coordinator to design and implement creative ways for REACH! members to get engaged with grassroots organizing and political retention. We embody and strive to inspire the “punch, kicks, and talk” that will mobilize our community for social justice!
Intern Responsibilities:
●Represent REACH! inside and outside of Cal through events such as lobbying, conferences, coalitions, etc.
●Coordinate campaigns with on and off campus orgs for policy or other issues that align with the mission of REACH!
●Create venues for students and/or community to learn about and participate in advocacy for social change within our A/PI community
○We will work closely with Retention to accomplish this
●Motivate and inspire our members to mobilize and challenge the inequalities and injustices surrounding people of color and other underserved communities
Major Events:
●Advocacy Inspiration Training - 3-day event that serves as a training grounds in developing Core and Interns.
○Objectives:
■To foster and encourage political/social consciousness and critical thinking/agency.
■To understand inequality as being made up of complexities between a range of issues.
■To foster relationships between REACH! Core.
■To provide the knowledge and tools for starting a grassroots campaign, mobilizing on an issue, and creating an action plan.
●Current Event Updates - Updating the REACH! community at each General Meeting about the struggles of local and international communities of color.
○Must conduct adequate research and prepare for a 5-10 minute presentation.
Questions? Contact Tanira Chau at !
Let’s Rise Mentorship: 3 Intern Positions
The purpose of Let’s Rise is to bring together UC Berkeley students who are interested in providing educational and social support for Asian Pacific American youth in our surrounding community.
Let’s Rise provides one-on-one mentoring and tutoring to Asian/Pacific Islander students at Helms Middle School in San Pablo. This program allows a safe, fun, and open environment where mentees can build relationships with their mentors that can be used for academic, social, and emotional support. Additionally, through team-building, bonding activities, and other events, mentors and mentees can strengthen their relationships between each other and the rest of the program. In the past, our interns have found this experience to be very rewarding and fun. Please, do not pass up this great opportunity or hesitate to find out more about Let’s Rise by contacting us below! We would love to hear from you soon. Here are the job descriptions:
Specified Intern Responsibilities:
●Transportation: In charge of car rentals and arranging weekly transportation to and from Helms Middle School in addition to bondings and field trips.
●Finance:In charge reimbursements for gas, food, and supplies throughout the year. Also in charge of keeping the annual budget to ensure that we allocate money accordingly.
●Secretary: In charge of taking weekly minutes during mentor and team meetings, as well as sending out weekly digests to mentors.
Responsibilities for All Interns:
First Semester:
●Attend Let’s Rise Intern/Core Meetings to help plan Friday Mentorships.
●Work closely with the coordinators to ensure that every Friday’s agenda comes to fruition.
●Help facilitate workshops and activities during mentorships.
●Take pictures and compile all of Let’s Rise’s pictures from other mentors to put together a yearbook/album by the end of the second semester.
●Make sure that mentees turn in their permission slips on time.
●Help coordinate end-of-semester banquets.
Second Semester (in addition to first semester):
●Create and manage a yearbook committee.
●Facilitate logistics for field trips and other events (program/food/transportation) with help from all Let’s Rise mentors and coordinators.
●Interns will begin to have a more active role by planning weekly mentor meetings, running mentorships, and facilitate workshops.
In addition to being interns, you will also be mentors:
●Come to every Friday mentorship.
●Attend mentor meetings and other Let’s Rise events.
●Fulfill REACH! intern duties such as attending REACH! general meetings, seminars, and other intern class events.
●Most importantly, be a good mentor to your mentee!
Questions?Contact Ratema Uch and Edward Huang at !
OutREACH!: 4 Intern Positions
One of the goals of REACH! is to promote higher education to underrepresented and under-resourced students. As an intern for the OutREACH! program, you will plan and participate in outreaches throughout the semester to both high schools and community colleges. In the process, you will learn to contact schools and speak to students about the requirements they must fulfill to be eligible for college. As you receive training and support in learning about these requirements, you will gain teaching techniques to better engage students, and become more knowledgeable about the historical and political context of our work.
The transfer portion of outreach includes giving resources and information to community college students about transferring from a community college to a four year university. The high school portion of outreach consists of giving resources and information to high school students about higher education and the means of attaining it (i.e. Community colleges, Cal State Universities, University of California schools, and Private schools).
In the fall semester, we will focus on our recently established weekend outreach trips (4) to local Bay Area high schools/community colleges during the months of October/November. As the fall semester draws to a close and the new year begins, we will host an annual 4-day outreach trip to Central California high schools/community colleges that will take place in the second week of January. This will be followed by our annual 4-day outreach trip to Southern California high schools/community colleges during the middle of spring. As we travel around, you will experience firsthand the diversity of student populations, teaching styles, classroom environments, and school surroundings in California. Meanwhile, you will also be exposed to California’s educational system and the inherent flaws that plague the system. Some of the politicized topics we will cover include: tracking, standardized testing, unproportional demographics of the schools, etc.
The crux of outreach is to become a resource to students; to empower them and expand their dreams beyond their imaginations so that they can believe that higher education is attainable by all, and not simply a mirage.
Intern Responsibilities:
●Attend weekly OutREACH! component meetings
●Attend all REACH! seminars and intern-related events
●Attend REACH! general meetings
●Learn how to update the database of schools (i.e. percent of Asian Pacific Islander students at each school, percent of low income students at each school, academics performance index [API] score)
○Create a student database to send scholarship opportunities and relevant information
●Determine which schools would benefit the most from our outreach
●Contact high schools and community college, acting as a student representative of REACH!
●Plan Bay Area, Central California, and Southern California Outreach
○Budget for the trip (i.e. food, housing, car rentals)
○Plan agenda for each outreach day
○Plan car scheduling for each outreach day (i.e. assigning car assignments, navigators and drivers)
○Prepare schedule for each school during Outreach trips (who goes into what school at what time)
○Prepare meals for the day
○Collaborate with other RRC’s for outreach trips
●Actively publicize OutREACH! trips through social media and communication with peers and organizations
●Manage all tasks in a timely and efficient manner
●Participate in on-campus outreach events (i.e. ShadowNite, Multicultural Transfer Day)
●Have an open mind and strive to challenge yourself!
Questions? Contact OutREACH! at ,Tina Nguyen, or Sean Yoo
Retention: 4 Intern Positions
Although REACH! has many programs that gear toward helping our API communities outside of campus, Retention is the only program in REACH! that focuses on supporting one another socially and academically within our REACH! community. What does that mean? We know that we as Berkeley students have an overwhelming plethora of things to do, but it is very important to find a balance in our lives. We focus on developing a meaningful support network in all facets of the college experience because only when you are academically, physically, mentally, and emotionally retained can you be at your fullest potential to give back to our community. Retention responsibilities include but are not limited to promoting leadership-building among all REACH! members, coordinating big events such as alumni mixers, banquets, socials, workshops, study jams and many many more! We want to create a fun and supportive atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed and relaxed and knows that REACH! is always here for you!
Please keep in mind that Retention is a large time commitment! As interns you will work closely with the Retention coordinators and attend weekly retention meetings.
Intern Responsibilities:
●Lead in the promotion of REACH! and Retention events by creating effective advertisements and employ creative marketing strategies (i.e. chalking, flyering)
●Plan, promote, and attend general weekly (Sunday) study sessions (study jams)
●Plan, promote, and attend social and academic events (i.e. BBQs, game nights, alumni mixers, workshops, intramural activities, etc)
●Plan and aid in the execution of the End-of-Year Banquet for all REACH! members
●Document REACH! events by taking pictures and creating slideshows during events (i.e. Fall/Spring Shadownite, Senior Weekend)
●Aid in the production of semesterly newsletters
●Maintain and create documents such as the Common Course list - a spreadsheet intended for helping members assist each other based on similar classes and majors
●Find and research potential resources on and off campus so we can better provide for our members
●Foster a positive social environment for REACH! members
●Build good relationships between other sister organizations through collaboration events
●Be involved with different Recruitment and Retention Centers and be supportive with others programs in REACH!
●HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE! AND A GOOD IMAGINATION! BE CREATIVE! :D
Of course you are not limited to these responsibilities. Retention is a very flexible program that is constantly changing improving. We are always open for new ideas and suggestions. We hope that all of us can make awesome memories working together in a fun, creative and healthy environment!
Questions? Contact Philip or Peter Tran
Senior Weekend: 4 Intern Positions
Senior Weekend is a 4-day/3-night program that extends an invitation out to students who are new admits to UC Berkeley. Senior Weekend is a free event for all eligible students with housing, food, and transportation all provided for. Students who choose to participate in this event will be housed by REACH! members and will have the opportunity to see and experience how college students live. Many students will also have the chance to stay in various dorms on campus and see a different atmosphere there.
During the event, REACH! puts on various workshops, such as Political Awareness, Inspirational, and Campus Tour to get students familiar with the campus and think critically about issues that face the Asian Pacific Islander community. Through this weekend, we hope that students go back to their communities with a better understanding of API issues and choose wisely whether Berkeley is the campus for them. At night, students will be able to experience the Bay Area and all that it has to offer.
This weekend is proudly put on in collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Enrollment and the bridges Multicultural Resource Center.
Intern Responsibilities:
Fall Semester:
●Fulfill REACH! intern duties such as attending REACH! general meetings, seminars, and other intern class events.
●Attend Senior Weekend Meetings with Directors/Senior Weekend Coordinators.
●Collaborative Project with fellow Senior Weekend Interns (more details to follow)
Spring Semester (in addition to fall semester):
●Dive deeper into planning for Senior Weekend!
●Specialize in coordinating a specific aspect of the event
○Divide up into Housing, Food, Transportation, and Mentor/Volunteer Interns
●Work with Senior Weekend Coordinators, REACH! Core, Interns, and Committee Members to establish engaging workshops and activities.
●Coordinate recruitment/selection process for mentees.
●Publicize for mentors, volunteers, drivers, facilitators, PEOPLE!
●Collaborate with bridges Multicultural Resource Center and other Recruitment and Retention Centers to ensure comprehensive, multi-cultural experience for mentees
Questions? Contact REACH! Directors at , Chiravann Uch, or Jessie Mai
Shadow: 4 Intern Positions
Shadowis a mentorship program whose purpose is to inspire underprivileged, low-income, and non-college bound high school students into understanding that higher education is accessible, important, and A RIGHT. Shadow attempts to help students understand that higher education is a form of empowerment to challenge their current economic status and the social injustice they currently face within their respective communities. Through mentorship, inspirational, academic, team building, and political awareness workshops and activities coordinated by college students who have an understanding and passion for progressive social change, Shadow provides the tools high school students need to critically evaluate their life experiences so that they can be empowered to pursue higher education. However, we want students to know that higher education is but one option and is not the only option.
Aside from the general duties that interns have, they will be guided into the planning process of the many events that Shadow puts together in order to achieve its purpose. The events include ShadowNite, ShadowDay, and anything else that the team may decide upon.
Shadow Interns work closely with program coordinators, as well as attend weekly preparation meetings. Interns will gain a firsthand experience in the coordinating process and create lasting memories with our target students.
Intern Responsibilities:
●Contact/network with target high schools/high school students.
●Conduct/arrange/attend weekly ShadowNite preparation meetings.
●Manage tasks in a timely/efficient manner.
●Arrange logistical details – housing, transportation, food service, data entry using Google Drive/Word/Excel, general office tasks (name tags, printing, copying, etc.)
●Collaborate with the multicultural resource center (bridges)
●Actively publicize Shadow events through social media & communicating with peers/organizations.
●Aid in the financial operations of event planning (budgeting and/or fundraising).
●Prepare meaningful workshops that are aimed to empower students and facilitate discussions about various community/political issues.