The Secular Student Alliance (www.secularstudents.org) is seeking four college interns for the fall of 2007. 

* These positions are ten weeks long and have a $100/week stipend. 
* The start and stop dates are flexible, as are breaks, we only require a commitment of approximately ten weeks between late August and late December. 
* These positions are 20 hr./week positions and will take place during normal business hours except where otherwise noted. 
* We are willing to be flexible in terms of time and stipend to meet academic requirements.
* The interns will work at the Humanist Center (www.humanistcenter.org) where we are housed by the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS).
* On a case-by-case basis some work may be able to be done via telecommunicating.
* Business casual dress is required.

There are five areas upon which we plan to have the interns focus.  Each intern may focus on one area, or multiple areas. 

Area 1 - PUBLIC RELATIONS
This area focuses on promoting public awareness of the Alliance, its affiliates, and the ideals we seek to advance.  This will be done through writing and distributing press releases, creating a press kit, helping to develop our podcast, helping to develop our electronic newsletter, working the blogosphere and social networking sites, and any other means that seem appropriate. 

Area 2 - WEB/DATABASE DEVELOPMENT
This area focuses on improving both the public website of the Alliance and on improving our internal database.  Most of this work will take place using HTML, PHP, Javascript, and MySQL.  Prior knowledge of these languages is not required, but is very beneficial.  If you are interested in this area, please list all programming languages in which you are fluent in your answers to the screening questions. This area may also involve making other improvements to the way the Alliance uses technology.

Area 3 - RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
This area focuses on the creation of "program packets" and "action packets" for our affiliate groups.  Program packets include information that will help our affiliate groups arrange meetings on various social, philosophical, artistic, ethical, or political topics.  Examples include a discussion meeting on death and dying in the lives of atheists, and setting up a campus wide debate on the necessity of a god for morality.  Action packet include information to help our affiliate groups take action on specific issues.  Examples include organizing a protest and letter writing campaign advocating for access to emergency contraception at the campus pharmacy, lobbying state or federal legislators to support equal rights for GLBT persons, or organizing a fundraising event  such as a Soul Auction.

Area 4- CAMPUS ORGANIZING
This area will involve direct involvement with students to start campus groups at their schools.  This will involve answering questions via phone, email and in person.  It will also involve connecting students with resources, settling up lecture events or debates, drafting and editing organizational documents, setting up web sites and more.  This might involve setting up a group on your campus.  This may involve some evening visits to meet with campus leaders.

Area 5- FUNDRAISING
This area will involve work with as many areas of SSA fundraising as possible.  This includes membership management, direct mail, foundations, and large donor cultivation.  It may also include working with our campus affiliates to seek funding from their universities and teaching student leaders how to fund raise. 

The internships may involve some work not directly related to these areas.  However, the majority of the time for the internships will be spent working on creative, professional projects under the direct supervision of senior staff.

Our mission is to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics. The bulk of our efforts go into organizing and supporting students and student groups who do not see theism as the source of morality or knowledge--this includes atheists, agnostics, humanists, rationalists and other non-theists.  We have over 80 affiliates in nine countries--the vast majority of our affiliates are in the U.S.

The Secular Student Alliance is a 501(c)(3) educational, non-profit, public charity.  We were founded in 2000 by students and recent students.  We are head quartered in Albany, NY.

Please email your answers to the screening questions below to hr@secularstudents.org no later than August 6th, 2007.  The earlier you submit your application, the earlier we can give you a decision.

You may also include a copy of your resume within the body of your email.  Please do NOT send attachments.

Screening Questions

1. Why are you interested in this internship?

2. Which of the five areas are you interested in?  Why?

3. When would you be available to put in your ten weeks?

4. What do you expect to get from the internship?

5. Where are you a student?

6 .What are you studying?

7. When do you plan to graduate?

8. What is your college grade point average? Describe the scale your school uses if different from the standard 4.0 scale.

9. Will this internship fulfill an academic requirement for you?  If so, what conditions must the internship meet in order for it to qualify?

10. What are your long-term career goals? Do you plan to get further education? Are you interested in a career in the humanist/freethought movement? How does this internship fit into your long-term plans?

11. Can you prove that you are either a citizen of the United States, or a legal worker and permanent resident?

12. Have you been involved in some form of student activism? If so, briefly describe.

13. Are you willing to be publicly known as a supporter of SSA's cause? (The two most controversial elements of that cause being: 1. promoting respect and equal rights for atheists, agnostics, humanists and others that do not believe in a god AND 2. deep skepticism of the supernatural.)

14. Do you have any reservations about collaborating with people who are much older or younger than you, or are of a different ethnic group, sexual orientation, or philosophical or political belief?

15. What experience(s) from your activist/volunteer work do you expect to help you most for this internship? Why?

16. What experience(s) from your PAID work do you expect to help you most for this internship? Why?

17. From what you know about the SSA, what do you like best?

18. From what do you know about the SSA, what would you most like to see improve?

19. With what, if any, student freethought or humanist organizations are you currently involved? How about adult organizations? Do you plan to attend any local student/adult organizations in the near future?

20. How did you learn about this position (Craigslist, Idealist, word of mouth)?

21. Please give the names and phone numbers of a work or activist reference, and one academic reference.

22. Please suggest three (or more) one hour long blocks of time when you would be able to arrange a phone or in person interview (Weekends and evenings are okay, but not ideal)

23. Is there anything else you would like to make us aware of as we consider your application?