Service-Learning Abroad!

TEFL International: www.tefllife.com

Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is a fantastic way to travel and get paid to do so. TEFL International is a non-profit international training organization, creating intercultural opportunities for our customers through various services including, but not limited to: teacher education, language training, camps, internships, and much more. This organization offers a number of volunteer projects and internships that can be accepted for credit at Marylhurst!

Why teach abroad?

This work allows one to experience cultures and learn languages at locations from Prague to Tokyo. One has the opportunity to establish friendships around the world. This work is also stable. In the age of the internet, English is necessary for business and academia. Because of this, there are always jobs available for TEFL teachers. Teaching children and adults how to express themselves in English, and thereby helping them to achieve what they would not be able to otherwise, makes TEFL teachers respected all over the world.

Get Paid or Get Credit:

For undergarduate students, Service-Learning is an option. Travel to Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal or India and TEFL will work with you to get full-time status (12+ credits) as you are trained as an English teacher and volunteer in a school that cannot afford a native English-speaking teacher. Come back with your incredible memories, great addition to your resume and money. Depending upon your university policy, the cost of this program may be less than a term at home.

If you’ve graduated and you are interested in professional or volunteer positions, with 27 worldwide locations and lifetime job placement assistance, there is sure to be something that strikes you! With courses starting at just $1,590 including housing and salaries that can allow you to save up to $3,000 per month (depending upon the location), you may be able to start a new chapter of your life abroad.

What do TEFL International teachers have to say?

Student and teacher feedback is not only welcomed, it is mandatory. One’s impressions on the training courses and entire TEFL International experience are recorded and posted on www.tefllife.com, unedited and uncesored. Open honesty and interaction have been this organization’s watchword from the start.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Derek and Indy States are Career Placement Counselors ready to answer your questions and provide any assistance necessary in the process of becoming a TEFL International teacher.

services@tefllife.com

Skype: mytraveladvisor

(503) 689 – 3337

Get out there!

Work that needs you…

October is Nonprofit Career Month! Why work with a nonprofit? Here are a couple of reflections:

It’s a labor of love… I have been a consultant for nonprofits for nearly 25 years. I have first and foremost been drawn to the cause which equates to serving a specific population; the cause has almost always been surrounded and supported by like-minded, extraordinary people; because ultimately the work has been a labor of love not overwhelming salaries. -Charlene  

The power of media creation is still in the hands of the rich – those with expensive computers, broadband connections, and the necessary knowledge. And let’s not forget how difficult it is to create stuff when you’re working hard trying to support yourself (and your family, in certain cases). When I look at Homeless Nation, I see people actively working to topple that structure. They give homeless people what is necessary to reach people, just like podcasters and videobloggers are trying to reach people. They aren’t deciding what’s worthy – instead, they’re placing that in the hands of their users. For that reason, I want to be a part of what they are doing.      -Homeless Nation

What are you most passionate about? Volunteering or working in a nonprofit may allow one to pursue that passion. Click here for tips on finding an appropriate volunteer position for you. Click here to explore current nonprofit career options and to see what else is happening this Nonprofit Career Month.

Typhoon Ondoy: Letter Calling for Assistance

Dear Marylhurst Community,

Today I received a request from the World Vision organization in the Philippines to help with their county’s most recent disaster. I have a number of friends in the Philippines and have travelled there often in the last 5 years. If you know anything about this part of the world, the people there are regular victims of typhoons and floods which literally destroy homes in a wash of mud. Typhoon Ondoy, this past weekend, has taken the lives of 140 people by drowning and left 58,000 people homeless on the Island of Luzon, the location of Manila. The Philippines is an extremely poor, third world country.

I am attaching the World Vision request and will collect any money that Marylhurst people want to donate to this cause. The easiest way is to come see me in the Education Department, 3^rd Floor of BP John, or if you send a check in the inter office mail, write it to me, Robert Barry. I will cash it and make one payment to World Vision and give you a receipt for your donation.

Please contact me by Thursday of this week. The need is great and the people in the Philippines are worthy of our assistance.

 

Thank you,

Robert

 

Robert A. Barry, PhD

Department of Education

Marylhurst University

503-675-3966

rbarry@marylhurst.edu

Homeless Families: Changing Colors in Times of Adversity

As the crisp breeze of fall sneaks into the Northwest, the sun casts an orange hue on our lush folliage.  Beautiful autumn is here. Nevertheless our community faces challenges of the season. How do families keep warm, stay fed and maintain a roof overhead? 

    ”According to the National Coalition on the Homeless (2002), the systemic or structural causes of homelessness, poverty and lack of affordable housing are on the increase… In every state, more than the minimum wage is required to afford a one or two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. The gap between the number of affordable housing units and the number of people needing them has created a housing crisis for [people with a low-income]… The increases in poverty are partly due to a decline in public assistance programs. Early studies from the Welfare to Work program have concluded that although the total number of individuals who are on government welfare programs has gone down, the number of individuals who are now attempting to subsist on below living wage jobs without medical benefits has increased significantly. These people are always one paycheck away from homelessness.” (My Father’s House, KA)

    ”Homelessness is growing exponentially at a rate of 37% each year, and the average age of a homeless person is 9 years old. There are more homeless families than there are homeless singles, and in Multnomah County there are over 3,000 homeless families on any given night.” (My Father’s House: A Community Shelter, OR)

The many organizations throughout Oregon which strive to support families facing homelessness and poverty are reliant on their volunteers.  Through service events and activities, Marylhurst University students, faculty, staff and associates are partnering with different organizations to provide these families the services they need. These organizations include but are not limited to the Oregon Food Bank and My Father’s House: A Community Shelter.

Marylhurst University Food Drive and the Oregon Food Bank: Marylhurst has traditionally held a food drive during the alumni events of Homecoming Week. The University will be collecting non-perishable, protein-rich food items and cash/check donations October 13th-18th.  There will be baskets dispersed all over campus. To contribute non-perishable, protein-rich food, please bring your donation to one of the following drop off points: Flavia Hall,  Marion Hall, The Old Library, BP John entrance, Clark Commons. To contribute funds (Oregon Food Bank’s greatest need), please visit Amanda Baker, Service Program Coordinator at Marion Hall Room 109, call (503) 699-4063, or e-mail abaker@marylhurst.edu. You can also make a donation online. Just click here.

Marylhurst University and My Father’s House: Students, faculty, staff and associates are invited to serve with an extraordinary oragnization whose mission is to meet the needs of homeless families. To find out more about volunteering with My Father’s House, please click here.

As colors change in fall, so do the needs of the season. “We must be the change we want to see in the world.” (Ghandi)

International Day of Peace

On Monday, September 21, local communities and universities throughout the world will observe the International Day of Peace. In 1981, the United Nations adopted a resolution that designated September 21 as the day when people will recommit themselves to working for peace. Since then, people in nearly every nation have organized special events and actions to underscore their commitment to working for peace. This year, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has launched the WMD-We Must Disarm Campaign, calling for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation of conventional arms.

Monday, September 21, 2009

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

7pm

Center for Intercultural Organizing
700 N. Killingsworth Street
Portland, Oregon 97217  see map
Phone: (503) 287-4117

Kathy Masarie MD and Sarah Peyton will introduce compassionate communication, a powerful tool for creating the quality of communication, trust, respect and cooperation in your relationships with others and with yourself.  It is based on the premise that feelings and needs are at the core of all human behavior, which allows one to connect with empathy with others, no matter what their behaviors look like.  This approach, based on Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg, can bring a sense of peace and calmness in our lives that we all long for.

Kids and Family:

A celebration of International Day of Peace by placing individual pinwheels with messages of peace made by children from all over Portland and the world in a large tree shape. Will include music, storytelling, speakers and more. Come join us and celebrate:

Franciscan Montessori Earth School 2-4pm

14750 SE Clinton St.
Portland , Oregon

With the children we will light a candle for each continent then have a moment of silence to send happy, peaceful thoughts around the world. We will sing peace songs and plant a tree. Join and celebrate:

Child’s View Montessori School 2-4pm

4729 SW Taylor’s Ferry Road
Portland, Oregon 97219

Welcome a new year of peace.

Dress for Success

Success Story:

Nedra, Dress for Success Joliet After moving from Ohio with her three children to care for her recently disabled mother, Nedra needed to find a job that would allow her to support her family and continue her education. Dress for Success Joliet not only gave Nedra an interview suit but also provided her with refresher courses, job interview skills, résumé preparation and the confidence to land a job as a medical administrative assistant.

 Since then, Nedra has become an active member of the Professional Women’s Group which, she says, means being part of a group of women with many talents, goals, aspirations, wisdom and a sense of sisterhood I haven’t experienced anywhere else.” This support will help Nedra as she works to obtain a bachelors and masters degrees in nursing and achieve her ultimate goal of opening an adult day care center and assisted living facility.

Dress for Success Worldwide is an international non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women located in 85 cities across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., the Netherlands and New Zealand. The professional clothing, employment retention programs and ongoing support that clients are provided symbolize the organization’s faith in every woman’s ability to be self-sufficient and successful in her career.This is an ongoing volunteer opportunity. Although Portland does not have a Dress for Success hub, there are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer for this unique organization.

To volunteer visit:

 http://www.dressforsuccess.org/supportdfs_volunteer.aspx

To discuss ways of implementing a Dress for Success hub in the Portland area visit:

http://www.dressforsuccess.org/locations_howtostart.aspx

Visionary to Concrete

The classroom is a place to reflect on the physical existence of communities and galvanize ways to better them. The YWCA LearnLinks program  is an after-school tutoring and group mentoring program for children residing in affordable housing facilities throughout the Portland and David Douglas School District. LearnLinks can offer students in education and social and behavioral sciences excellent opportunities to utilize skills and deepen their understanding of issues they are studying in the classroom through hands-on experience.

After a brief training, LearnLinks volunteers work one-on-one or in group learning activities to assist with homework, reinforce basic skills such as reading and math, and play educational games with students. Volunteers with special interests in science, computers or the arts are encouraged to share their skills. LearnLinks also has opportunities for students seeking experience in building community development skills.

The next volunteer orientation is Thursday, September 17th from                      6:00 – 8:30 pm at the downtown YWCA.  To get involved, contact: 

YWCA LearnLinks Program

Tonya Parsons, Program Manager
Phone: 503.721.1752
Time of year: School year
Mailing Address: 1111 SW 10th                                                                        E-mail: tonyap@ywca-pdx.org

Bring what you learn in the classroom to the playground.

9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

Our nation’s largest day of service is coming up in just 10 days. President Obama encourages all Americans to “voluntarily perform at least one  service activity on 9/11 each year in hopes to create a lasting and forward-looking legacy — annually rekindling the spirit of service, tolerance, and compassion that unified America and the world in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.” (MyGoodDeed)

For more general info on National Day of Service visit here.

To search for National Day of Service opportunities in your community visit here.

And to make the most of National Day of Service, tell your friends!

Zimbabwe Artists Project

Zimbabwe Artists Project’s origins lay in a 1997 Lewis & Clark College overseas program, led by Dick Adams, a former professor in sociology. Artists from Weya, who were host mothers/sisters for the students, asked if Dick would help them find a market for their art in the U.S. Zimbabwe Artists Project received 501(c)3 status in 1999.
To assist women of Zimbabwe in finding a market for their artwork, visit Hands On Greater Portland, and volunteer locally!

“America’s Family Volunteers”

Idealist.org explores a different way to spend time with your family.  Bring your son, daughter, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, niece, nephew… you get the idea - on a new endeavor. Peruse ways to volunteer with your family, benefits of doing so and creative examples of family volunteer work (abroad!) at Idealist.org.

For ideas on where to take your family to serve in the Portland area, please check out Hands On Greater Portland.