The Idealist.org Podcasts

Philosophy isn’t generally thought of as a cross-cultural tool, but for Peter Vernezze, who left a position as philosophy professor at a U.S. university to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in China, philosophy is exactly that.

Over the course of his two years of service in a Sichuan university, Professor Vernezze set up and took notes on philosophical chats among his students. From their discussions emerged a host of unique insights into the philosophical suppositions underpinning the values and concerns of contemporary Chinese students.

In this podcast, Idealist’s Amy Potthast chats with Professor Vernezze about what philosophy is, how philosophical thinking can re-contextualize different cultures, including one’s own, and why Chinese philosophy, in particular, is important. A former Peace Corps China Volunteer, herself, Amy’s own experience with Chinese thought yields a fruitful discussion with Professor Vernezze on what Westerners can learn from China.

A unique design for education is underway in Asheville, North Carolina and it takes its model from the vegetative part of a mushroom, mycilia.

Opening in 2013 the Mycelium School aims to cultivate social entrepreneurs and leaders in creating local change by enhancing social and environmental systems through a gap year educational program.

In this episode, Amy Potthast chats with the Mycelium School founder Matthew Abrams about the school’s design and theory, who stands to benefit, and exactly what prospective students might be like. Along the way, the discussion touches on the history of Asheville and systems thinking. Not to be missed!

The Master of Social Work prepares students with the practice methods, ethical and social values, and scientific principles to work with populations-at-risk. Programs promote social and economic justice, strengths-based practice with diverse populations, and evaluation. Careers includes both direct service and organizational leadership roles in a wide array of issues.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff and an alumna from three social work masters programs:

This episode, Part Three, is on admissions and financial aid advice.
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and careers, at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Two, on course work, field work, and certificates at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Richard Sigg, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work and Public Health
Robert Sommo, Assistant Dean for Enrollment Services, New York University Silver School of Social Work
Erin Zimmer, Assistant Director for Student Services and Alumna, University of Michigan School of Social Work

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Check out the directory of accredited social work programs from the Council on Social Work Education

The Master of Social Work prepares students with the practice methods, ethical and social values, and scientific principles to work with populations-at-risk. Programs promote social and economic justice, strengths-based practice with diverse populations, and evaluation. Careers includes both direct service and organizational leadership roles in a wide array of issues.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff and an alumna from three social work masters programs:

This episode, Part Two, is on course work, field work, and certificates.
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and careers, at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Three on admissions and financial aid advice at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Richard Sigg, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work and Public Health
Robert Sommo, Assistant Dean for Enrollment Services, New York University Silver School of Social Work
Erin Zimmer, Assistant Director for Student Services and Alumna, University of Michigan School of Social Work

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Check out the directory of accredited social work programs from the Council on Social Work Education

The Master of Social Work prepares students with the practice methods, ethical and social values, and scientific principles to work with populations-at-risk. Programs promote social and economic justice, strengths-based practice with diverse populations, and evaluation. Careers includes both direct service and organizational leadership roles in a wide array of issues.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff and an alumna from three social work masters programs:

This episode, Part One, is an overview of the degree and careers.
Find Part Two, on course work, field work, and certificates at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Three on admissions and financial aid advice at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Richard Sigg, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work and Public Health
Robert Sommo, Assistant Dean for Enrollment Services, New York University Silver School of Social Work
Erin Zimmer, Assistant Director for Student Services and Alumna, University of Michigan School of Social Work

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Check out the directory of accredited social work programs from the Council on Social Work Education

Public policy masters degrees emphasize analyzing and evaluating information to solve policy problems. MPP grads work across sectors with quantitative and qualitative information to develop, assess, and evauate alternative approaches to current and emerging issues.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff from two conflict resolution grad programs:

This episode, Part Three, is on admissions and financial aid advice.
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and careers, at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Two, on course work, field work, and certificates at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Martha Chavez, Assitant Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy.
Beth Soboleski, Associate Director, Student and Academic Services at the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy.

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
APPAM is the Association of Public Policy, Analysis, and Management , a membership organization of policy people that fosters excellence in research, analysis and education.
NASPAA is the National Association of School of Public Affairs and Administration , and includes schools of public policy. Find a list of school members on the organization’s site.

Public policy masters degrees emphasize analyzing and evaluating information to solve policy problems. MPP grads work across sectors with quantitative and qualitative information to develop, assess, and evauate alternative approaches to current and emerging issues.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff from two conflict resolution grad programs:

This episode, Part Two, is on course work and field work.
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and careers, at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Three on admissions and financial aid advice at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Martha Chavez, Assitant Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy.
Beth Soboleski, Associate Director, Student and Academic Services at the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy.

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
APPAM is the Association of Public Policy, Analysis, and Management , a membership organization of policy people that fosters excellence in research, analysis and education.
NASPAA is the National Association of School of Public Affairs and Administration , and includes schools of public policy. Find a list of school members on the organization’s site.

Public policy masters degrees emphasize analyzing and evaluating information to solve policy problems. MPP grads work across sectors with quantitative and qualitative information to develop, assess, and evauate alternative approaches to current and emerging issues.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff from two conflict resolution grad programs:

This episode, Part One, is an overview of the degree and careers.
Find Part Two, on course work, field work, and certificates at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Three on admissions and financial aid advice at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Martha Chavez, Assitant Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy.
Beth Soboleski, Associate Director, Student and Academic Services at the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy.

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
APPAM is the Association of Public Policy, Analysis, and Management , a membership organization of policy people that fosters excellence in research, analysis and education.
NASPAA is the National Association of School of Public Affairs and Administration , and includes schools of public policy. Find a list of school members on the organization’s site.

In Conflict resolution masters programs, students learn how to analyze conflict and how to uncover the underpinnings of conflict situations. They gain skills to defuse and prevent conflict situations that arise among individuals, groups, and countries.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff and an alum from two conflict resolution grad programs:

This episode, Part Three, is on admissions and financial aid advice.
Find Part Two, on course work, field work, and certificates at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and careersat idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Erin Ogilvie, George Mason University’s School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Tim Hicks, University of Oregon’s masters program in Conflict Resolution

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the conflict resolution degree, among others .
Find a listing of grad programs in conflict resolution on the website of Salisbury University’s Center for Conflict Resolution .

In Conflict resolution masters programs, students learn how to analyze conflict and how to uncover the underpinnings of conflict situations. They gain skills to defuse and prevent conflict situations that arise among individuals, groups, and countries.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff from two conflict resolution grad programs:

This episode, Part Two, is on course work, field work, and certificates.
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and careersat idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Three on admissions and financial aid advice at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Erin Ogilvie, George Mason University’s School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Tim Hicks, University of Oregon’s masters program in Conflict Resolution

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the conflict resolution degree, among others .
Find a listing of grad programs in conflict resolution on the website of Salisbury University’s Center for Conflict Resolution

In Conflict resolution masters programs, students learn how to analyze conflict and how to uncover the underpinnings of conflict situations. They gain skills to defuse and prevent conflict situations that arise among individuals, groups, and countries.

In this Idealist Grad School Podcast series, Amy Potthast chats with admissions staff from two conflict resolution grad programs:

This episode, part one, is an overview of the degree and careers.
Find Part Two, on course work, field work, and certificates at idealist.org/podcast.
Find Part Three on admissions and financial aid advice at idealist.org/podcast.

The Guests:
Erin Ogilvie, George Mason University’s School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Tim Hicks, University of Oregon’s masters program in Conflict Resolution

Learn more:

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the conflict resolution degree, among others .
Find a listing of grad programs in conflict resolution on the website of Salisbury University’s Center for Conflict Resolution

If you’re on a public service career path, and looking at grad schools, you may have considered a Master of Public Affairs or Administration. What is an MPA, and how is it distinct from nonprofit management, MBA, and other grad degrees?

This episode, Part Three, is on admissions and financial aid .
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and associated careers , here.
Find Part Two on coursework, field work, and certificates, here.

The Guests

Julie Harrold, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, of the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs .

Katherine Meyer, Director of Recruiting, of Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service .

Lisa Sperling, Recruitment and Career Services Coordinator, University of Georgia MPA program .

Learn more!

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.

Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the MPA degree, among others .

If you’re on a public service career path, and looking at grad schools, you may have considered a Master of Public Affairs or Administration. What is an MPA, and how is it distinct from nonprofit management, MBA, and other grad degrees?

This episode, Part Two, is on coursework, field work, and certificates .
Find Part One, an overview of the degree and associated careers , here.
Find Part Three, on admissions and financial aid, here.

The Guests

Julie Harrold, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, of the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs .

Katherine Meyer, Director of Recruiting, of Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service .

Lisa Sperling, Recruitment and Career Services Coordinator, University of Georgia MPA program .

Learn more!

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.

Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the MPA degree, among others .

If you’re on a public service career path, and looking at grad schools, you may have considered a Master of Public Affairs or Administration. What is an MPA, and how is it distinct from nonprofit management, MBA, and other grad degrees?

This episode, part one, is an overview of the degree and associated careers.
Find Part Two on coursework, field work, and certificates, here.
Find Part Three, on admissions and financial aid, here.

The Guests

Julie Harrold, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, of the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs .

Katherine Meyer, Director of Recruiting, of Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service .

Lisa Sperling, Recruitment and Career Services Coordinator, University of Georgia MPA program .

Learn more!

Idealist Grad Fairs tour the United States every summer and fall, and feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.

Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the MPA degree, among others .

Do you have student loans? Are you thinking about borrowing money for grad school? This episode of the Idealist Grad Schools podcast takes a closer look at two student debt relief programs established by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.

Listen now to Part Two which focuses on Income-Based Repayment, a crucial component of PSLF that is available now and that allows you to make even $0 payments to your loans, if that’s all you can afford. Any qualifying federal student loan holders can access income-based repayment now, even AmeriCorps members and Peace Corps Volunteers who usually don't pay loans during service.
Check out Part One, on Public Service Loan Forgiveness, here.
Read the transcript for this show here.

But the program requirements can be confusing. Idealist’s Amy Potthast chats with Heather Jarvis of AskHeatherJarvis.com about a step-by-step approach to understanding both programs. A former capital defense attorney saddled with $125K of law school debt, Heather Jarvis now dedicates her expertise to helping student loan borrowers make better decisions so that higher education can be a reality for all - not just those who can afford it. She has contributed to student debt relief policy for the House Education Committee and others in Congress, and spent more than six years advocating for public service loan forgiveness, which allows more recent graduates to dedicate their careers to the greater good. Just as we were editing this show, President Obama announced changes to the way current and future students can repay student loans. Learn more on Heather’s site . Heather's favorite resources for more information — mentioned on the podcast:

Student Loan Borrower Assistance.org Information about repayment options, avoiding and getting out of default, and dealing with collections agencies.
Project on Student Debt State-by-state data, research, and policy analysis.
IBRinfo.org Clear information about Income-Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Check out the groovy animated student debt monster!
FinAid! The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid An online resource for comprehensive information about all aspects of financial aid.
GL Advisor A financial advisory firm designed to help students and young professionals manage their student loan debt. Heather recommends their Free Personalized Student Loan Assessment .

Learn more about financing grad school in the Idealist Grad School Resource Center . Finally, meet schools that will help you make a difference with your career at the Idealist Grad Fairs taking place across the South in early November .

Do you have student loans? Are you thinking about borrowing money for grad school? This episode of the Idealist Grad Schools podcast takes a closer look at two student debt relief programs established by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.

Listen to Part One of the podcast which focuses on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, in which many nonprofit and government workers stand to gain tens of thousands of dollars of student debt relief — after meeting several program requirements.
Check out Part Two, on Income-Based Repayment, here.
Read the transcript for this show here.

But the program requirements can be confusing. Idealist’s Amy Potthast chats with Heather Jarvis of AskHeatherJarvis.com about a step-by-step approach to understanding both programs. A former capital defense attorney saddled with $125K of law school debt, Heather Jarvis now dedicates her expertise to helping student loan borrowers make better decisions so that higher education can be a reality for all - not just those who can afford it. She has contributed to student debt relief policy for the House Education Committee and others in Congress, and spent more than six years advocating for public service loan forgiveness, which allows more recent graduates to dedicate their careers to the greater good. Just as we were editing this show, President Obama announced changes to the way current and future students can repay student loans. Learn more on Heather’s site .

Heather's favorite resources for more information — mentioned on the podcast:

Student Loan Borrower Assistance.org Information about repayment options, avoiding and getting out of default, and dealing with collections agencies.
Project on Student Debt State-by-state data, research, and policy analysis.
IBRinfo.org Clear information about Income-Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Check out the groovy animated student debt monster!
FinAid! The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid An online resource for comprehensive information about all aspects of financial aid.
GL Advisor A financial advisory firm designed to help students and young professionals manage their student loan debt. Heather recommends their Free Personalized Student Loan Assessment .

Learn more about financing grad school in the Idealist Grad School Resource Center . Finally, meet schools that will help you make a difference with your career at the Idealist Grad Fairs taking place across the South in early November .

With a plethora of graduate disciplines available to you—MBA, MPA, Social Work—you may be wondering, why should I go for a specialized degree in nonprofit management?

When you enroll in a nonprofit management grad program, you gain the skills and knowledge specific to and necessary for leadership in this growing and dynamic sector.
Furthermore, your classmates will be very likely to share your interest in and knowledge of mission-based social and environmental work. Your studies will emphasize nonprofit concerns, case studies, leadership, and examples as a default.

In this episode of the grad schools podcast, Amy Potthast speaks with admissions officers Edward Grice, Chris Nicholson, and Rebecca Zirm on the advantages of a degree in nonprofit management.

In the third segment of the show, we discuss admissions and financial aid.

The Guests

Edward Grice is the Associate Dean of the MBA program in nonprofit management at the American Jewish University .
Chris Nicholson is the Director of Graduate Admissions at North Park University in Chicago, home of the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management .
And Rebecca Zirm is the Director of Recruitment at the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organization and Case Western Reserve University .

Learn more!

Idealist Grad Fairs feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the nonprofit management degree, among others . The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council is the accrediting body for nonprofit management degree programs across the country and a resource for people seeking the degree.
Seton Hall’s Nonprofit Management resources include a great overview of nonprofit education and a listing of grad programs .

This week the Idealist Grad Fairs launch in New York City and Washington, DC. What will you study in grad school?

With a plethora of graduate disciplines available to you—MBA, MPA, Social Work—you may be wondering, why should I go for a specialized degree in nonprofit management?

When you enroll in a nonprofit management grad program, you gain the skills and knowledge specific to and necessary for leadership in this growing and dynamic sector.
Furthermore, your classmates will be very likely to share your interest in and knowledge of mission-based social and environmental work. Your studies will emphasize nonprofit concerns, case studies, leadership, and examples as a default.

In this episode of the grad schools podcast, Amy Potthast speaks with admissions officers Edward Grice, Chris Nicholson, and Rebecca Zirm on the advantages of a degree in nonprofit management.

In the second segment of the show, we discuss the typical coursework students go through, as well as the option of a certificate program.

The Guests

Edward Grice is the Associate Dean of the MBA program in nonprofit management at the American Jewish University .
Chris Nicholson is the Director of Graduate Admissions at North Park University in Chicago, home of the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management .
And Rebecca Zirm is the Director of Recruitment at the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organization and Case Western Reserve University .

Learn more!

Idealist Grad Fairs feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the nonprofit management degree, among others . The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council is the accrediting body for nonprofit management degree programs across the country and a resource for people seeking the degree.
Seton Hall’s Nonprofit Management resources include a great overview of nonprofit education and a listing of grad programs .

This week the Idealist Grad Fairs launch in New York City and Washington, DC. What will you study in grad school?

With a plethora of graduate disciplines available to you—MBA, MPA, Social Work—you may be wondering, why should I go for a specialized degree in nonprofit management?

When you enroll in a nonprofit management grad program, you gain the skills and knowledge specific to and necessary for leadership in this growing and dynamic sector.
Furthermore, your classmates will be very likely to share your interest in and knowledge of mission-based social and environmental work. Your studies will emphasize nonprofit concerns, case studies, leadership, and examples as a default.

In this episode of the grad schools podcast, Amy Potthast speaks with admissions officers Edward Grice, Chris Nicholson, and Rebecca Zirm on the advantages of a degree in nonprofit management.

In the first segment of the show, Idealist’s Amy Potthast learn what makes a degree in nonprofit management distinct. It is a very narrowly focused degree, mostly geared towards professionals already in the sector or career changers, and it prepares students for senior leadership positions in the sector.

Edward Grice is the Associate Dean of the MBA program in nonprofit management at the American Jewish University . Chris Nicholson is the Director of Graduate Admissions at North Park University in Chicago, home of the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management . And Rebecca Zirm is the Director of Recruitment at the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organization and Case Western Reserve University .

Learn more!

Idealist Grad Fairs feature nonprofit management, public affairs, social work and other public service degrees — and they’re touring the country all fall. See the schedule and sign up here on Idealist.org.
Idealist Grad School Resource Center features an overview of the nonprofit management degree, among others .
Seton Hall’s Nonprofit Management resources include a great overview of nonprofit education and a listing of grad programs .

Can you make the world more sustainable by working for a corporation?

According to Net Impact and its free, downloadable career guide Corporate Careers that Make a Difference , you can.

Everyday, business leaders make a positive environmental and social impact in their companies — both in dedicated green jobs, as well as in more conventional job functions.

On this episode of the Idealist Careers Podcast, Idealist’s Amy Potthast chats with Abby Davisson from Net Impact , a national nonprofit dedicated to engaging business in making the world sustainable, and Yonnie Leung, Principal of Environmental Sustainability for Shared Services at Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California — and who is profiled in the Net Impact career guide.

During the conversation, they also briefly mention Net Impact's Business as UNusual Guide to MBA programs that have a focus on corporate citizenship. The 2011 Guide launches this week and is available at netimpact.org.

You can meet many of the schools mentioned in Business as Unusual at the Idealist Grad Fairs taking place across the country, gradfairs.idealist.org.

Finally, for a look at a range of businesses working for the public good, please check out Chinook Book , our Portland Grad Fair media sponsor.

En una calle arbolada de Buenos Aires se encuentra un descolorido edificio con un extenso mural de graffiti sobre la figura del incomparable Carlos Gardel. En su interior, un teatro que siempre permanece a oscuras. Es el llamado ‘Teatro Ciego ,’ el primer y único teatro donde ambos, artistas videntes e no videntes, actúan totalmente sin luz.

Nuestro último podcast nos trae a Ceci Gil Mariño y su experiencia con la representación de La Isla Desierta en completa oscuridad. Descubriremos por qué es rociada con pefume de jazmín, cómo es para los actores no tener que hacer uso de la expresión facial y cómo este teatro representa una apuesta innovadora al promover el empleo para personas con discapacidad visual.

Una gran idea que merece ser difundida. ¡Comprúebalo!

____

Ceci Gil Mariño co-productora con Celeste Hamilton Dennis quieren agradecer a Martín Celis , Craig Dennis, Terry Dennis y Jason Kirtland por prestarnos sus voces. Janet Bollero, Rachel McRoberts , Deborah Brody, Emily Burnett y Lindsay Rihala por su impagable asistencia con la traducción. Pía Sicardi por la originalidad de su música. Julia Smith y Hannah Kane por el proceso de edición. Douglas Coulter por sus increíbles habilidades con la producción y lo más importante, agradecer al los componentes de Teatro Ciego, por permitirnos ‘encender’ una luz en su mundo de oscuridad.

On a tree-lined street in Buenos Aires is a faded building with a large graffiti mural of tango great Carlos Gardel on its walls. Inside is a theatre that is always kept dark. This is Teatro Ciego , the world's first and only theatre where both blind and seeing artists perform exclusively without light.

Our latest podcast features Celeste Hamilton Dennis as she experiences the play La Isla Desierta in total darkness. We hear why she gets sprayed with jasmine perfume, what it's like for the actors to not use facial expressions - and how this theatre is innovative in providing employment for the disabled.

It's an idea worth spreading. Come hear for yourself.

____

Celeste Hamilton Dennis and co-producer Ceci Gil Mariño would like to thank Martín Celis , Craig Dennis, Terry Dennis and Jason Kirtland for lending us their voices; Janet Bollero, Rachel McRoberts , Deborah Brody , Emily Burnett and Lindsay Rihala for their invaluable translation assistance; Pía Sicardi for her original music; Julia Smith and Hannah Kane for their editing prowess; Douglas Coulter for his mad production skills; and most importantly, the cast of Teatro Ciego for letting us shine a light on their world.

Lara Galinsky , Senior Vice President of Echoing Green is launching an inspiring career guide for social-impact work called Work on Purpose .

Each chapter of Work on Purpose asks key questions for career seekers; illustrates the impact of these questions in the lives of Echoing Green community members; and offers a place for notes at the end for you to jot reflections from your own life.

In this episode of the Idealist Careers Podcast, Idealist's Amy Potthast chats with Lara Galinsky about the central message of Work on Purpose : finding work that uses your "Heart + Head = Hustle."

Lara shares the stories of the five people who illustrate this message:

Cheryl Dorsey , President of Echoing Green , who graduated from medical school and Kennedy School of Government, and chose social-justice over medicine.
Mark Hannis , founder of the Genocide Intervention Network and the child of Holocaust survivors, who discovered as a college student that genocide still occurs, and that he could mobilize action to end it.
Mardie Oakes , founder of Hallmark Community Solutions , combined her background in architecture, community housing, and finance to develop housing for people with special needs.
Socheata Poeuv , creator of the film project Khmer Legacies , which documents interviews between Khmer Rouge survivors and their adult children.
Andrew Youn , Founder of the One Acre Fund , who started out in a corporate consulting job but later used his business skills to develop a market system for farmers in a region of Kenya to prevent annual famines.

Learn more about Work on Purpose .

Learn more about Work on Purpose .

This podcast features a conversation with Shirley Sagawa author of The American Way to Change: How National Service and Volunteers and Transforming America and the “founding mother of the modern service movement.” During the first Clinton administration, Sagawa drafted the legislation that created AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National Service .

Today, Shirley is a fellow at the Center for American Progress , and co-founder of the sagawa/jospin consulting firm which brings new resources and strategic thinking to solve problems affecting children, families, neighborhoods, and our nation.

In his 1995 book, How a Bill Becomes a Law , Steve Waldman compared national service — full-time stipended volunteering like AmeriCorps and VISTA — to a Swiss Army Knife, “performing numerous useful functions in one affordable package,” including addressing social needs, bridging diversity, and building participants’ self-confidence.

In today’s show, Shirley revisits the Swiss Army Knife analogy with some timely new insights that she also shares in her new book The American Way to Change .

To find more good things to do, including 12,000+ volunteer opporunties, go to Idealist.org .

This show was hosted and produced by Idealist's Amy Potthast with assistance from Tim Johnson, podcast intern.

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In 2010, a new national service corps is getting off the ground. Blue Engine , based in New York City, aims to recruit a corps of about a dozen fellows for the 2010-2011 school year to facilitate daily, differentiated, small-group instruction for high school freshmen.

Our guest is Nick Ehrmann—Blue Engine's engine and a Teach For America alum— who says that we know how to get high-needs kids into college, or getting them "college eligible" — nonprofits and schools have been targeting and tackling hurdles like high school completion, college admissions, and financial assistance.

But, while the high school drop-out problem is far from solved, groups are paying far less attention to college completion rates for high-needs kids, or "college readiness."

Blue Engine aims to close the gap between college eligibility and college readiness.

After graduating from Northwestern University in 2000, Ehrmann began his career in education as a Teach for America corps member in Washington D.C. In 2002, he joined forces with local philanthropists to launch the nonprofit “I Have a Dream” Project 312 , a youth development program for Nick’s fourth-grade students. In the fall of 2003, he began doctoral work in sociology at Princeton University as a William G. Bowen fellow.

Over the past three years, Nick spent months shadowing his former students in high school classrooms, living with their families, and conducting extensive interviews in the local community, where he has witnessed firsthand the negative effects of academic underperformance on the transition from high school to college. His dissertation—Yellow Brick Road— is scheduled for defense in the spring of 2010. Ehrmann currently lives in New York City.

Idealist’s Amy Potthast talks with Nick about the Blue Engine fellowship , its application deadlines (March 10 and April 28, 2010); the gap between college eligibility and true college readiness; and why it’s crucial to expect more out of high schoolers in order to prepare them for high school and college success, and beyond.

In this episode we feature one of the winners of the 2009 Purpose Prize . The Purpose Prize awards up to $100,000 to social innovators in their encore careers who are creating new ways to solve tough social problems. The Prize is an initiative of Civic Ventures' Encore Careers campaign which aims to engage millions of experienced adults in work that makes a difference in their communities and the world.

In this interview we hear from Connie Siskowski who started The Caregiving Youth Project , which provides support groups, classes and resources for youth who are the primary caregivers for ill or disabled family members.

If you'd like more information on encore careers or mid-career transitions, go to idealist.org/midcareer

In this episode we feature one of the winners of the 2009 Purpose Prize . The Purpose Prize awards up to $100,000 to social innovators in their encore careers who are creating new ways to solve tough social problems. The Prize is an initiative of Civic Ventures' Encore Careers campaign which aims to engage millions of experienced adults in work that makes a difference in their communities and the world.

In this interview we hear from Judith Broder who, in her late 60's, created The Soliders Project which provides free psychological support to returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you'd like more information on encore careers or mid-career transitions, go to idealist.org/midcareer

In this Questions With episode, we hear from Rafa Cancel of the organization La Asociación Nacional de Derecho Ambiental (ANDA). After witnessing the activism against the US Navy's use of the island of Vieques as bomb training site, Rafa was inspired to provide the people of Puerto Rico with the legal tools to protect their environment. His organization is the first environmental law center in Puerto Rico, connecting residents with the resources and people to legally engage businesses and government.

Rafa is also a 2008 Echoing Green fellow. Echoing Green "invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to
launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions."

Posted as part of Nonprofit Career Month , featuring the diversity of
career opportunities in the nonprofit sector. Listen to more shows in this series .

Today’s guest is Heather Calverase, Executive Director of Teach For
America’s Newark, New Jersey region where she is responsible for
growing sustainable base of financial, community, and district
awareness and support including cultivating and stewarding donations,
building strong ties with local school districts, and recruiting corps
members.

Prior to her position with Teach For America, Heather worked in the
business sector, including nearly a decade with Kaplan, best known for
its test preparation books and classes.

Amy Potthast chats with Heather about what is appealing about what
Heather brings to the nonprofit sector from her business sector
experience, as well as her background on educational issues.

Posted as part of Nonprofit Career Month , featuring the diversity of
career opportunities in the nonprofit sector. Listen to more shows in this series .

Today's Nonprofit Career Month podcast guest is Debbie Bower,
Executive Director of Senior Resources Inc. , a South Carolina nonprofit
that provides seniors services, resources, transportation help, and
Meals on Wheels so that they can live healthy and independent lives.

Debbie started her career with a Bachelor's degree in recreational
therapy and soon found herself working as an activity director at
for-profit and nonprofit assisted living facilities throughout the
Midwest. When she relocated to South Carolina, she was drawn to the
mission and programs of Senior Resources because the organization
allowed her to continue to working with seniors, on issues that matter
to their lives. She started there as a volunteer administrator and
program director and over the course of many years has worked her way
up to the Executive Director position.

Amy Potthast and Debbie talk about the skill sets required to lead an
organization; the inspiring nature of nonprofit work and the passion
it takes to sustain a career in the sector; what it means to make a
difference in the lives of other people through your daily work; and
Amy's grandfather who contributes his own poems to other seniors
through Senior Resources programs.

Today's Nonprofit Career Month podcast guest is Elizabeth Droscher,
Executive Assistant at Phoenix School . Phoenix School is a nonprofit
charter high school in Roseburg, Oregon, whose staff works hard to see
students realize their potential and to graduate, by offering
alternative learning approaches and opportunities to engage in the
community.

As the Executive Assistant, Elizabeth supports the school’s director
and its Board, writes grants, builds community partnerships, and
coordinates events. She’s honed her communications and planning skills
on the job in past county government and business work, as well as in
the nonprofit sector.

Amy Potthast and Elizabeth chat about the importance of volunteering
in the lives of young people, and the ongoing need for professional
development to gain new expertise and expand what you’re capable of
doing in a job.

Posted as part of Nonprofit Career Month ,
featuring the diversity of career opportunities in the nonprofit
sector.

Today’s Nonprofit Career Month podcast guest is Krista
Kelley, Vice President of Development at Adelante Development
Center in Albuquerque, one of the largest nonprofits in New
Mexico. Adelante offers community-based services for people who are
physically or mentally disabled, who have chronic neuromuscular
diseases, and who are disabled simply due to the aging process.

Krista has designed and led Adelante’s development department which
has included lobbying, government relations, media campaigns, capital
campaigns, direct mail campaigns, donor development, planned giving,
in-kind donation programs, special events, private foundation, city,
state, and federal grants.

Prior to working for Adelante, Krista worked in both domestic and
international business development and marketing and in business and
operations analysis.

Amy Potthast talks with Krista about developing a new department at a
nonprofit, the adjustment to working in a nonprofit after working in a
business, and the family-friendly potential of many nonprofits that
value work-life balance for their staff members.

Listen to more Nonprofit Career Month podcasts , or subscribe to
the Idealist podcast in iTunes .

Posted as part of Nonprofit Career Month , featuring the diversity of
career opportunities in the nonprofit sector.

Today’s guest is Margaret Ambler Salamon, Research Specialist and
wearer of many other hats at the Center for
Nonprofit Excellence in Albuqueque, NM. The Center for Nonprofit
Excellence is a collaborative effort of the United Way of Central New
Mexico and the Albuquerque Community Foundation and aims to strengthen
the capacity of the nonprofit sector through building collaborations,
educating donors, and increase the effective management of nonprofits.

Margaret’s passion for nonprofit organizations began in 2000 with a
ten-month term with Public Allies , a national apprenticeship program
focused on building young leadership while strengthening communities.

Amy Potthast chats with Margaret about her career path, the excellent
work that the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Public Allies are
doing to strengthen the nonprofit community, and what it's like to
work at the hub of many community organizations.

Posted as part of Nonprofit Career Month , featuring the diversity of career opportunities in the nonprofit sector.

Today’s guest is Abby Flottemesch, a mid-career nonprofit professional and Minnesota native who is currently engaged in a job search. Abby recently completed a year-long fellowship in Bogota, Colombia, with Atlas Service Corps where she worked with the Saldarriaga Concha Foundation—a Colombian foundation that provided resources to organizations that worked with disabled individuals and the elderly.

Prior to her Atlas Corps Fellowship, Abby worked for five years in program and fund development in Minneapolis and in Washington, DC, with The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP)—a national, student-powered hunger relief organization connected with the innovative DC Central Kitchen. Abby also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, organizing community development efforts in Puerto Rico.

Amy Potthast chats with Abby about the important skills required in a fund development role at a nonprofit; her recent Atlas Corps Fellowship, and her job search strategies.

In this Questions With episode, Douglas speaks with Mirna Guha, the founder of Project OBO: Our Bodies, (Our) Opinions in India. Originally working on issues related to sexual and domestic abuse, Mirna found that many problems originated in a lack of communication about gender, sexuality and identity. She explains how she is now trying to create workshops and safe spaces for young people in Kolkata to come together to discuss issues of sexual identity, abuse and gender stereotypes through conversation and art.

Today’s guest on the Nonprofit Career Month podcast is Arlene Siegel
Cogen, a Charitable Gift Planner with The Oregon Community
Foundation (OCF) in Portland, OR. At OCF, Arlene’s main focus is
individuals, families, professional advisors, and businesses who would
like to establish current or testamentary charitable funds or deferred
gifts.

Arlene entered her nonprofit career after 20 years of working in the
corporate sector. As a Certified Financial Planner, Arlene worked for
companies such as West Coast Trust and Allen Trust, Citibank, US Trust
and First Union before finding her "dream job" with the Oregon
Community Foundation.

Idealist's Amy Potthast chats with Arlene about the process of
changing careers at mid-life, the crucial role of networking, and
finding work that aligns with your financial goals as well as your
values.

October is Nonprofit Career Month ,
a month of activities to promote the diversity of career opportunities
in the nation's nonprofit sector. Driven by the collective
contributions of the nonprofit community, the campaign dispels common
myths about nonprofit work, provides you with entry points to the
sector, and allows current and aspiring nonprofit professionals to
share expertise.

Launching our Nonprofit Career Month podcast series is a discussion with Mac Bennett
who shares his experiences and insights from 30 years of nonprofit
leadership. Since March 2005, Mac Bennett has served as President and
Chief Executive Officer of United Way of the Midlands in Columbia, SC.

Mac studied finance and management at the University of South
Carolina, and then blazed a career in public service, first holding a
variety of leadership positions with the University of South Carolina
and then serving as Executive Director of
the Central Carolina Community Foundation.

Bennett is also a
founding director of the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit
Organizations (SCANPO). Throughout his career, Bennett has been
instrumental in efforts to improve training and education for people
working in the nonprofit sector.

Idealist's Amy Potthast chats with Mac about making a difference
while making a living; how Mac got started as a volunteer in the
sector; the variety of ways to serve your community; and Jim Collin's
book Good to Great and the Social Sectors .

A continuing problem in developing countries is that small business people, like farmers and craft workers, still live in poverty and cannot expand their businesses. In this episode we speak with Adarsh Kumar, who started the group AICA which helps connect producers in India with larger markets. In addition to this work, he wanted to do more and started a new venture, Livelihoods Equity Connect (LEC). With LEC, he hopes to create a new development model that helps these producers expand their businesses while also providing practical management advice. Adarsh tells us about his project, starting a new organization and his hope for the organization.

As Peace Corps nears it's 50th Anniversary in 2011, applications are on
the rise, fewer Volunteer positions are getting funded, the Senate just
confirmed a new agency director, and the number of Peace Corps alumni
is nearing 200,000. Helping connect the dots among the agency's fiscal
needs, and Volunteers past, present, and future is the National Peace
Corps Association—the independent organization of former Peace Corps
Volunteers, known as Returned Peace Corps Volunteers or RPCVs.

The National Peace Corps Association offers the Peace Corps
community tools and resources to stay informed and engaged, and
advocates for Peace Corps funding and support.

Today’s guests
are Erica Burman and Molly Mattesich of the National Peace Corps
Association. Erica Burman is the Director of Communications at NPCA,
and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in The Gambia in the
late 80s. Molly Mattesich manages the Africa Rural Connect project at
NPCA, as well as the Peace Corps Connect online social network. Molly
served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali from 2002-2004.

Idealist's Amy Potthast talks with Erica and Molly about NPCA's initiatives like the More Peace Corps Campaign , Africa Rural Connect , the RPCV Mentoring Program , and Global Teachnet . They also talk about the new online social network for the Peace Corps community Peace Corps Connected , the Peace Corps Polyglot blog , and World View magazine . Finally, they discuss the new Peace Corps director — and departing NPCA board member — Aaron Williams , and how online communication tools are changing the Volunteer experience.

In this Questions With episode, Douglas speaks with Heather Cronk about her work at the New Organizing Institute (NOI). NOI is progressive training organization focused on utilizing online outreach strategies, from micro-blogging to video. Heather talks about how she entered this career and some advice she has for nonprofits and advocacy groups to effectively use new communication technologies.

In the latest Questions With podcast, Douglas speaks with Nancy Mahon the Executive Director of the MAC AIDS Fund and Senior Vice President at MAC Cosmetics . The MAC AIDS Fund is the charitable arm of MAC Cosmetics which raises money for HIV/AIDS programs through their Viva Glam line of products. Nancy talks about her professional path from law clerk to HIV/AIDS work as well as why and how her company continues to contribute to the fight against the disease.

In this episode of the Idealist.org Podcast, a panel of graduate admissions representatives talk about the graduate admissions application process and financial aid. Recorded during the summer Washington, D.C. Idealist.org Graduate Degree Fair for the Public Good hosted by the American University School of Public Affairs.

Hear answers to the following questions (in order):

How do teaching assistantships work?
Should I get a second masters?
What are some of the issues that prospective students be thinking about?
How do I transition from one area of study to another, eg, biochemistry to policy?
Do your programs prefer or require professional work experience in your applicants?
Would volunteer work related to my graduate field of interest count as experience in the application?
What are some practical tools I should be using right now to pay for grad school?
If I don't have a 4.0, how does that affect my scholarship eligibility?
Are the different parts of the application weighed consistently across schools?
How much time is spent reviewing each application?
On the personal essay, what should I write about?
How should I decide between full-time and part-time?
What do you expect in regards to recommendations for applicants who have been out of school for more than five years?
What is more important? The name on the recommendation letter or how closely they have worked with you?
What if you are not working in the specific field that you want to study at grad school?
Can you talk about a candidate that stood out for you in positive and negative ways?

This episode is an enhanced podcast file that allows you to skip ahead to specific questions within the episode.

Find dates and locations of upcoming Graduate Degree Fairs for the Public Good

Find more information on Grad School at the Public Service and Graduate Education Resource Center

Check out the original video of the panel discussion .

In this week's Questions With podcast, Douglas interviews Ben Smilowitz, founder of the Disaster Accountability Project . While helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ben realized the deficits in disaster planning and overview in New Orleans and across the country. We cover the importance of emergency planning, the far reaching nature of disaster work and how you can help prepare your own community.

This episode is part of series where we'll be featuring 2008 Echoing Green fellows. Echoing Green "invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions."

In our latest podcast, Idealist's Douglas Coulter speaks with Nandini Narula, co-founder of the organization GreenMango . The mission of GreenMango is to connect entrepreneurs in India to the internet in order to promote and grow their small businesses. Nandini talks about how she started the organization with Yasmina McCarty, internet usage in developing parts of India and how GreenMango is integrating mobile technology.

This episode is part of series where we'll be featuring 2008 Echoing Green fellows. Echoing Green "invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions."

This podcast is part of a series called "Questions With" in
which we feature leaders in the social sector discussing their work and
professional journeys. Over the next few weeks, we'll be featuring 2008 Echoing Green fellows. Echoing Green "invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to
launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions."

In this episode, Douglas speaks with Anne Tamar-Mattis from the organization Advocate for Informed Choice . AIC advocates for the legal rights of children who are born with ambiguous reproductive or sexual anatomy. Anne talks about the issues facing intersex children and their parents and how her organization is filling the legal void for this community.

Today's
guest on The New Service podcast is Aaliyah El-Amin, an alumna of Teach For America ’s 2000 Atlanta corps. Teach For America is the national corps
of recent college graduates who commit to teach for at
least two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong
leaders in expanding educational opportunity. In the 2008-09 school
year, 6,200 corps members taught in over 1,600 schools in 29
regions across the country while more than 14,000 Teach For America
alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education
for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence
and equity.

In
2000, at age twenty, Aaliyah El-Amin graduated from Davidson College
and joined Teach For America to teach 4th and 5th grade in Atlanta,
Georgia. It was through her corps experience, that Aaliyah found her
calling. During her time in the classroom, Aaliyah received her Masters
degree in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia. By the
time she was twenty-three, she’d received her principal certification
and had become an instructional facilitator at her placement school,
providing professional development to veteran staff members. Aaliyah
then became the executive director of Teach For America--Charlotte when
she twenty-four. She is currently at Harvard University working on her
doctorate in Educational Policy and Administration.

Idealist's
Amy Potthast talks with Aaliyah about the impact corps members are
having in underserved classrooms across the country, how applicants can demonstrate the qualities Teach For America seeks ,
and how Teach For
America alums are going on to become lifelong leaders in the field of
education. They also talk about Aaliyah’s own career path and her
personal passion for creating educational equity, and how you can get
involved with the movement to end educational inequity whether or not
you participate in the corps.

For other service opportunities, including teaching corps, check out The New Service blog from Idealist.org.

This podcast is part of a new series called "Questions With" in
which we feature leaders in the social sector discussing their work and
professional journeys.

In this episode Douglas Coulter interviews Suzanne Seggerman about her organization Games for Change (G4C) and their innovative work with video games. G4C helps connect a variety of nonprofits, from the environment to economics , to video game designers to help raise awareness of critical issues in a new way. In this interview, Suzanne talks about how she got started in G4C, her work and how anyone can create social issue games.

This podcast is the second in a new series called "Questions With" in which we feature leaders in the social sector discussing their work and professional journeys.

In this episode Douglas Coulter interviews Eric Hilton about his new nonprofit Technically Learning . His organization believes "all students should have the
opportunity to discover how fun and inspiring the science, technology, engineering
and math fields can be." Eric talks about how he got involved with creating educational materials, LEGO robots and the difficulty in starting a new nonprofit.

In this episode, Meg Busse answers some common questions about finding a nonprofit job. Some of the questions we ask include:

"I hate networking but I hear it’s essential to get a nonprofit job. Where should I start?”
“What are the top skills that nonprofits seek?”
“What's the best way for me to network with nonprofit professionals?”

“How can I get an employer to see my value if I don't have a lot of work experience?”
“Should I follow up to see the status of my job application if I haven't heard back?”
“I'm thinking about starting my own nonprofit. Any suggestions?”
“Where are all the jobs?!?”

Jung Fitzpatrick interviews Meg to get some answers to ten of the most common questions we hear from folks who are looking for a nonprofit job these days.

And while listening to this podcast will not offer up any golden tickets to finding your ideal job, hopefully you’ll hear at least one new tip that will help you in your search. Or perhaps you’ll listen and get confirmation that you’re doing everything right. Sometimes that reassurance is as much needed in the job search as more advice.

For more career advice, check out our Career Center .

On the outskirts of Buenos Aires tucked away from
the ubiquitous tango clubs and steakhouses, is Hospital Borda, the
largest and oldest mental hospital in Argentina. But this isn't your
typical psychiatric ward. In the middle of its courtyard stands a small,
bustling building full of recording equipment and unbridled energy,
where each Saturday patients gear up to take the mic. This is Radio La
Colifata , the first radio show in the world to be broadcast out of a
mental hospital.

Our latest podcast follows Idealist staff
member Celeste Hamilton, a transplanted New Yorker and Cecilia Gil Mariño,
a native Argentinean, as they give us an intimate glimpse as to
why everyone from taxi drivers to famous musicians can't get enough of
Radio La Colifata. We hear from staff and patients, or colifatos
as they like to be called, about how it all began, why it's lasted
almost two decades-- and why this innovative form of public therapy has spawned 40
similar radio stations all over the world.

Special thanks to Victoria Bembibre and Martín Waserman for help with
initial reporting; C. Andrea Sottosanto and Josefina Murphy for
transcription and translation assistance; Carolina Villanueva, Martin
Celis, Rodrigo Tabernero and Verónica Carmona Barrenechea for lending
us their voices; and Cheba Massolo , Agri , and Julio y Agosto for
sharing their music. But most of all, mil gracias to the Radio La
Colifata staff and colifatos for inviting Idealist into their world.

Radio La Colifata: En Vivo desde
Argentina

En uno de los barrios menos
transitados de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, lejos de los lugares favoritos
de paseo de los porteños, se encuentra el Hospital Borda, uno de los
más grandes y antiguos hospitales neuropsiquiátricos de la Argentina.
Pero este no es un típico hospital psiquiátrico. En uno de sus jardines,
podemos encontrar una descascarada sala de cemento donde si damos la
vuelta, vemos un hermoso mural y si entramos, podemos encontrar equipos
para grabar, cables, en síntesis: una radio, donde los pacientes van
tomando de a turnos el micrófono para realizar el programa. Ésta es
la Radio La Colifata, la primera radio en el mundo realizada por pacientes
psiquiátricos y transmitida desde el hospital mismo.

Nuestro último podcast sigue
la historia de dos miembros del staff de Idealistas, Celeste Hamilton
de Nueva York y Ceci Gil Mariño de Argentina. Ellas nos dan una mirada
íntima acerca de cómo fueron descubriendo este mundo y por qué, desde
un chofer de un taxi hasta un músico famoso participan de La Colifata.
Escucharemos a los coordinadores de la radio y a los pacientes, o
colifatos , como todos prefieren llamarse, que nos contarán cómo
nació esta idea, por qué sigue vigente y por qué esta innovadora
forma de terapia pública y colectiva ha inspirado a más de 40 radios
similares en el mundo.

Un agradecimiento muy especial
a Victoria Bembibre y Martín Waserman por ayudarnos con las entrevistas
iniciales; C. Andrea Sottosanto y Josefina Murphy por la transcripción
y asistencia en la traducción al inglés; Carolina Villanueva, Martín
Celis, Rodrigo Tabernero y Verónica Carmona Barrenechea por prestarnos
sus voces para su versión en inglés; y Cheba Massolo, Agri, y Julio
& Agosto por compartir con nosotros su música. Pero, por sobre
todo, mil gracias a la Radio La Colifata y los colifatos por invitar
a las chicas de Idealistas a ser parte de su mundo.

Haz clic acá para escuchar este episodio en español.

If you are trying to switch into the nonprofit sector, check out the new Idealist.org Podcast with advice on how to prepare for your interview and land that nonprofit job.

Our Career Transitions team has the pleasure of attending lots of events, giving presentations, and otherwise conversing with professionals looking for meaningful work in the nonprofit sector. While they get plenty of unique questions, they also get plenty of frequently-asked questions.

Steven Pascal-Joiner recently sat down with his colleague Jung Fitzpatrick to discuss some of the common answers he shares with experienced professionals 'sector switching' into the nonprofit world. They cover:

What are the job prospects for a senior level sector switcher? Would I need to start at a lower level and work up?
I want an upper-level management/leadership role. Where are those jobs?
I have [insert exhaustive list of impressive skills] from decades of work in [insert industry]. Why can't nonprofits see this? or How do I make myself stand-out from the 100's of resumes organizations may receive for a given position particularly if I don't have paid experience in the non-profit sector?
Generally, for-profit positions earn more money than nonprofit positions. Are non-profits less likely to consider candidates with for-profit experience because they expect that the candidate would have to take a significant paycut and therefore not really consider the position?
What may be some red flags in my resume or cover letter if I'm coming from the for-profit sector? How do I address those?
What kind of further education (certificate courses, community workshops) can help me improve my candidacy for nonprofit work?
Is there any other advice or resources that may be helpful to for-profit professionals hoping to transition into nonprofits?

For even more information on how to enter the nonprofit sector, check out our free Idealist.org Guide to Nonprofit Careers for Sector Switchers .

June is Pride Month, so The New Service podcast from Idealist.org
is taking a closer look at the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender (LGBT) individuals serving in Peace Corps and
AmeriCorps.

Today's guests are lesbian and gay former service corps participants:

Chad Jeremy, a former AmeriCorps NCCC corps member, currently a
training specialist with AmeriCorps NCCC in Perry Point, MD. Chad is an
officer with National Service GLOBE , an affinity group for LGBT folks involved with national service.
Kate Kuykendall, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (China,
1999-2001); currently a Public Affairs Officer for Peace Corps Los
Angeles. Kate's a member of the LGBT Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group .
Martha Tierney, a former Notre Dame AmeriCorps member, currently a
program offer for AmeriCorps National at the Corporation for National and Community Service . Martha is also a National Service GLOBE officer.

The New Service podcast host Amy Potthast speaks with them about agency policies affecting LGBT
service—including policies around joining the corps with a same-sex
partner; the experience of serving as a lesbian or gay corps member;
and opportunities to serve on projects that relate to LGBT issues.

Also check out our interivew with one of the only known transgender Returned Peace Corps Volunteers about his service . (Because of scheduling issues, and as a way to maintain his anonymity, we agreed to a written interview with him.)

Finally, if you are an LGBT individual considering Peace Corps service, register for Kate Kuykendall's online information session "Have Rainbow, Will Travel: The LGBT Experience in the Peace Corps" on Saturday, June 20, 2009 . She'll introduce Peace Corps service more specifically, and also address issues of special concern to LGBT folks.

Read the transcript .

From our team in Portland, Oregon:

Last November, we blogged about a mentorship program taking place in our office where four of the women on our staff would be mentoring a small group of teenage girls. Coordinated by Girls, Inc. of NW Oregon , the Associates Mentoring Program provides opportunities for busy professional women to join forces with girls in crafting a project to explore different career paths, develop new skills, get to know one another, and have fun in the process.

Seven months and a ton of work later, we’re proud to show off the fruits of their labor: a new podcast! “Past, Present, and Future…The Voices of Girls and Women ” explores the diverse and shared perceptions of women and girls, the stories they tell, and the common themes they share. A team of three girls and four Idealists met every other week to create this new podcast, determining the theme, crafting six questions to ask each person, interviewing 17 women and girls who ranged in age from 14 to 61, and doing lots and lots of editing (with the guidance and assistance of our own Amy Potthast, host of The New Service podcasts ). The end result? A twenty minute window into unique dreams and goals, stories of perseverance and ambition, and shared hopes and ideals of girls and women today.

Special thanks to rock stars Christa, Polina, and Galyna, Girls Inc of NW Oregon, and the many fascinating girls and women who participated in our project!

This podcast is the first in a new series called "Questions With" in which we feature leaders in the social sector discussing their work and professional journeys.

The death penalty has been the subject of an ongoing debate across the United States for many decades. In recent years, some states have completed abolished the practice while others continue.

In this episode Douglas Coulter interviews Stefanie Faucher about her anti-death penalty work and her role as the Program Director at Death Penalty Focus , an organization that advocates for the abolition of capital punishment.

Corporate social responsibility and citizen service are increasingly
becoming two sides of the same coin, as more business-sector employees
and clients demand opportunities to improve their communities as part
of their workplace culture. Exemplifying the beneficial opportunities
of cross-sector alliances is the new national partnership between the
nonprofit Be The Change, Inc., and the business network Pricewaterhouse
Coopers (PwC).

Today’s guests on The New Service podcast from Idealist.og are Be the Change, Inc's Alan Khazei and PwC's Shannon Schuyler.

Alan Khazei is the founder and CEO of Be the Change, Inc , the lead organizer of the Service Nation campaign that has galvanized support throughout the country for passage of the Kennedy Serve America Act . Alan is Co-Founder & former CEO of City Year , the youth service corps that helped to inspire the development of AmeriCorps .

Shannon Schuyler is the Managing Director responsible for PwC's U.S. Corporate Responsibility .
As such she is responsible for fostering meaningful partnerships with
national non-profits, including a new national relationship with Be the
Change, Inc.

The collaboration between Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Be the Change
Inc is aimed at inspiring a new era of voluntary citizen service. PwC
will also serve as a Lead Sponsor for ServiceNation's participation in
the upcoming National Conference on Volunteering and Service .

Amy Potthast spoke with Alan and Shannon about their evolving
partnership, about how corporate responsibility strengthens
communities, and about how groups can — and must — come together across
sectors to solve our most pressing social problems.

Idealist.org's Jung Fitzpatrick talks with Regina Garner, the Director of Student Financial Services for the Monterey Institute of International Studies , to dispel some common myths that working professionals have about qualifying for financial aid and to learn more about the ins and outs of financial aid for graduate education.

Whether you're thinking about graduate school–or are already on your way–this podcast helps answer many questions about the financial aid process. Topics include the basics of how financial aid is determined, the role of The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 in debt forgiveness and loan repayment as well as other issues for professionals transitioning to graduate school.

If you have more questions about graduate school, check out our free Public Service Graduate Education Resource Center , which in addition to articles on financing your graduate education , includes information on preparing for , applying to and alternatives to graduate school. You can also post questions to our Graduate Education Forum !

Also be sure to check out the upcoming Graduate Degree Fairs for the Public Good this summer in Washington D.C. and New York City and this fall in 16 cities in the United States and Canada.

The Resource Center , a website of the Corporation for National and Community Service, is the repository of over 8,000 nodes of training tools, publications, and effective practices to support volunteer programs, nonprofits, and people involved with the AmeriCorps family of programs. The Resource Center–free and accessible to all audience–boasts a 3,000-item lending library as well as a calendar of events of interest to national service programs and nonprofits.

The guests on this New Service podcast are Laura Norvig, the Resource Center's librarian, and Jason Scott, the Training Officer and eLearning Specialist at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Laura has been with the Resource Center for nearly a decade, manages acquisitions and operations for the Resource Center library, and oversees the taxonomy for the Resource Center website. She follows trends in blogging and collaborative media as well as serves as the “voice” of the Resource Center on social media sites.

Jason is responsible for providing tools, training and information online to national service programs and nonprofits interested in service and volunteering. He has worked for an AmeriCorps State program and started out at CNCS as an AmeriCorps Recruiter before beginning his work in the Office of Leadership Development and Training. He also served as a VISTA in 1999 then as a VISTA Leader in 2000.

Amy Potthast talks with Laura and Jason about how you can access, benefit from, and contribute to the Resource Center. Also check out sister websites VISTA Campus (free login required) and EnCorps .

Learn more about national service and the Resource Center on The New Service blog from Idealist.org.

Are you interested in taking some time to volunteer in another country? Have you already started your search and now you have even more questions? Or do you have no idea where to begin?

In either case, this podcast episode is for you. We collected common questions from attendees at the recent Idealist.org Global Volunteering Fair and our very own Erin Barnhart answers them for us. Erin oversees the free Idealist.org International Volunteerism Resource Center , which contains tons of resources to help you make an informed decision. In our interview, we cover global volunteering topics like why you may have to pay, where to look for opportunities, how to evaluate an organization, if this is the best way to help and more.

And, of course, if you still have more questions at the end, check out the International Volunteerism Resource Center .

In 2009,
hundreds of emerging legal experts across the United States will offer
assistance in helping people who face mortgage foreclosure and other
problems through the Equal Justice Works 2009 Summer AmeriCorps program and the one-year AmeriCorps Legal Fellows program .

Every year in this country, four out of five low-income people in
need of legal assistance are denied services because of overwhelming
case loads at legal services offices and a dire shortage of attorneys
who can help them. Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps plays a crucial role
in closing the gap between the supply and demand of legal assistance.
AmeriCorps attorneys secure affordable housing, lost wages, orders of
protection, health care, public benefits, adoption services, and
education for low-income and underserved communities.

Our guests on this Idealist.org podcast are Marty Costello, Program Manager, and Cole McMahon,
Senior Program Manager, from Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps. They join
Idealist's Amy Potthast to talk about the Summer Corps, a 300-hour
AmeriCorps Education Award program for law school students, as well as
its one-year, full-time AmeriCorps Legal Fellows program.

The Equal Justice Works
2009 Summer Corps
application opens today Wednesday, March 18 and closes on
Wednesday, April 1; this summer's corps will
commit to providing assistance to those
individuals and families facing mortgage foreclosure and will set aside
Summer Corps positions for 1L and 2L law students working on eligible
mortgage
foreclosure-related issues. See a list of host sites and learn how to apply .

In exchange for a minimum of 300 hours of service, summer AmeriCorps members earn a
$1,000 AmeriCorps Education Award that can be used to pay
current educational expenses or qualified student loans. They also gain
first-hand experience and legal skills in areas such as client intake,
representation, legal research and writing. In 2008, 333 Summer Corps members provided direct legal services to
18,395 low-income individuals. For more information on last year’s
program, download the Equal Justice Works 2008 Summer Corps Summary of Accomplishments .

Equal Justice Works blog is part of the Idealist Grad School Blog Project .

Kiff Gallagher is founder of Peacelabs Music and the Music National Service Initiative (MNSI). In 2008, The Aspen Institute named MNSI's MusicianCorps — a developing AmeriCorps-type program that
will enable musicians to serve in low-income schools — one of the top
ten public policy proposals that would strengthen the United States.

According to The Aspen Institute:

Music reaches youth. … Music education develops habits
of self-directed learning that drive lifelong success, and it can
inspire community cohesiveness and service. Yet, most schools are
experiencing significant cutbacks. Particularly effective at reaching
disengaged youth, music can be an effective vehicle for a public
service corps that meets social and civic goals.

The MNSI project has recently received $500K from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
to pilot a 10-month fellowship program in the Bay Area. After a summer training institute, Fellows would take up their
service in public schools, engaging in these kinds of activities. The program is set to launch its first cohort in August 2009.

Idealist's
Amy Potthast talks with Kiff Gallagher about the need for music and
arts education in the schools, about his role in developing the
national service legislation that shaped AmeriCorps in 1993, and the
future of the Music National Service Initiative.

Also check out this story on NPR .

Today's guest on The New Service podcast series is Scott Beale, Founder
and Executive Director of Atlas Corps , a service and
exchange corps for professionals in the NGO sector. Also known as a
"two-way Peace Corps," Atlas Corps brings rising professionals from NGOs
in the Global South to the United States to serve for a year; U.S.
professionals find opportunities to serve at NGOs in Colombia, India,
and soon, elsewhere. Atlas Corps has just launched recruitment for the 2009-10 fellowship year.

Scott has worked for the U.S. State Department, Governor Tom Carper
of Delaware, and as the Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
at the White House and Youth Venture (a sister organization of Ashoka:
Innovators for the Public).

Idealist's Amy Potthast talks with Scott about the need for
professional global exchanges, starting up a new service corps, and his
experiences that led to developing Atlas Corps.

This episode was produced by our guest contributors, Michael Premo and Rachel Falcone. If you have a story, click here for more information on contributing it to the Idealist.org Podcast.

In 1983 New York State implemented the Returnable Container Act requiring a 5 Cent deposit on carbonated beverages sold in glass, metal and plastic containers. Commonly known as a “Bottle Bill,” the act is intended to reduce litter, ease the burden on solid waste facilities and encourage recycling activity. To date, 11 US states and at least 14 countries have enacted similar legislation.

In addition to its intended environmental impact, the Bottle Bill has unwittingly created a necessary and important source of income for homeless and impoverished people. In New York City, people who collect and redeem containers for a living refer to their vocation as Canning. They can be seen around the city reclaiming bottles and cans from commercial and residential waste, contributing to the amount of recyclable materials diverted from the waste stream. They stack what they find in carts they call “wagons.” A popular wagon is a grocery store shopping cart, known to canners as a “$60 wagon” because of the average value of the amount of containers it can hold.

This is an audio portrait of a "canner" named Eugene “The King of Can’s” Gadsden and the work that he and his friends and colleagues Ana Martinez De Luco and Drew Swope are doing to improve the conditions of their community.

This audio portrait takes its name from the not-for-profit organization founded in 2007 by Eugene Gadsden and Ana Martinez De Luco. For more information or to contact Sure We Can, email Drew Swope at drew.swope (at) gmail.com.

For more information about the producers and other stories, visit michaelpremo.com .

Photography by Michael Premo

In this episode of the The New Service Podcast, Amy speaks with Bonnie Thie, the country director of Peace Corps's China program.

Bonnie served in Peace Corps Afghanistan, where she served for three years in the 1970s. She served 18 years with the Environmental Protection Agency most recently as the director of policy, communications and resource management in the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds in Washington, D.C. and in the EPA's Seattle Air Quality Office, working with states, tribes and Environment Canada to protect and improve air quality in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. After attending law school at the University of Oregon, she practiced law in Alaska, first in private practice and then as assistant attorney general for the state of Alaska, working on oil and gas leasing, as well as a range of municipal law and use issues. Her undergraduate degree is in history from the University of Washington, which is currently the #1 producer of Peace Corps volunteers in the nation.

Idealist.org's Amy Potthast — who served in China as Peace Corps Volunteer in the late 1990s — talked with Bonnie about the impact of Peace Corps experience on its Volunteers, the role of a Country Director, and the inevitable cultural confusion that comes with crossing borders.

Amy talked with Bonnie in mid-December. At the time, one of Peace Corps China's founders, Ms. Zhan Yimei, was battling lung cancer from a hospital room in Chengdu, Sichuan. Last week Ms. Zhan lost her battle. Bonnie and Amy talk about Zhan Yimei in the interview; you can read more on The New Service blog about Ms. Zhan's indelible contributions to Peace Corps China .

Learn more about Peace Corps China by reading Returned Volunteer Peter Hessler's account of his years in the program, River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze.

Today we're launching a new podcast series as part of the Idealist.org
podcasts. Called "The New Service " podcast, the show will highlight
service corps programs, people, and career paths. It will be included
along with the Idealist.org Careers Podcast feed.

Today's guest on The New Service is Colonel Robert L. Gordon, III, Senior Vice President of Civic Leadership at City Year .
City Year is a national service program that enables people aged 17-24
make a difference in the lives of children and their communities. Corps
members serve in one of 19 cities within the United States and South
Africa. City Year is a national partner of AmeriCorps . It also plays a leadership role in the Voices for National Service and Service Nation .

Colonel Rob Gordon oversees programs that recruit and prepare new
corps members, support corps alumni, and engage kids and teens in the
work of City Year. He's a graduate of West Point, Princeton's Woodrow
Wilson School, the National War College, and the Army Command and
General Staff College. As a White House Fellow from 1992-93, Rob helped
with the establishment of AmeriCorps.

Idealist's Amy Potthast talks wit Rob about how City Year develops
its corps members as leaders; how the program is unique among
AmeriCorps programs; and about its long-standing partnership with The
Timberland Company. They also talk about Rob's own career path,
involving decades of service to his country.

This Idealist.org Careers podcast features an interview with Meg Busse, co-author of the Idealist.org Guide to Nonprofit Career s. The Guide walks job seekers through all the steps of the nonprofit job search, from describing the nonprofit sector and self-assessment to developing a stellar resume and interview skills. The book is available in two versions — for the first-time job seeker , and for the sector-switcher — for free on our website.

Meg Busse is the Coordinator of High School and College Career Transitions at Idealist.org. Along with creating resources, she works with career professionals and guidance counselors to connect students with careers in the nonprofit sector.

Amy Potthast interviews Meg about Chapter Four of the career guide, "Networking." They discuss the value of building relationships to begin and sustain a nonprofit career through volunteering and through informational interviews.

Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps offers young people a chance to affect social change while deepening their commitment to Jewish life by serving for a year at anti-poverty organizations in Chicago , New Orleans , New York , and Washington, DC .

As with other service corps, Avodah's corps members earn a basic stipend. They also live in community with other corps members, and work on group building, negotiation, and conflict resolution. In partnership with the American Jewish World Service, Avodah's alumni find networking, support and training.

Herself an alumna of Avodah, Amy Ravis Furey serves as New York City Program Director for AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps. After earning her Masters in Social Work from Hunter College with a concentration in community organizing and group work, she served as an organizer for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and as the Social Justice Coordinator at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Amy is the first Avodah alum to serve on staff as a program director at one of the AVODAH sites.

Idealist's Amy Potthast speaks with Amy Ravis Furey about the influence of Avodah in her career path, and her mission of lifting up youth to change the world. They talk about the role of Jewish social justice teaching, the alumni nework, and the impact Avodah has had in the world and on its corps members.

For more information, join Avodah staff on a conference call tonight (11/19) at 9 pm, or on December 2. The deadline to apply for the 2009-10 year is February 6th, 2009.

In recent years, communities across the five boroughs have become more concerned with eating "locally" and developing a sustainable food system for all New York City residents. Community Supported Agriculture--the model of pairing groups of community residents with small local farms--continues to gain in popularity all over the city as an alternative to supermarket shopping. But how exactly does CSA work? What does membership in a CSA model mean for community residents?

In the latest Idealist.org Community Podcast, guest contributor Cambra Moniz-Edwards follows Fort Greene CSA Coordinator Jen Datka as she explains the ins and outs of one of Brooklyn's newest CSAs. For more information on CSAs in the five boroughs, and on developing a sustainable agriculture system in New York City, visit JustFood.org .

Click here for more information on Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) and the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project (MARP) .

In this episode Amy Potthast speaks with Nikki Roehling, Associate Director of the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service or CNVS.

This week, the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service will gather its program directors in Portland, OR, for a multi-day conference and retreat. CNVS is a national membership association of 200 faith-based domestic and international volunteer programs, some of which are either AmeriCorps-funded, or which offer the Eli Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to its members upon completion of service. It publishes a directory of its programs called The Response Directory in print, and as a searchable directory on its web site, www.cnvs.org .

Nikki and Idealist's Amy Potthast talk about the range of CNVS volunteer and lay mission programs, the Response Directory, international volunteering, self-reflection, and the Eli Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that some of its volunteers are able to earn.

Tune in again next month for the public service careers podcast Faith and Service Pt. 2: Avodah, the Jewish Service Corps.

"The poor will always be among you" is a biblical quote often cited by Christian leaders as a reason to not focus on poverty work. Some Christians, however, believe the quote means the exact opposite and that although 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day, poverty can end.

In this latest Community episode, our summer podcasting intern Alison Killeen explores the beliefs of the Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She speaks with co-founder and coordinator Liz Theoharis, along with the formerly homeless scholar-in-residence Willie Baptist, about the work of their organization and the importance of teaching a new generation of Christian leaders to address poverty in a new light.

This episode features Shane Endicott , Founder and C.E.O. of Our United Villages , the organization that runs Portland's environmentally sound The Rebuilding Center .
The Rebuilding Center recycles used building and remodeling materials
(everything from a door knob to the kitchen sink to church pews to
siding) by re-selling them to builders for up to 90 percent less than market value.

The show is guest-hosted by intern Alicia "Lish" Ng, who is leaving
the Portland Idealist office for graduate school at the the London
School of Oriental and African Studies. Lish and Shane talk about the value of having such a innovative resource in
the community, his early years, what it means to be a community leader,
and how The Rebuilding Center will benefit the community as greening
becomes ever more mainstream.

Lish, we thank you so much for your sound editing on this year's

After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, some people began thinking about how two cultures could misunderstand each other so much. How could one group hate another enough to attack them? Though we live in a time of ever-increasing communication and modern technologies that connect us across continents, we still don't seem to understand each other very well.

In the latest Idealist.org Community Podcast, our guest contributor, Eric Hanser, tells the story of a group called Cultures in Harmony . This NYC-based nonprofit organization is bringing back an old means of cultural understanding—long ago abandoned by the United States government—by performing music in venues around the world. Set to the backdrop of beautiful global melodies, Eric explores how Cultures in Harmony fosters dialogue, friendship and diplomacy.

In the latest Community Podcast, we look at an organization that's working to bring the internet to all New Yorkers, in and outside of their apartments. Most of us think of using the internet as a solitary, indoor activity. NYCwireless thinks differently. By "lighting up" public parks with free wi-fi access, they're allowing New Yorkers to connect outdoors and helping everyone to create and participate in a new community.

We talk with Dana Spiegel and Laura Forlano from NYCwireless about their mission and projects. We also look at the challenges they face as they work to make internet access an accepted public service.

Click here for a transcript of this episode.

More information on NYCwireless .

Today's guest is Bob Grimm, Director of Research and Policy Development
& Senior Counselor to the CEO at the Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS) in Washington, DC. He speaks with
Idealist.org's Amy Potthast about the study design and outcomes, and
about some of the people who have served in AmeriCorps.

Solid evidence now exists to show that participating in a term of service program (like AmeriCorps, Teach For America, and Peace Corps) really is an effective launching-off point for a public service career. Idealist has long held this belief, and has been formalizing its support of these programs since 2007.

Earlier this year the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) published an eight-year longitudinal study of people who participated in AmeriCorps programs in 1999-2000, as well as of people who considered participating but chose not to during the same year. It turns out that two-thirds of AmeriCorps alumni (including AmeriCorps*NCCC alumni) from that year are currently engaged in nonprofit or government careers -- outnumbering the group who didn't participate in AmeriCorps.

This past May in Washington, D.C., people came together in the neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle to teach each other everything they know. Literally.

Learn-a-Palooza is a one-day event in which temporary classrooms are set up across Washington D.C., and regular people share their knowledge and skills with their neighbors for free. This is the second year for the knowledge bonanza, intended to bring communities together, and workshop topics ranged from everything from "Personal Finance for Young People," to "How to Be a Brazen Burlesque Dancer."

For this Idealist Community Podcast, Julia Smith attended Learn-a-Palooza, and brought her voice recorder along with her, interviewing both workshop leaders and participants. Julia shares her experiences and insight, and lets us listen in on some of the workshops. Join us for an episode of community-building, information-gathering, knowledge-sharing, and a lot of plain old fun!

Click here for the complete transcript.

Click here for more information on Learn-a-Palooza

The latest Idealist.org Careers Podcast features Eileen Conoboy, Director of the Office of University Programs at Peace Corps. She speaks with Idealist’s Amy Potthast about Peace Corps and its two graduate school partnership programs, Masters International and Fellows USA. Eileen was a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) and a Peace Corps Volunteer (Mali, 1995-97) and has served as a Peace Corps Regional Recruiter. She has a Masters degree in International Peace Studies from Trinity College in Ireland.

Peace Corps Volunteers can earn their Masters degree as part of Peace Corps service through the Masters International program. Former Volunteers receive scholarships through the Fellows USA program. Finally, Peace Corps has two pilot programs that serve undergraduate populations on specific campuses. To learn more about Peace Corps’s graduate school partnerships, go to www.peacecorps.gov and click on “Grad School” or come to an Idealist.org Graduate Degree Fair for the Public Good, www.idealist.org/gradfairs .

Download the Episode Here (0:40:50) [19MB]

The Peace Corps is a federal US agency that sends thousands of Volunteers abroad each year to over 70 developing countries to perform tasks that the host countries deem critical in fields like public health, education, environmental protection, information technology and more. The Office of University Programs oversees mutually beneficial partnerships between Peace Corps and both graduate and undergraduate institutions.

Find more grad school resources at www.idealist.org/gradschools

In this latest episode, we feature the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (or BAADS), a sailing group that is making the world a little bit enjoyable and easier for the disabled to live in. How? By pairing two people with complementary disabilities to make one sailor, or by using inventive technology to enable the more daring to sail alone.

We talk with three BAADS members—Greg Williams, Cristina Rubke and Ed Gallagher—to explore what being part of this association means for them. We also find out how they're pushing the boundaries of technology--as well as their own.

Click here to listen (0:16:32).
For a complete transcript, click here .

Special thanks to our former intern, Dana Fox Farrington, for all of her hard work on this episode.

Interested in this topic and want to get involved? Check out this list of almost 4,000 organizations around the world that work with the disabled in a variety of ways, from dancing to discrimination.

Today’s podcast features Amity Tripp, director of AmeriCorps Alums, a project of Hands On Network. AmeriCorps Alums connects and mobilizes the 400,000 alumni of AmeriCorps programs — national, community service opportunities for people to serve in organizations, agencies, and schools throughout the United States. Amity is the founder of the local Washington, DC, chapter of AmeriCorps Alums, and has been on the staff of Points of Light Foundation (now merged with Hands On Network), and with the DC Commission on Voluntary Action and Service.

Amity talks with Idealist’s Amy Potthast about the role of AmeriCorps members, the long-term benefits of serving in AmeriCorps and achievements of alumni, and the work of AmeriCorps Alums nationally and locally.

Click here to download . (00:21:00)

To learn more about AmeriCorps Alums, go to www.americorpsalums.org . You can also read a longitudinal study released this week about the impact of AmeriCorps alumni.

More Links

AmeriCorps

The Center for Progressive Leadership

The U.S. Public Service Academy

What's in a name? When it comes to 'Ubuntu', a whole lot. Ubuntu means "humanity to others" in some African cultures, but it's also the name of an computer operating system that is bringing people together, as well as a larger movement to change the way people interact with technology.

In this episode, we speak with members of an Ubuntu 'LoCo' (for Local Community) group in Washington, DC. While their mission is to promote Ubuntu Linux and open source software, their story likewise illustrates how a simple piece of software can build community. We also explore the history of Ubuntu, what it does, how open source is changing technological development-- and why some people want to stop it.

Click here to Download (15:45)

And in honor of open source, you can download the Ogg Vorbis format of this podcast . To learn more about Ogg Vorbis and install the player, click here .

Related Links:

Ubuntu Linux DC Local Community"

Open Source software - help for non-Geeks

Ubuntu Loco Team Page

Ubuntu Home Page

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In the latest Careers podcast we interview David Schachter, Assistant Dean for Career Services and Experiential Learning at The Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU. David manages Wagner’s career-related support of students and alumni. Originally trained as an actor, David has had more than fifteen years of non-profit staff and volunteer management experience. He has offered training, consulting, and facilitation nationally in the areas of leadership, staff development, supervision, team building, training of the trainer, and career planning.

In addition, he developed programs and training components that appear in several chapters of The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers. David received the 2006 NACE/Chevron Outstanding Achievement Award for Innovative Programs in Career Services for his partnership with Action Without Borders/Idealist.org on the creation of the Institute on Public Service Careers, a series of two-day professional development trainings designed to educate college career services professionals and year-of-service program staff from across the country on how to increase the visibility and accessibility of public service careers to their students, volunteers, and alumni. David received his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from NYU Wagner and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Idealist.org's Amy Potthast talks with David about the job search process; the diverse, ill-defined paths to public service careers; the NYU Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service at Wagner; David’s own path, and much, much more.

Click here to download (0:31:51)

Related links:
Wagner
The Fellowship For Emerging Leaders In Public Service
The Idealist.org Career Guide

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In this latest Idealist Community episode we highlight two projects, Tuxedo Travels and CouchSurfing.com, that are making the world a little bit friendlier to live in.

Heath Buck and Doug Campbell barely knew one another when they decided to set out on what they dubbed a "crazy adventure of the charitable kind." For six months, the duo traveled from Hong Kong to London raising money for local causes they encountered along the way. The catch? They wore tuxedos the whole time.

Heath and Doug talk about the amusing ups and downs of their journey, as well as provide keen insight as to how tuxedos are viewed in the rest of the world. We also hear how CouchSurfing, a global website that connects travelers to people's couches, helped them carry out their adventure.

Click here to download the episode. (0:15:03)

Related Links:

Tuxedo Travels

CouchSurfing

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This Idealist.org Public Service Careers interview is with Caitlyn Baggott and Emily Kintzer of the Bus Project and its political boot camp, PolitiCorps. The Bus Project has worked since 2001 to mobilize thousands of volunteers and activists around OR, to register new voters, engage new leaders, and inspire grassroots civic action. Its program PolitiCorps is a 10-week intensive bootcamp that brings 24 young people from around the United States for skills training, public policy intensives, and leadership practice. Caitlynn Baggot is a co-founder of the Bus Project and today runs Politicorps. She also designed the Bus. Emily Kintzer was a 2006 PolitiCorps fellow and is now on staff with the Bus Project as PolitiCorps's Recruitment Director. Applications for PolitiCorps are due March 3 and June 6.

Idealist.org's Amy Potthast talks with Caitlyn and Emily about the Bus Project, PolitiCorps, and careers in political campaigning.

Click here to download.

Related Links:
PolitiCorps

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In this Idealist Community episode, we explore what it means for a neighborhood to have an absence of banks—and what it takes for a few people to start one from scratch.

This story tells the tale of Charlie Wilcox and Kelly Dillon, two entrepreneurs who noticed a need in a Bronx community and decided to do something about it. From starting with just an idea to establishing both a nonprofit, Ariva, and a community focused bank named CheckSpring, Charlie and Kelly talk about the challenges and rewards of a journey that took more than five years.

Click here to listen. (0:13:58)

Related Links:

CheckSpring

Ariva

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The Idealist Public Service Careers podcast features an interview with Lara Galinsky, Vice President of Strategy at Echoing Green. This year Echoing Green is celebrating its 20th anniversary of funding social change through identifying, investing and fostering visionary leaders and their new organizations. Through a two-year program, Echoing Green helps its network of fellows develop new solutions to society’s most difficult problems. In its 20 years, Echoing Green has invested $25 million in start up grants to 450 social entrepreneurs and their organizations. To learn more, visit www.echoinggreen.org . Idealist.org's Amy Potthast and Lara talk about risk-taking in social entrepreneurship, how to measure social returns on an investment, common characteristics of the visionaries funded by Echoing Green, and the book Be Bold that she co-authored with Cheryl E. Dorsey on creating a career "with impact." Thanks to Eden Essick for research assistance.

Click here to download this episode.

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With the new year just around the corner, we thought we'd find out what people hope for the world and their communities in 2008. And who better to ask than future world leaders?

In this episode, we hear wishes and dreams for the upcoming year from kids ages 3 to 13. We were inspired, moved and tickled by their honest ideas to make the world a better place—let's just say that robots are in the plan.

The featured kids are students from I.S. 162 in the Bronx, Our World Neighborhood Charter School in Queens and San Francisco's De Marillac Academy, as well as friends and family of Idealist staff members. Special thanks to the everyone who conducted the interviews.

Click here to download the episode .

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There are a lot of tools on the internet meant to help bring people and communities together across the world for good. But do any of these tools make a real impact? Can they be used to build trust between people despite the anonymity of the Internet?

In this episode, we look at one such tool, Pledgebank, a project of the UK-based organization mySociety. The idea behind this website is that someone pledges to take an action as long as a certain amount of others do too. We explore this tool's simple premise and how it has brought the city of Bhubaneswar, India together with people from around the globe and with Western literary heroines like Pippi Longstocking.

Click to hear this episode.

Featured in this episode:

mySociety.org

Pledgebank

Bakul Foundation

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When you hear about interns, you most likely think about someone being trapped in a boxy cubicle sending emails, fetching coffee for an angry manager or well connected kids kicking back their feet on the desk for a summer. However, we found some interns whose experiences went way beyond any of these preconceptions.

In this episode we talk with three interns: Antasia at the Red Hook Initiative ; Carolyn at Green Guerillas ; and Santi at the Global Workers Justice Alliance .

If you're inspired to or need an internship, search our site for internships. You should also check out our exciting new internship openings for next year (including a podcasting intern!)

Click here to download the episode now.

Last month we posted an Idealist Community Podcast about Val Moran, the Australian grandmother aiming to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours. Val, who lost a daughter to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) years ago, planned to raise money and awareness for the bereavement support organization SIDS and Kids through her walk.

We got an email from Val's son Gary this morning, who wrote: "You might have read on the 1000 Mile Walk website that Val has been diagnosed with a double stress fracture of a hip. Although she was directed by the doctor not to walk any further she has committed to completing the journey in a wheelchair. This is progressing well with 526 miles now complete."

Val's community in Australia has rallied around her - family members, radio DJs, even the Mayor of Queanbeyan have been taking turns pushing the wheelchair. What a journey!

Click here to listen to our interview with Val, and here to track her progress on the 1000 Mile Walk blog.

The Idealist Public Service Careers Podcast features an interview with Katrina Mathis, the Recruitment Specialist with AmeriCorps*NCCC.
AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is one of three
branches of AmeriCorps, the domestic Peace Corps. Since the fall of
2005 AmeriCorps*NCCC teams from all over the U.S. have all contributed
to rebuilding the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Idealist.org 's Amy Potthast and Katrina talk about the work and roles of NCCC members, their relationships with each other and with the people in the communities where they serve. To find out more, go to www.americorps.gov/nccc .

In this two part episode we hear from two people who are connecting people, issues and organizations through the act of walking. More than just a leisurely stroll, they are raising awareness and money for important issues by walking an astonishing one thousand miles.

On the other side of the world, we catch up with Val Moran who is walking 1000 miles for the Australian organization SIDS and Kids. She is undertaking a walk that would challenge anyone, but at 65 she is charging forward with humor and practice. In this episode, Val describes the distant relative who inspired her walk as well as her own personal story that motivated her.

1000 Mile Walk

SIDS and Kids

Walkers Part 1, Iain

In this two part episode we hear from two people who are connecting people, issues and organizations through the act of walking. More than just a leisurely stroll, they are raising awareness and money for important issues by walking an astonishing one thousand miles.

The idea to walk 1,000 miles came to Iain Purdie after listening to the early 1990's hit, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," by the Scottish band The Proclaimers. But what started out as an arduous romantic gesture turned into something more.

In this episode we talk to Iain as he treks through Europe to raise money for the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, a Vietnam-based nonprofit that works with street children in Hanoi. Proving community knows no borders, the former web programmer talks about the adventures and connections he's made while promoting a nonprofit on the other side of the world.

I Would Walk 1000 Miles

Blue Dragon Children's Foundation

In the first Idealist Careers Podcast, our own Amy Potthast talks with Chris Asch, co-founder of the U.S. Public Service Academy. Recently featured in Time Magazine , Chris Asch discusses the mission of the USPSA-- the first national civilian university in the United States-- to develop and educate future leaders in public service.

Many young people in the US don't currently consider public service a viable career option. Chris and Amy begin by discussing the challenges that lead to this perspective, then discuss the similarities between this university and military academies. They also touch upon issues of funding, maintaining a diverse student body and the challenges of working with politicians.

More Information on the U.S. Public Service Academy

Fellowships in Public Service

One-Year Service Opportunities

A Time to Serve article in TIME

1. The Chicago Startup Meeting

Welcome to the first Idealist podcast. This podcast is all about shining a spotlight on the people, organizations and groups on Idealist.org making connections in their community. In January, we sent an email to thousands of people who use Idealist around the world about our coordinated campaign of Idealist Start-up Meetings. The idea was to connect people who wanted to make change in their community but weren't sure how to start. This one simple email led to led to 400 meetings in 80 countries over the following months.

In this episode we highlight the Chicago Idealist Network by interviewing the hosts (Dave and Katie) and some attendees (Ryan, Jeff and Jackie). They discuss how this group that grew from 9 to 150 members is now making connections within their community.

The Chicago Idealists Network on Idealist.org

Read more about this project at Imagine .

You can click "Direct Download" below to listen to this episode now.

Welcome to the Idealist.org Podcasts!

This podcast is a project of the organization, Idealist.org , an online community of people turning their good intentions into action. Our podcast comes in two flavors. The first is the
Community Podcast, which features stories about innovative ideas and
people who are building better communities around the globe. The second
is the Careers Podcast which features interviews with professionals and
leaders in the Public Service Careers sector.

For more information on check out idealist.org/podcast .