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.

 

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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