The Idealist.org Podcasts

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.

This Idealist.org Careers podcast features an interview with Meg Busse, co-author of the Idealist.org Guide to Nonprofit Careers. 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.