2009 NEW VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls!   We need the help of lots of reliable, dedicated folks to make camp happen, so thank you for offering your skills, time and enthusiasm.

Before and during camp there are a wide range of important volunteer positions to be filled . Some positions are open to women with some musical experience, some are open to women with or without a musical background, and some don't require musical ability and are open to people of either sex/any gender identity.

Please note that there are two sessions of camp, as well as two sessions of our special “weekend edition” of rock camp for adult women called Ladies Rock Camp . We need volunteers for all four sessions, so feel free to apply for as few (or as many) as you want.

The deadline for submitting your volunteer application is Friday May 22 nd , 2009.

ROCK CAMP 2009

WHEN

Girls' Camp Session 1:            
Monday through Friday, July 6 - 10, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Final concert: Saturday July 11, at a venue to be determined.

Ladies Rock Camp I:            
Friday through Sunday, July 24 – 26, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.,
with optional evening band practice Fri/Sat, 6 – 9:30 p.m.
Final concert: Sunday July 26, at a venue to be determined.

Ladies Rock Camp II:            
Friday through Sunday, August 7 - 9, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.,
with optional evening band practice Fri/Sat, 6 – 9:30 p.m.
Final concert: Sunday August 9, at a venue to be determined.

Girls' Camp Session 2:
Monday through Friday, August 17 - 21, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Final concert: Saturday August 22, at a venue to be determined.

WHERE

All sessions will take place at Urban Assembly School of Music & Art, in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, next to Downtown Brooklyn. The school is located on the 7 th and 8 th floors of the multi-school building at 49 Flatbush Ave Extension. The building is wheelchair accessible.

Directions: Take the A/C/F Trains to Jay St/Borough Hall. Exit at Myrtle Promenade. Walk north/towards the Manhattan Bridge on Jay Street towards Polytechnic University. Cross Tillary Street.  Take a right on Concord Street, cross Flatbush Avenue Extension. Use Concord St. entrance.

GROUP INFO SESSIONS

As part of the application review process, we require that all new volunteers come in to our office for a group info session and meet & greet. If you do not live in the New York City area, you must schedule a phone interview with our volunteer coordinator, Emily Moeller (212-777-1323). Group info sessions will take place in our offices in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Dates are as follows:

Wednesday April 1 st , 7pm
Wednesday April 15 th , 7pm
Thursday April 30 th , 7pm
Tuesday May 12 th , 7pm

ORIENTATION

General responsibilities for all volunteers include attending mandatory orientation sessions. All orientation sessions take place at the campsite or at our DUMBO office. Dates as follows:

Girls Rock Camp Session 1 : Sunday, July 5 th , 1pm – 5pm

Ladies Rock Camp I : Thursday, July 23 rd , 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Ladies Rock Camp II : Thursday August 6 th , 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Girls Rock Camp Session 2 : Sunday August 16 th , 1pm – 5pm

POSITION AVAILABILITY

While it's true that we can use all the help we can get, we have a limited number of spaces for certain positions, like workshop leader, band coach, and instrument instructor. If you are interested in one of those jobs, please apply early to ensure that you are assigned one of the positions. If the position that you have applied for is full, we strongly encourage you to consider volunteering in a different capacity at camp – we can always use more roadies!

VOLUNTEER CAMP

We are also holding an optional skill-sharing, training and pre-camp planning session for all volunteers, called Volunteer Camp . It will take place at the camp on Saturday June 20 th , from 10am – 5pm . Volunteer Camp is a chance to meet your fellow volunteers, and to receive in-depth training on camp's teaching philosophy, mission, and more. We strongly recommend that all instrument instructors, counselors, band coaches, and workshop leaders attend volunteer camp.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national and/or ethnic origin, marital status, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, or gender identity or expression in the administration of any of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarships, and other Camp-related policies and programs, as well as volunteer and employment-related policies and activities.

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls welcomes individuals who identify as female, trans, and gender non-conforming to apply for leadership positions at camp. Non-leadership roles are open to individuals who identify as female, male, trans, and gender non-conforming. For more information, see the job descriptions for volunteer positions.

A special note to male-identified allies:

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is primarily led by and for women and girls. We also value diversity, inclusion, and sensitivity towards all individuals, regardless of gender identity or expression. The organization welcomes the support of male-identified allies, and expects male-identified allies who would like to volunteer to respect the importance of leadership by women.

STIPENDS

We will offer an extremely limited number of volunteer stipends this year. If you feel you cannot volunteer without financial assistance of some kind, please check the stipend box on your application, and we will send you more information as it becomes available. The deadline for submitting a stipend request form is Friday May 22 nd . We will notify you about your stipend request within 2 weeks of May 22 nd .

VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Please read through the descriptions to see which jobs interest you and suit your schedule. You'll let us know your preferences and availability on the application form. Feel free to sign up for one job or several. Counselors are required to be at camp every day at 8:45 a.m. and stick around for a brief (i.e. 20 minutes or so) staff wrap-up at the end of the camp day. Instructors, workshop leaders, and other volunteers are strongly encouraged to stay for the end of the day meeting. Coming to the final showcase concert isn't mandatory, but it sure is a fun experience, so we really recommend including it in your plans. We provide breakfast, lunch and snacks for all volunteers each day.

CAMP WEEK JOBS

Host an out-of-town volunteer
We need local individuals/families to host volunteers coming in from other cities or countries, giving them a welcome place to rest their heads at night. 
* Must be able to provide housing for an entire camp session.

Counselor  
*Female, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome. No music experience necessary.
Counselors serve as mentors for assigned groups of girls, which involves checking in with them every morning, making sure the campers are where they need to be at all times, and offering advice and help throughout the day.   Since the most important parts of the job are ensuring the campers' safety and giving them support and encouragement, non-musicians are welcome in this job. Counselors who are musicians, however, are often called upon to coach campers on their instruments.  Volunteers who are assigned the role of counselor will not be given any other jobs for the camp week.
*Must be available Monday-Friday of camp week 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Instrument Instructor
*Female, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome. Music experience required.
Our campers possess a varying range of skill levels – some have been playing for years, many have never touched a musical instrument in their lives.   Instructors are responsible for working with other teachers to plan classes and create a supportive learning environment for the campers. Classes usually involve a combination of team-teaching larger groups of 20-35 students and solo teaching in smaller groups (3-4 students).
*Must be available mornings during camp week.   (2 hours between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., exact schedule t.b.d.) Ladies Rock Camp schedule t.b.d.

Band Coach
*Female, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome. Music experience required.
On the first day of camp, the campers form bands, and each band is assigned a band coach. The coach provides help and guidance with all aspects of working as a group: setting up, tuning, songwriting, learning how to play together, working together constructively, figuring out band names, etc.
* Must be available afternoons during camp week (2 hours between 1 p.m. and 4:30   p.m., exact schedule t.b.d.) and at the showcase concert. Ladies Rock Camp schedule t.b.d.

Workshop Leader   
*Female, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome. No music experience necessary.
We offer a range of workshops throughout the week, from self-defense to songwriting to silkscreening to media literacy.   We're also open to new ideas about workshops that we haven't offered before. Workshop leaders are responsible for developing a one-hour session on their topic and teaching it 3-4 times to a group of 20-35 campers. Workshops often involve team-teaching.
* Must be available 3-4 hours during camp week, flexible schedule.   Ladies Rock Camp schedule t.b.d.

Roadie
*Female, male, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome.
Roadies are vital!  We need folks to help set up, break down, and move equipment throughout the week.   Responsibilities include setting up the camp site, reconfiguring rooms for band practice every day, helping with load-in/out on showcase days, etc.
There is scheduling flexibility with this position; you can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you want ( more information on application form).

Receptionist
*Female, male, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome.
From the front desk, the receptionist assists with the check-in and out of campers every day, monitors visitors, handles phone calls, gives directions, answers questions, and sells showcase tickets & merch.
There is scheduling flexibility with this position; you can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you want ( more information on application form).

Kitchen Team
*Female, male, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome.
Help with snack and lunch preparation, help with kitchen clean-up, make everyone happy by keeping them nourished. May involve some errands: pick up food donations, do supply runs, etc.
There is scheduling flexibility with this position; you can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you want ( more information on application form).

Floater
*Female, male, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome.
We always have last-minute stuff that comes up and we need a few folks to be available for runs to Kinko's or the hardware store, fill in if another volunteer can't make her shift, and generally lend a hand as necessary.
There is scheduling flexibility with this position; you can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you want ( more information on application form).

Childcare
*Female, male, trans, and gender non-conforming welcome.
Look after the young children of volunteers (and possibly campers) onsite during the camp week. Keep kids safe and entertained and happy! Parents on site at all times.
There is scheduling flexibility with this position; you can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you want (more information on application form).