New Staff Application: Project ROOTS 2023

2023 New Staff Application: Project ROOTS
At ROOTS, we believe that offering space for youth to explore topics of identity, build self-love and empowerment, and gain the tools to manage conflicts and bias can be the foundation upon which a more equitable and just society can grow. We believe that once individuals feel whole, they can begin to dismantle the multiple layers of oppression, from the inside out.

Our cornerstone program, Project ROOTS, is an immersive social justice and human relations experience. We bring together high school students from the tri-state area for a weeklong residential retreat where we co-construct a community based in compassion, self-reflection, responsibility and integrity. We unplug from technology and plug into each others’ humanity and stories, putting those stories in the context of our histories through experiential workshops and large and small group dialogue.

During this unique journey, our youth participants (and staff!) will begin to:
- cultivate self-love and empowerment
- develop empathy for the experiences of others
- explore identity, equity, and justice
- build community and solidarity
- challenge bias and oppression
- gain tools to mindfully engage in activism
- catalyze social change at the personal, interpersonal and systemic levels
Staff at Project ROOTS are asked to help co-construct the community for this journey. There are multiple roles that staff are asked to fulfill, including, but not limited to:
- small group co-facilitation of daily discussion group
- authentic participation in all large group workshops and community gatherings, including meals
- engagement with students and staff throughout the week, except for at designated free times
- commitment to the mandatory Staff Training weekend (June 3 -4, 2023)
- commitment for the entire week of Project ROOTS (Saturday, July 29 - Saturday, August 5, 2023)
- possible large group facilitation of workshops around issues of identity and justice
- possible cabin leadership, including staying in lodges overnight with a small group of students
Please complete and submit this application by January 31, 2023. You will hear about the status of your application and next steps by March 30. If accepted, you will be required to attend a mandatory overnight staff training on June 3 - 4, 2023.

This application is just the start of us getting to know you and your story. Thank you for sharing it with us!
I have read through the overview of the program above and am interested in continuing the application process. *
Full Name *
Preferred Name
how would you like to be called? any nicknames?
Date of birth *
MM/DD/YY
Email Address *
Phone Number *
Home Address *
Street, City, State and Zip
T-Shirt Size *
Please share any dietary needs or allergies *

Social Media Account Handles

Share your handles/names with us!
Facebook
Instagram
Commitment and Capacity

Please initial next to each statement
I am available and and committed for the entire, mandatory Staff Alignment on June 3 - 4, 2023? *
I am available and and committed for the entire session of Project ROOTS, from July 29 - August 5, 2023? *
How did you hear about Project ROOTS? *

Voluntary Demographic Information

We collect this voluntary information to better understand the collective makeup of our community. We hope that with your honest feedback, we can create a more inclusive, responsive and reflective space for staff and students alike.
Current Occupation or Field of Interest
Gender Pronouns You Use
What access needs do you have?
The disability justice movement reminds us that all bodies and minds have access needs. Access needs are anything someone might need in order to fully participate. They can range from physical to emotional needs. Here is a definition of access needs from Sins Invalid, a disability justice organization. "Access needs are those things that are needed in order for someone to fully participate in a space or activity, which can include wheelchair access, scent-free space, ASL interpretation, etc. In a disability justice context, access needs are seen as universal - every bodymind has needs, not just disabled people."Please share any access needs you might have that you would like for us to know about!
How do you identify in terms of gender?
How do you identify in terms of race?
How do you identify in terms of ethnicity or nationality?
How do you identify in terms of sexual identity?
How do you identify in terms of ability status?
How do you identify in terms of socioeconomic status/class?
How do you identify in terms of religion/belief system?
Are there any other aspects of your identity that you would like to share?

Application Questions

Please answer the questions by responding in the fields below or via a medium of your choosing (e.g. drawing, audio, video recordings) to best illustrate your ideas/ experiences/ feelings. Send any files or attachments to info@inclusiveroots.org. The subject line should read: "2023 Staff Application, Last Name". You'll notice some are not required: choose 1-3 non-required questions to answer!
What interests you about participating as a staff member in Project ROOTS this summer? *
What are some life lessons, learnings, values you've gained from intergenerational relationships in your life?
What are the gifts, qualities and strengths you wish to bring to ROOTS? *
What does community mean to you?
In Robin Wall Kimmerer's book, "Braiding Sweetgrass", she outlines some guidelines for the Honorable Harvest. After reading the passage below, share with us what you're taking away and how this might relate to our work at ROOTS.

"Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them.

Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life.

Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.

Never take the first. Never take the last.

Take only what you need.

Take only that which is given.

Never take more than half. Leave some for others.

Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.

Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken.

Share.

Give thanks for what you have been given.

Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken.

Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever."
Share your reflections on this Braiding Sweetgrass quote and how this might relate to our work at ROOTS. *
What's something you've uncovered about yourself? What has it taught you?
Thank you for sharing a piece of yourself with us today and for applying to be on staff for Project ROOTS 2023. You can expect to hear back from us by the end of March!
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2023 New Staff Application: Project ROOTS

Social Media Account Handles

Commitment and Capacity

Voluntary Demographic Information

Application Questions

Thank you for sharing a piece of yourself with us today and for applying to be on staff for Project ROOTS 2023. You can expect to hear back from us by the end of March!