Announcements
Join the Shameless Youth Advisory Board!
Illustration: Erin McPhee
About us
Shameless is an independent, volunteer-run, grassroots magazine for teen girls and trans* youth. We are a fresh alternative to typical teen magazines, packed with articles about arts, culture and current events, reflecting the day-to-day realities of diverse youth. We work from a place of social justice and anti-oppression (sometimes called “equity”), and, through words and images, on paper and online, we aim to inspire, inform and advocate for young women and trans* youth.
Shameless strives to practice and develop what we call “inclusive feminism”—this means that we understand that many of the obstacles faced by young people lie at the intersection of different forms of oppression, or identities—this could be based on race, class, ability, immigration status or gender identity. We are working hard to make waves and change the way our stories and lives are reported on, and represented.
For the past ten years, Shameless has been run by a dedicated team of volunteer staff, of all ages, and we’re looking for new leadership—that’s where you come in! We believe that media for young people should be guided by young people, so we are looking to form a youth advisory board to give us some much-needed advice and guidance, and to make sure we continue to talk back in the best way possible!
Purpose of the Youth Advisory Board
It’s pretty simple. This is your magazine. We want your feedback, input and insight to drive its content. We want to include more youth voices, foster youth leadership, and work together to create the content that you want to read!
Job description
We are looking to fill 10-12 youth advisory board positions.
The advisory board will:
- meet five times a year: one orientation, three meetings to coincide with print issues and one all-staff social
- review print issues after they are released to provide feedback on what worked, and what didn’t
- brainstorm future issue ideas: themes, story-ideas and approaches
- document this process through blog entries on shamelessmag.com
We are looking for board members who:
- are 13–19 years old
- identify as teen girls or trans* youth
- live in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or are comfortable commuting five times a year for in-person meetings in the downtown core
- can commit to a one- or two-year term on the board
- are familiar with Shameless magazine or shamelessmag.com
- have a passion for media and social justice
- are Shameless!
By joining the board, you’ll get:
- experience for your resume
- a letter of participation
- an opportunity to be part of the editorial direction of a national magazine
- journalism and media skills
- writing and editorial experience
- the opportunity to connect with like-minded folks—to share ideas, build community and have fun
- a free subscription to Shameless magazine
- paid
- TTC tokens
- snacks
Please note that this a paid position. All members of the youth advisory board will receive an honoraria for meeting attendance and board participation.
Application instructions (how to apply/tips on CV)
Please send a resume and 1-page (double-spaced) letter of interest, telling us a little bit about yourself (if you think it’s important, then we will too!), why you’re interested in joining the Youth Advisory Board and answering the question, What does being Shameless mean to you? It’s important to us to work with a diversity of youth, so feel free to self-identify (eg. queer, person of colour, etc.), if you are comfortable!
What to include on your resume?
If you’ve never put together a resume until now, don’t worry about. Here are some ideas to get you started.
List out:
- Your extra curricular activities like drama club, student council, environmental club etc.
- Community activities within your, community centre, local library, place of worship etc.
- Any creative projects you are involved with like painting, photography, a band, spoken word etc.
Under each listing provide a one-to-two line description on your involvement
Check out the links we’ve provided below for more tips on resume writing: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers/first-time-resume-writing http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumesandcoverletters/l/blhighschool2.htm http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/resume.shtml http://youthconnect.ca/htdocs/english/work/resume.asp
APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 6, 2015
Please send your letter of interest and resume to: talkingback@shamelessmag.com and include “Youth Advisory Board” in the subject of your email. Questions? Email us or tweet @shamelessmag
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my parent or guardian’s permission to apply? No! But if you want to talk to your parents or guardians about working with us, and if they have any questions, they are more than welcome to contact us.
How long are the meetings and where will they take place? Meetings will be three hours in length and will include snacks and breaks!
Where will the meetings take place? What about accessibility needs? The meetings will take place in the downtown core in a wheelchair accessible venue. We’ll check in with folks about specific access requirements (eg. ASL interpretation, scent-free policies) prior to the first meeting and will do our best to accommodate!
I have dietary restrictions. Will there be food for me? Yes! We’ll check in with folks about dietary needs (eg. vegan, vegetarian, religious restrictions, allergies, etc.) and will be sure to accommodate!
I’ve never participated in a group like this before. What if I don’t fit in? A part of our orientation session, we will work together to establish a respect agreement for a “safer space”. This means coming up with ways of interacting, boundaries and ground rules to make sure everybody in the group feels welcomed and respected. It also means coming up with guidelines for dealing with conflict in respectful ways.
How will I get paid? Do I need a bank account? We will pay you in cash at the end of each meeting. We’ll need your signature to confirm receipt, but that’s it!
I’ve applied. Now what? After the closing date (July 6th), we’ll review all the applications and contact folks for interviews. We can conduct the interviews over Google hangout, Skype or in-person depending on availability. The interviews will be short, and just a way for us to get to know each other, so we can assemble a board that works well together, and brings a diversity of experiences and skills to the table!
