Engagement Fellow for the Madison Center for Civic Engagement
mannixmr@jmu.edu
Contact Info
Mia Mannix is the Civic Engagement Fellow for 2023-2024. Mia has her A.S. in Business Administration from Mercer County Community College (MCCC) in New Jersey. Mia earned her B.S. in Communication Studies from James Madison University (JMU). Mia enjoys learning about new ways to help the community. Secondly, Mia is interested in finding opportunities for individuals and students to get involved and informed on what’s developing in the community as well as the state of Virginia. When Mia was younger, and thinking of future jobs for herself, she mentioned she just wanted to, “help people.” Mia found that working for the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement would be the perfect place to start. Mia is enthralled at the opportunity to work alongside the university and doing what she loves.
Position Overview
The Madison Center is an academic, non-partisan center whose mission centers on strengthening our democracy for the common good. We advance civic learning and democratic engagement through knowledge, skills, and values that emphasize active participation in political and civic life. Throughout the year, the Madison Center leads a wide variety of initiatives including numerous university-wide events, a year-round voter education and registration initiative, administering the Governor’s Fellows Program, which places students in positions in the Governor’s Office and in various agencies throughout the administration, Traveling Town Halls that connect political candidates with student leaders, a wide variety of civic learning programming, including our new Civic Leadership minor and NextGen Service Program. The center also hosts two popular podcasts: Democracy Matters and the student-run Dukes Vote podcast.
The Madison Center Engagement Fellow will serve as the leader of the Center’s communication efforts. The Fellow will lead a team of undergraduate students in developing and executing a comprehensive strategy that shares the compelling story of the Madison Center. This includes creating engaging promotional materials for events (flyers, posters, etc.), managing the Center’s social media efforts, creating and editing videos, audio for podcasts, websites, coordinating with internal and external partners to promote our efforts, and developing new, innovative ways to share our work.
Interested in Applying to this Fellowship Position?
JMU Presidential Engagement Fellows will: Represent the University and are held to the highest standards of performance and behavior. They should seek to provide quality service in their placements while growing both personally and professionally. Their past experience at James Madison University should inform their daily work as they seek to help this community grow and improve every day. They will serve as part of a cohort of Fellows dedicated to the Fellowship and James Madison University. They will also balance their commitment to the Program with the needs of their placement and the work needed for each to be successful.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the James Madison University Mission and Vision and a sense of responsibility and obligation within the community and organization they serve.
- Approach complex problems through the practice of interpersonal skills that promote teamwork and acceptance of diversity of thought regarding goals and priorities.
- Uphold meaningful and productive connections between the university and community, and be alert to possibilities for expansion.
- Explore personal strengths and improve upon weaknesses, with particular emphasis on developing career options and exploring life plan goals through experiential learning.
- Display an understanding of organizational communication and interconnectedness and how entities work together to solve larger community-based problems.
In addition to meeting the specific job description/expectations for the respective department, the Fellow will:
- Exceed expectations within their placement and serve the JMU community through their 25 hours average per week in that role.
- Work in their role for the time period of August 15 – May 15;
- Engage in an average of 2 hours of weekly program activities:
- Participate in all professional development activities organized by the program;
- Attend weekly program staff meetings;
- Represent the university at designated events and programs and serve as an ambassador for the university; and
- Adhere to all JMU policies for employees; and
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Fellowship Duties and Responsibilities
This Engagement Fellowship position will:
- serve as the leader of the Center’s communication efforts. The Fellow will lead a team of undergraduate students in developing and executing a comprehensive strategy that shares the compelling story of the Madison Center. This includes creating engaging promotional materials for events (flyers, posters, etc.), managing the Center’s social media efforts, creating and editing videos, audio for podcasts, websites, coordinating with internal and external partners to promote our efforts, and developing new, innovative ways to share our work.
