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Influence the fabric of your community through civic engagement, community organizing or providing vital social services to those in need. This includes careers in public and private education, social work, mentoring/counseling and youth development, as well as administration of organizations that provide these types of services.

Career Specialist

Shawna McCoy

Shawna McCoy, the education, nonprofit, and social impact career specialist, offers more than 20 years of diverse experience in these fields. Throughout her career, she has worked as an educational consultant, providing strategic guidance to improve educational outcomes, and has held a key leadership role in a nonprofit organization, driving initiatives that promote social equity. Committed to lifelong learning, Shawna has earned National Board Certification, an M.S. in Education, and an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership. She also founded an educational consulting company dedicated to advancing inclusive practices, where she leverages her deep understanding of equitable education to create meaningful change.

Contact Shawna

Drop-In Hours

Connect and chat with Shawna in the Jandon Center, Meeting Room 011 during any of the adjacent times.

Thursday, September 19, noon-1 p.m.
Friday, October 18, noon-1 p.m.
Friday, November 22, noon-1 p.m.
Thursday, December 5, noon-1 p.m.

Resources

K-12

Nemnet aspires to be the premier resource in the recruitment of teachers, administrators and coaches of color.
Massachusetts Teachers Association - Most state have similar associations for job postings, state education news, and professional development resources.
SchoolSpring and Teachers-Teachers.com - Popular teaching and administration job boards.
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) - Visit the Career Center for job openings.
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools - Learn about the charter school movement, and check out the job board for openings.

Teach-Now.com offers a nine-month post-baccalaureate teacher preparation certificate program and multiple 12-month master’s degree programs. 

Higher Education

HigherEdJobs.com - College and university administrative, staff, and faculty positions.
The Chronicle of Higher Education - The latest news in higher education, job postings, and more.

NASPA Student Affairs Administrators  - the placement exchange job board and resources

International Education

Council on Educational Exchange (CIEE) Long-standing programs which place students in teaching positions abroad.

United World College brings together young people from all backgrounds inspiring them to become agents of positive change
International Language Institute - Northampton-based language and teacher training program.

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the leading organization committed to international education and exchange

Library & Archives

American Library Association ALA Accredited programs, education options, scholarships, careers in librarianship, online learning and more.

Archives and Record Association - In the UK & Ireland what a career in archives entails, the skills and qualifications you need.

Association of Information Science & Technology

Society of American Archivists - Career Center - Job and internship search and alerts and career learning center.

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Library journal

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners - Search Massachusetts library jobs by region, education required, full-time/part-time, etc.

Experiential & Non-formal Education

Association for Experiential Education

NOLS is a nonprofit global wilderness school that seeks to help you step forward boldly as a leader.

National Society for Experiential Education

Gap Year Association

Social Science

Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) - a collection of social science associations.

National Social Science Association - one of the largest interdisciplinary educational associations in the United States.

Social Science History Association - an interdisciplinary group of scholars that shares interests in social life and theory; historiography, and historical and social-scientific methodologies.

NetImpact Net Impact has grown a grassroots, global movement of students and emerging impact leaders who want to use their skills to make a positive impact for people and planet.

80,000Hours This job board lists publicly advertised vacancies that we think could help those with the right fit have a positive impact. Some of these roles help tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems, while others help people build the career capital they might need to have a big impact later.

Idealist

Certified B Corporation

Environment

EcoJobs.com

Environmental Protection Agency job board

350.org We believe in a safe climate and a better future — a just, prosperous, and equitable world built with the power of ordinary people. 

National Association of Environmental Professionals

Food Systems

Good Food Jobs

Sustainable Agriculture Education Association promoting the teaching and learning of sustainable agriculture. Resources and job board

Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

Farm to Plate

Human Rights/Racial Inequality

ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. 

Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world.

The United State of Women is a national organization dedicated to convening, connecting, and amplifying voices in the fight for full gender equity

Human Services

National Organization for Human Services - Meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life.
HSCareers.com - Your source for Human Service Jobs, Social Service Jobs, Social Work Jobs, Non-Profit Jobs, Mental Health Jobs, and Behavioral Health Jobs.
Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services - Massachusetts agency information and job vacancies. Google other states to check their departments of health and human services
SocialService.com - Jobs for social workers and other social service professionals in a variety of fields and locations.

American Red Cross and United Way - Large multi-national agencies in the Human Services field

Social Change/Service Organizations 

Americorps offers a variety of service opportunities, from the classroom to the outdoors, and everything in between to work toward the greater good. 

Ashoka envisions a world in which everyone is a changemaker: a world where all citizens are powerful and contribute to change in positive ways.

BRAC  empowers people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice.

Oxfam Working to end the injustice of poverty.

The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.

World Learning works globally to enhance the capacity and commitment of individuals, institutions, and communities to create a more peaceful, and just world through education, sustainable development, and exchange.

Archives Concentration students learn about the institutions and repositories that shape our knowledge and understanding of our collective pasts through the collection, preservation, interpretation and display of artifacts, manuscripts and representation of historic sites.

Community Engagement & Social Change Concentration students combine interdisciplinary coursework and practical work in communities to expand and deepen your understanding of local, national and global issues that affect communities.

Translation Studies Translation is the oldest method used in teaching foreign languages.

The Smith College Fellowships Program advises Smith students and recent alumnae who wish to apply for competitive national and international fellowships.

Graduate & Professional School is this the next step for you?

Student Clubs & Organizations 

More from the Lazarus Center

Lazarus Center for Career Development Youtube Channel

Diversity Resources

International Students Resources 

Additional Handouts, Webinars, Podcasts, Videos

This is your community...

if you’d like to work in...
 

advocacy, community outreach/organizing, counseling, environmental sustainability, healthcare equity, human rights/social justice, philanthropy, social work, teaching/educational reform, youth development

 
or any other area related to education and nonprofit missions.

Going Places

Toni Woods ’22

Toni Woods '22 plans to use her minor in Africana Studies to assist with what she teaches and how she teaches.

Charlie Diaz ’22

Charlie Diaz ’22, one of the first recipients of a Smith Alliance for Justice and Equity Fellowship, has learned what it means to be a changemaker.

Aminatu Abdulai AC ’23

A former Ada Comstock Scholar, Aminatu Abdulai AC ’23 is transforming her home village in Ghana by building a school.