WAVE (Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort) Educational Fund is a grassroots, statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to preventing gun violence.
If you are passionate about preventing gun violence and fall between the ages of 14-and 21, we encourage you to apply for WAVE’s 2022 virtual summer internship.
WAVE’s virtual summer internship will help you reach your full potential as leaders by providing you with the opportunity to create public awareness events, increase advocacy and lobbying skills, develop peacebuilding skills, learn about non-profit leadership, build community-based collaborations, and direct peer-to-peer gun violence prevention trainings. Additionally, this program provides the space to build long-lasting relationships with other young people.
2022 summer intern duties will include:
Build expertise on community-based solutions to gun violence
Develop an understanding of Wisconsin’s gun laws and the ways in which stronger gun laws can save lives
Complete weekly trainings and skill-building activities through an online platform
Learn and teach strategies that help mobilize people to take action to prevent gun violence
Expand knowledge of peacebuilding and conflict resolution techniques
Working with other interns to plan and execute a large-scale public awareness event or virtual campaign
Help increase awareness among youth and their families about the impact and nature of gun violence, as well as the importance of community and political engagement
Create and update a social media presence related to your gun violence prevention activities
Work a minimum of 50 hours, between 6/13/22 and 8/8/22, to successfully complete the internship
Skills required:
Qualified interns must be positive, energetic, reliable, responsible, mature, and willing to engage and interact with diverse populations
Experience with social media platforms, Google and Microsoft programs, especially MS Excel, is strongly desired
Should be comfortable navigating online software either on a tablet or on a computer
Experience with social justice, customer service, or political organizing is preferred
Additional requirements:
Must read, sign, and adhere to WAVE’s Youth Protection Policy.
*Must be capable of providing own transportation (valid driver’s license and auto insurance required), self-arranged transportation, or public transportation, and must be able to travel around the Greater Milwaukee area to attend actions and events that occur days, nights, or weekends
*Must follow WAVE’s COVID-19 Policy, which will meet or exceed guidelines offered by the Wisconsin Department of Health
Technology Usage
**You will need access to either a laptop or desktop with an internet connection to successfully complete this leadership program. There also may be days when you will need to have access to a phone to dial in for a discussion or meeting.
Compensation
This is a paid internship and will require an average of 6.5 hours per week.
Upon successful completion of the internship, a stipend will be awarded
WAVE Ed Fund can also assist interns in providing school/service credit for this internship
*Due to COVID-19, these requirements may not apply. It is possible that all of our activities, throughout the duration of your internship, will be conducted virtually. If we are able to conduct in-person activities, your personal safety, and the safety of our community members, will be the top priority.
**If you do not have unlimited access to either a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer, please include that in the body of your email when applying.
WAVE is proud to celebrate diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. If there is a part of the job description that would lead you to require accommodations, please let us know.
(Internship credit is possible; see compensation section for more details)
BACKGROUND
WAVE Educational Fund is a statewide, grassroots organization dedicated to preventing gun violence, injuries and deaths through education and advocacy. WAVE’s equity commitment is to cultivate a more equitable violence-free society where we all feel a sense of security, belonging, value, and pride.
DESCRIPTION
Are you passionate about youth? Do you believe that young people are the leaders that this world needs? Have you been looking for a way to be more involved with the next generation?The Youth Engagement Summer Assistant position would be a wonderful opportunity for you! The primary purpose of this temporary, part-time role is to assist with the 2022 summer internship. This is an 11-week position from May 23rd, 2022 to August 10th, 2022. 160 total hours are required. This position is eligible for a $2,500 stipend.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The following duties, as well as others that may be assigned, will be performed individually or in coordination with other staff members.
Assist with planning the annual summer internship, with a focus on awareness-building activities and equitable solutions to gun violence.
Assist with developing a longstanding and sustainable youth component to our programs, which will raise up young voices in Wisconsin’s current gun violence prevention efforts and ensure that the next generation will be prepared to continue the movement in our state.
Perform data entry including, but not limited to, tracking intern hours, managing the completion of internship activities, and ensuring each intern completes each required item.
Additional Responsibilities:
May be asked to facilitate internship trainings or activities.
Help plan and participate in community awareness-building and fundraising events.
Assist with civic engagement activities, such as voter registration and get-out-the-vote.
SKILLS REQUIRED
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Ability to use Microsoft Office Suite
Proficiency in using Zoom
Familiarity with Google Docs
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Commitment to, and passion for, gun violence prevention, equity, safety, and justice
At least 18 years of age
Read, sign, and adhere to WAVE’s Youth Protection Policy and pass a criminal background screening
Read, sign, and adhere to WAVE’s COVID-19 Employee Policy (including vaccination requirement)
*Capable of providing own transportation (valid driver’s license and auto-insurance required), self-arranged transportation, or public transportation, and must be able to travel around the state to attend actions and events that occur days, nights, or weekends
*Have a remote workspace
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE
High school diploma or GED required
Experience in the fields of youth development, communications, or community organizing preferred
COMPENSATION AND COLLEGE CREDIT OPPORTUNITY
This position is eligible to receive $2,500 after the completion of 160 hours.
This role can also be adapted to fulfill college internship credit requirements.
NOTE
*Due to COVID-19, our work is currently being conducted virtually (i.e., remotely), but we will resume in-person activities when it is safe to do so.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We will accept applications until the job is filled. Please send your resume and a cover letter to Deja Garner at dg@WaveEdFund.org. Alternatively, you can answer the questions on this survey: https://forms.gle/EsgyxBbg355kfTWF8.
WAVE Educational Fund celebrates diversity. We welcome, and are committed to creating, an inclusive environment. That means we respect and support the diverse cultures, perspectives, and life experiences of all applicants and employees. You’re valued here.
During each Wisconsin legislative session (biennially), gun violence prevention activists, like you, join together to demand that Wisconsin’s legislators prioritize the safety of Wisconsinites by passing lifesaving gun violence prevention bills and opposing reckless bills that support the gun lobby’s “guns everywhere” agenda.
It is that time again!
True to our mission, we want to keep our supporters safe. Therefore, to prevent exposure to and the spread of COVID-19, this session, our Day of Action will be completely virtual.
How To Participate
Day of Action Agenda
Welcome and legislative overview presented by Jeri Bonavia, WAVE Educational Fund Executive Director
Opportunity for you to share your story of gun violence’s impact on your life with legislators
Legislators and legislative staff respond to your questions and comments
Closing
Participation Instructions
On November 9, log into Zoom for your scheduled meeting. We will provide attendees with this link before the event. You can look up your legislative district here: https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/
Using the Zoom “Rename” function, add your senate district and assembly district to your name. (Example: Heidi Rose SD8/AD19) If this feels too complicated for you, do not worry about it.
Click the Participants button, which will look something like this and be located near the bottom of your Zoom window.
Find your name and click More next to it.
Select Rename and type your name followed by your senate and assembly district.
When the virtual legislative visit begins, please use the “Raise Hand” function to speak, and WAVE staff will call on you.
The Raise Hand button will look something like this and be located toward the bottom of your Zoom window.
Alternatively, you can type comments or questions into the chat. WAVE will save all of the comments and deliver your messages to legislators after the meeting.
The Chat button will look something like this and be located toward the bottom of your Zoom window.
Tips for Communicating With Legislators and Legislative Staff
Be Ready to Say:
Who you are: Share a sentence about who you are and where you live. “My name is ______. I am a WAVE supporter living in ________, Wisconsin, which is in Senate District __ and Assembly District ___. I want you to know there are actions you can take to save lives.”
Why you’re here: Tell your personal story. “I work in the medical profession, and I am astounded by the devastation I see every day…“
What you want: I urge you to support background checks on all gun sales, an extreme risk protective order (ERPO) policy, and a bill to prevent people who are convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence crime from possessing firearms. “I’d like you to assure me that you will do everything you can to support the passage of these lifesaving bills.” OR “Knowing that 80% of Wisconsinites, including gun owners, support these lifesaving policies, I encourage you to support the will of the people.”
Why it matters: An example of how the policymaker’s decision will affect your family and your community. “If these bills pass, they will provide much-needed prevention tools to help keep families like mine safe.”
Remember:
Be passionate about the issue; passion is contagious!
Show appreciation for their time, consideration, and, hopefully, their support.
Be honestand concise; simple works best.
Be in control of the conversation; frame the issues the way you want others to see them, emphasizing the consensus that gun violence is a public health crisis and the need for lifesaving gun policies.
Offer follow–up; if you are asked for information that you don’t have, tell them you will ask WAVE staff to respond.
Tips adapted from NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNSEL FOR CHILDREN, Better Public Policy for Children, Youth and Families: An Advocacy Guide, August 2000.
Lifesaving Gun Violence Prevention Bills
The following laws would help prevent gun violence in Wisconsin:
1. Require background checks on all gun sales. (AB637/SB624)
In Wisconsin, federally licensed dealers are required to conduct a background check on all firearm sales, but private sellers are not. This private sale loophole allows just about anyone to sell a gun with no background check, no identification, and no questions asked.
In the ten years following Connecticut’s passage of its law requiring prospective handgun buyers first to get a permit – by passing a criminal background check – firearm homicides declined by 40%.[i]
After Missouri repealed its permit-to-purchase law, which required a criminal background check prior to purchasing handguns from licensed dealers or private sellers, firearmhomicides in the state increased 25%. That translated to an increase of between 55 and 63 homicides every year.[ii]
In the states that require background checks for all handgun sales, there are lower rates of gun violence across a variety of groups: 47% fewer women are fatally shot by intimate partners, 53% fewer law enforcement officers are fatally shot in the line of duty with guns that are not their own, and there are 47% fewer suicides by gun.[iii]
Recent polling shows that the vast majority (80%) of Wisconsin voters, including gun owners, support a law requiring background checks on all gun sales.[iv]
2. Create a mechanism that allows for the temporary removal of guns when individuals are in imminent danger of harming themselves or others. (AB638)
Often after a horrible act of violence, families say they saw warning signs – red flags – but there was nothing they could do.
An Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO) gives families and law enforcement officers a way to ask a judge to temporarily prohibit an at-risk person from possessing a gun. The ERPO is a non-criminal process that involves a court hearing, as well as clearly defined due process protections.
Evidence shows that ERPO-like laws have reduced firearm suicide rates by 14% (Connecticut) and 7.5% (Indiana).[v]
Recent polling shows that the vast majority (81%) of Wisconsin residents support an ERPO law.[vi]
When our loved ones are in crisis, they should have access to quality care, not guns.
3. Prohibit people from possessing a firearm if they have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. (AB321/SB317)[vii]
Sixty-eight people in WI lost their lives to domestic violence(DV) in 2020.
There are highly predictable patterns in DV in Wisconsin:
Firearms are the primary weapon used in DV homicide in WI; in 2020, firearms were used in 52% of DV homicide incidents.
Over one-third of the perpetrators in 2020, who used a gun to commit a DV homicide, were legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This bill would bring state law in line with federal law.
Dangerous “Guns Everywhere” Bills
The following bills would exacerbate gun violence in Wisconsin:
Bills That Expand Concealed Carry
1. Allow the possession of a firearm in a vehicle on school grounds by a person with a license to carry a concealed weapon. (AB495/SB484)
2. Lower the minimum age to be eligible for a license to carry a concealed weapon. (AB498/SB502)
3. Allow people with out-of-state licenses to carry concealed weapons in Wisconsin. (AB518/SB516)
4. Allow the possession of a firearm by a licensee in a place of worship located on the grounds of a private school. (AB597/SB584)
5. Allow permitless carry by eliminating the prohibition against carrying a concealed weapon without regard to whether the individual has a license, card, or training and by eliminating prohibitions for carrying concealed firearms in specific, sensitive places, such as police stations, mental health facilities, taverns, and more. (AB669/SB619)
Loosening the already minimal permitting and training requirements for carrying concealed weapons in WI will make us all less safe.
According to a recent report by WAVE and the Center for American Progress (CAP)[viii], since Wisconsin’s law to allow people to carry concealed weapons (CCW) passed nearly a decade ago:
Trends in Wisconsin suggest that the passage of the CCW law was associated with a rise in gun homicides.
Wisconsin’s CCW law is associated with “an increase in violent gun-related crime.”
“Gun theft increased significantly following the enactment of the CCW law” in Wisconsin.
In states with loose CCW laws, violent crime rates were 13% to 15% higher than what would have been expected if those laws had not been in place.[ix]
Weak concealed carry laws were associated with 11% higher rates of handgun homicides compared to states with stronger permitting systems for carrying concealed weapons.[x]
Bill That Reduces Accountability
6. Limit the civil liability for the entire gun industry, including manufacturers, distributors, importers, trade associations, sellers, and dealers of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition. (AB572/SB570)
Federal law already severely limits firearm manufacturers and dealers’ liability through the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), and SB570 would go even further to create an additional barrier for Wisconsinites seeking justice.
Resources
Learn more about the research supporting lifesaving gun violence prevention bills
This year, due to COVID-19, our youth summer internship program was completely virtual again. WAVE’s 16 (up from 6 last year) 2021 youth summer interns, aged 14 to 21, were very busy participating in online gun violence prevention education and advocacy.
Throughout the summer, the interns cultivated strong friendships with one another and developed skills that they will continue to use throughout their lives.
ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORKED WITH OUR INTERNS
Throughout the internship, we collaborated with several ally organizations. We are especially grateful to representatives who joined our virtual meetings from these organizations.
Every summer, the internship culminates in a final project. This year the interns developed a two-day virtual event, including the interns sharing their ideas of peace and leading panel discussions with subject area experts who have lived experience on important gun violence prevention topics. Check out the videos from this final event!
wave20222021 Youth Peacebuilding and Violence Prevention Internship
Here’s a truth: We all need hope. We all need to believe and trust that what we desire will happen.
Our ability to hope has been tested in recent years. What we’ve witnessed is a series of coordinated lies and disinformation campaigns that can make hope feel elusive. There has been a disinformation campaign around the pandemic and specifically around vaccines. There has been another disinformation campaign espousing false claims of rigged elections and election fraud. We can see the direct line between these lies and the harm they have caused. People were injured or killed during the January 6th insurrection. Thousands of people have unnecessarily died because of lies related to the vaccines.
In the gun violence prevention movement, we have been dealing with a lethal disinformation campaign for decades. This one is centered on the false premise that guns make us safer, when, in fact, we know from research, evidence and experience that the opposite is true. To us, this is the Big Lie. It was created and pushed out by the greed-driven, power-hungry pro gun lobby and their gun industry allies. And this lie, too, has caused incalculable harm to the citizens of our state and our country.
Being up against a well-financed, powerful adversary, year after year, could be discouraging. But here’s another truth: we aren’t discouraged at all. We know that we will overcome all obstacles and succeed because history teaches us that, ultimately, hard work and truth will prevail.
That belief, that trust, indeed, that hope is what feeds our work. It is our secret sauce, which is made by mixing together the enthusiasm of the youth with whom we work; the we-can-do-this-together commitment of our partners; and the support of caring, generous supporters across the state.
We thank you for the many ways you lift us up. And, today, we urge you to check our Facebook page often for fresh, inspiring content, which is our way of giving back to you.
Together, we’ll keep hope alive and thriving!
~ Jeri Bonavia
Thank you so much to our 2021 WAVE of Hope sponsor!
Governor Evers included many gun violence prevention efforts in his 2021-2023 biennial Wisconsin budget proposal, including
funding a violence interruption grant program
requiring background checks to be conducted for firearm sales
devising an extreme risk protection injunction procedure
Please demand that the members of Wisconsin’s Joint Committee on Finance and your own legislators prioritize Wisconsinites’ safety by keeping these lifesaving gun violence prevention solutions in Wisconsin’s budget. By emailing, tweeting, submitting a comment, and/or calling, you can make a difference!
Here is a sample message for email, tweet. comment, or call:
Wisconsin needs lifesaving background checks, extreme risk protection orders (ERPO), and funding for community-based violence intervention and prevention programs (VIPP) in our 2021-2023 budget! I urge you to support them.
Send a message to your legislators and the members of the Wisconsin’s Joint Committee on Finance.
Call your state legislators. To do so, click “call” to the right. Then enter your address. Finally, click on “more details” to see your legislators’ phone numbers.
WAVE Educational Fund is currently recruiting 5-7 committed young leaders to serve on our new WAVE Youth Advisory Council. We are looking for young people who are passionate about seeing positive change in the state of Wisconsin, especially in communities most impacted by gun violence.
Requirements
Ages – 16-21
Lives in Wisconsin
Ability to engage with diverse groups
Participation in trainings related to the focus areas
Be prepared to fulfill a full term (based on what the council decides a term should be)
Willingness to take a leadership role within the council
Be prepared to engage in at least two meetings per month (based on the frequency the council determines)
Access to technology that allows you to utilize both video and audio functions
Internet access
Why participate?
Engage with peers who share a similar interest in making Wisconsin a safer and more equitable place to live
Have a voice in the decision-making process of a statewide organization
The council will allow you to expand your personal and professional networks
Leadership opportunities look great on college applications and to future employers
2021 Application Details
The application opens on February 8th, 2021.
Applications must be submitted by Friday, March 19th at 5:00 pm CST.
You will be contacted by March 24th at 5:00 pm CST if we would like to schedule a phone interview with you.
The first council meeting will be held on March 29th at 6:00 pm CST.
Contact Deja Garner at dg@WaveEdFund.org for any questions or technical support.
WAVE is proud to celebrate diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. If there is a part of this description that would lead you to require accommodations, please let us know.
WYAC Framework
Vision Statement (What we hope to achieve): To be created by the council.
Purpose Statement (Why we exist and what we do): To be created by the council.
Description of the Council (Who we are): To be created by the council.
This year, due to COVID-19, our youth summer internship program looked very different from past years. WAVE’s six 2020 youth summer interns, aged 15 to 19, were very busy participating in online gun violence prevention advocacy and civic engagement.
Throughout the summer, the interns cultivated strong friendships with one another and developed skills that they will continue to use throughout their lives.
Allied Organizations That Worked with Our Interns
Throughout the internship, we collaborated with several ally organizations. We are especially grateful to representatives who joined our virtual meetings from these organizations.
50 Miles More
Concerned Citizens
Mothers Against Gun Violence
Southside Organizing Center (SOC)
Team Enough
The Nehemiah Project
Violence Free Zone at Milwaukee Public Schools
Intern Final Projects
Every summer, the internship culminates in a final project(s). This year the projects were entirely virtual to keep everyone safe from COVID-19. Interns developed gun violence prevention and civic engagement content for social media to share widely. Check them out!
If you are eligible to vote, we urge you to vote in the August 11th and November 3rd elections this year! (And, to protect yourself and your community from COVID-19, we encourage you to vote absentee.)
Voting is an essential civic duty to ensure we elect officials who will represent our priorities, including passing evidence-based, lifesaving gun violence prevention policies.
Your voice deserves to be heard!
Please note: We will do our best to keep the information below up-to-date, but, due to COVID-19, information may change.
a. Online Form –https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/VoteAbsentee. An acceptable photo ID is required. or b. Paper Form – Depending on where you live, you may receive a paper “Wisconsin Application for Absentee Ballot” in the mail. An acceptable photo ID is required. You may submit your application and a copy of your ID by mail, fax, email, or in-person at your municipal clerk’s office.
Complete your absentee ballot, and have a witness sign it.
Submit your completed absentee ballot. (It must be received your municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.)
If you need assistance in registering to vote or applying for your absentee ballot, please let us know. You can email us at admin@waveedfund.org.
Dates to Know
Dates To Know For Wisconsin’s August 11, 2020, Partisan Primary Election
July 22, 2020 – Last day to register to vote online or by mail for the August 11th Partisan Primary August 6, 2020, by 5:00 p.m. – Last day to request an absentee ballot for the August 11th Partisan Primary (To avoid any potential issues and make sure you get your ballot in time, do NOT wait until the last day.) August 7, 2020, by 5:00 p.m. – Last day to register to vote in-person in your municipal clerk’s office before election day. (You can register to vote in-person at your polling place on election day between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., too, but we recommend that you plan to register in advance if you can.) August 11, 2020, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. – You can register to vote in-person at your polling place on Election Day, but we recommend that you plan to register in advance if you can. August 11, 2020, by 8:00 p.m. – Your absentee ballot must be received your municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. August 11, 2020 – Wisconsin Fall Partisan Primary Election Day
Dates to Know for November 3, 2020, General Election
October 14, 2020 – Last day to register to vote online or by mail for the November 3rd General Election October 29, by 5:00 p.m. – Last day to request an absentee ballot for the November 3, 2020, General Election. (To avoid any potential issues and make sure you get your ballot in time, do NOT wait until the last day.) October 30, 2020, by 5:00 p.m. – Last day to register to vote in-person in your municipal clerk’s office before election day. (You can register to vote in-person on election day, too, but we recommend that you plan to register in advance if you can.) November 3, 2020, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. – You can register to vote in-person at your polling place on Election Day, but we recommend that you plan to register in advance if you can. November 3, 2020, by 8:00 p.m. – Your absentee ballot must be received your municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. November 3, 2020 – General Election Day
Scientific research shows that friend-to-friend communication (also known as relational organizing or RO) is a promising way to engage more people civically. Please sign up to be a WAVE Action Leader, who will contact at least five people when called upon to do so by WAVE.
What does it mean to be a WAVE Action Leader?
Being a WAVE Action Leader is very easy yet extremely powerful. We will share a mobile app and calls to action with you to allow you to empower your personal network to become more civically engaged and help us prevent gun violence in Wisconsin.
Sign-up to become a WAVE Action Leader and download the app (see below).
Compile a list of at least five friends, family members, neighbors, or coworkers you agree to contact when WAVE shares a call to action (e.g., pledge to respond to the Census).
Contact those friends when we call on you to do so. (This will likely be about once per month until November 2020 and probably less frequently after that.)
Share the results with us!
How do I sign up to become a WAVE Action Leader?
Empower App Icon
Sign up using this link: https://getempower.com/WAVE. Enter your first name, your last name, and your mobile phone number to create your account. This will allow you to use the Empower (My RVP List) application, which will make the process much easier for you and us!
If you want to participate but are uncomfortable using the app, you can download and fill-out this form to sign-up. Please either email the filled out form to stephanie@waveedfund.org or mail it to P.O. Box 170393, Milwaukee, WI 53217.
WAVE has used relational organizing to help people register to vote, pledge to take the 2020 Census, contact their elected officials, and learn about upcoming gun violence prevention (GVP) events. Check out this partner spotlight about us on the Organizing Empowerment Project’s website: https://organizingempowerment.org/blog/partner-spotlight-wave
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Program Director, Heidi, at hrose@waveedfund.org.
