[blindlaw] mentoring event at the U.S. Department of State

[Stephanie Enyart]

Please share with your networks, 
Stephanie 
*****
Dear Law Student,

I am an employee at the  Department of State, who 
happens to be blind, and I represent the 
leadership of a recently-formed employee affinity 
group, the Disability Action Group (DAG).  Among 
others, my colleague, Somer Bessire-Briers, works 
with me on DAG matters and represents the Special 
Emphasis Program for Individuals with 
Disabilities in the Office  of Civil Rights 
(S/OCR).  I work for the Chief Information 
Officer (CIO) in the  Information Resource Management (IRM) Bureau.

We are making plans for what we hope will be an 
informative and interesting Disability Employment 
Awareness Month (DEAM)  program at the Department 
of State on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.  We are 
soliciting up to four law students with targeted 
disabilities who would be very interested and who 
can commit by 8/6/2009 to participating in an 
all-day event at the Department.  Four to eight 
undergraduate or graduate students with targeted 
disabilities are expected to participate as 
well.  As you can well imagine, we will need a 
committed group of  roughly twelve student 
participants in total and then plenty of time to 
match them with twelve Department professionals 
and to plan program events and to make all the 
necessary preparations.  Without a sufficient 
number of committed participants and 
sufficient  planning/preparation time, we will 
have to cancel this event and perhaps try in 
the   future.  If for some other reason(s) we 
have to cancel this event, we will inform you  soon after we know.

One purpose of this day's event is to provide an 
opportunity for student participants to network 
with Department professionals with  and without 
disabilities and to learn about the Department's 
history, and mission,   about careers in the 
Civil Service or Foreign Service,  and about 
intern and other hiring/recruitment programs at 
the Department.  However, this event is not 
intended as a job fair and that we are not 
committing to extending any job offers to 
participants specifically prior to, during, nor immediately after this
event.

All participants must be U.S. citizens, full-time 
undergraduate or graduate/law students with at 
least a 3.0 G.P.A. on a 4.0 scale, and have a targeted disability.

All participants will need to arrange and pay for 
their own transportation to and from  the 
Department.  However, lunch is expected to be provided to student
participants.

While the Department's mission is one of foreign 
affairs, the Department's workforce  consists of 
thousands of employees in either the Civil 
Service (CS) or in the Foreign  Service (FS), and 
these employees' educations and professions vary 
widely.   Accordingly, student participants who 
are interested in or pursuing any of a variety 
of  studies or professions are welcome, including 
but not limited to the following: Business 
Management, Economics, Finance, Human Resource 
Management, Information  Technology/Computer 
Science, International Affairs/Relations, Law, 
Physics, Political  Science, Psychology, Public 
Affairs, Public Diplomacy, Social Work.  More 
information  should be available off of http://careers.state.gov.

Tentative Agenda

8:15-3:45

8:15-8:45 - Arrive at the Department of State 
Diplomatic Entrance at 2201 C Street NW  and Meet 
Department employees who will greet student 
participants and escort them to the first meeting place.

9-10:15 - Intros, Brief Presentation on 
Department's History and 
Mission,  &  Internships/Possible Careers Briefing (covering CS and FS).

10:30-noon - Shadow Department employee partner 
Whilst she/he performs job-related task(s).

12:15-1 - Lunch (Perhaps video teleconference 
(VTC) given by senior FS employee with disability from Post.)

1:15-3:00 - Briefings from at least members of 
Human Resources (HR), Information  Resource 
Management (IRM), the Secretary's Office of Civil 
Rights (S/OCR), and the  Disability Action Group 
(DAG) regarding Department Programs/Services for employees with
disabilities.

3:15-3:45 - Wrap-up, feedback/program evaluation, goodbyes, escorts.

Notes

1. As needed, we will plan on/schedule intermittent five-minute or so
breaks.

2. Officials at the highest level of the 
Department will be invited to but not

guaranteed to make a guest appearance.

3. Student participants will need to be escorted 
throughout the day, as all visitors

without Department security clearance are required to be.

4. Any special needs (e.g., medical, dietary, or 
service-animal related) and requests

for reasonable accommodation will need to be 
communicated clearly and well in advanced.
We will do our best to provide reading material 
in an accessible electronic format; we  may not 
have the time/resources to provide Braille versions.

please provide a CV or  resume and a brief -- no 
more than one-page -- explanation of why you are 
interested in  participating in this event.  All 
materials need to be e-mailed in an 
accessible  electronic format (e.g., accessible 
HTML, MS Word, RTF, TXT).  Please do not 
e-mail  social security numbers, but include full name and contact
information.


Please e-mail your materials to 
schaferpp at state.gov] by August 6, 2009.  Somer 
and I (at least) will make our decisions and 
e-mail or call each selected  participant by late 
August.  If at all possible, we are hoping to 
select two impressive men and two impressive women law students.

Please e-mail or call me or Somer with any questions.

         Thanks, and Live well! ---Paul & Somer

*******************
Paul P. Schafer, DAG Council Administrator (Chair)

Information Resource Management (IRM) Bureau

U.S. Department of State, SA3

2121 Virginia Avenue N.W., RM 4148

Washington, D. C.  20037

Voice: 202.663.0223 (ext. 30223)

E-mail: schaferpp at state.gov

Somer Bessire-Briers

Office of Civil Rights

Special Emphasis Program

Individuals with Disabilities

202-647-2321 (ph)