Career Development
Apply to serve as a paid Spanish interpreter for Parent-Teacher conferences at IV Elementary through the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center. This experience will help you use your academic skills in a broader social environment that includes community members, teachers, and school administrators. Apply by Friday, February 2nd.
The UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center seeks graduate and undergraduate students with native fluency in Spanish to serve as interpreters at Isla Vista Elementary School during the school's twice-yearly Parent-Teacher Conference weeks. Currently, the demand for interpreter assistance at IV Elementary well exceeds the school's capacity to provide this service, and the school administration is enthusiastic about partnering with UCSB students in the creation of an alternative structure for assisting Spanish-speaking parents and caregivers during these important conferences. By drawing upon their foreign language expertise to meet the needs of elementary students and their families, students will gain experience in using their academic skills in a broader social environment that includes community members, teachers, and school administrators.
Timeline and Structure: Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled to take place at IV Elementary during the week of March 13-16, 2018, between 1:00 and 4:30 pm at 30-minute intervals. Student interpreters will be able to sign up in advance for the times they are available to work. Student interpreters will be paid $10 for each 30-minute interval.
In late February, student interpreters will take part in a two-hour training session. During the session, students will become familiar with family-based issues, the potential content of the conferences, the vocabulary and terms frequently used in the discussions, and issues of confidentiality.
To apply, please complete this online application form.
As part of your application you must upload a CV and a letter of interest describing your language training and preparation for this work, any relevant past experience, and the reasons you are interested in participating in this program; also include the name of a UCSB faculty member who is familiar with your language skills and whom we may contact as a reference. Applications are due by Friday, February 2, 2018. If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to contact IHC Associate Director Erin Nerstad at Nerstad@ihc.ucsb.edu.