This page presents some of the volunteer opportunities we currently have available. Review this list to see if you’d be interesting in helping with any of these initiatives. If you’re interested, each section provides an email address you can contact to get involved.
Byline (eNewsletter)
The newsletter committee is responsible for producing an online eNewsletter titled Byline. The committee consists of a manager and one or more members, although any STC member may submit articles, as appropriate.
The newsletter should inform members about Society and Chapter activities. A primary goal for this committee is to implement sound technical communication skills to present a newsletter that properly presents and informs the Chapter.
Responsibilities include:
- Producing a bi-monthly online eNewsletter that presents the Chapter in a professional manner.
- Soliciting articles from Chapter officers and members. Collecting articles from Chapter officers, the Program Manager, and other committee managers and members, as appropriate.
- Providing clean copy-editing for all articles submitted.
If you’d like to help with the Byline, please contact byline@stc-chicago.com.
Competition
The competition committee conducts the annual Chapter-level Technical Communication Competition and works with the Program Manager to organize the awards portion of the annual Chapter Recognition and Awards Banquet.
Responsibilities include:
- Soliciting, training, and mentoring judges for the annual competition
- Conducting a training session for new and returning judges
- Assigning judging teams and work with the Entries and Awards Manager to assign entries to teams
- Conducting and overseeing Consensus Judging
- Helping with the planning and organization of the annual Chapter Recognition and Awards Banquet
If you’d like to help with the competition, please contact competition@stc-chicago.com.
Membership Drive
The Membership Drive committee consists of a manager and one or more volunteer members. The Membership Drive committee coordinates the annual membership drive.
The Membership Drive committee actively seeks to increase the membership of the Chapter. The committee maintains a list of the current members of the Chapter and is responsible for providing member contact information to the Administrative Council and other committees as needed.
Responsibilities include:
- Planning and conducting the annual membership drive/contest to increase membership and to entice inactive members to participate. Coordinating this effort with the Society’s annual Renewal Challenge, as appropriate.
- Writing brief articles for Byline advertising the membership drive and then summarizing the results after its completion.
- Answer inginquiries from non-members about the Chapter and STC.
If you’d like to help with membership, please contact membership@stc-chicago.com.
Mentoring
The mentoring committee is responsible for the coordinating of the Get Real! interview program. The committee manager coordinates interviews between senior writers and the students or recent graduates from tech comm programs. We’re always looking to grow our roster of available interviewees. The more volunteers we have for this service, the fewer interviews you’ll have to do yourself. So help us get more volunteers by becoming one today and recruiting your STC Chicago friends!
Responsibilities include:
- Conducting an in-person or telephone interview with a student interviewee for 30 to 60 minutes as needed. Students are responsible for coming up with the questions.
If you’d like to be added to our roster of volunteer interviewees and you’re a chapter member, please contact interview@stc-chicago.com.
Programs
The Programs committee coordinates the STC Chicago monthly Chapter meetings. The committee consists of a manager and one or more volunteer members.
The program committee schedules and plans meetings that appeal to all members and will help them widen their knowledge of the field and their resource networks.
Responsibilities include:
- Set up a tentative program schedule for the year by the August AC meeting. You do not have to every speaker arranged, but you should have topics assigned to a month.
- Preparing a budget of expenses and income.
- Arranging for speakers for each program.
- Before each meeting, helping the speaker set up equipment, introduce the speaker to the president and others, and gather feedback from attendees.
- Depending on meeting plans, obtain refreshments, as needed.
If you’d like to help with the program committee, please contact program@stc-chicago.com.
Scholarship
The Scholarship committee works together with local faculty members to award financial support to students who wish to continue their education in the field of technical communication.
Responsibilities include:
- Working with local university and college faculty to solicit entrants for the collegelevel scholarships.
- Working with local high school faculty to solicit entrants for the high school-level scholarships.
- Reviewing all applications for scholarships and recommend scholarship winners to the current Administrative Council.
- Working with the current treasurer to ensure the scholarship is delivered to the recipient’s school.
If you’d like to help with scholarships, please contact scholarship@stc-chicago.com.
Sponsorship
The Sponsorship committee is active throughout the chapter program year and consists of a manager and one or more member volunteers.
Responsibilities include securing sponsors for program meetings and annual Chapter Recognition and Awards Banquet.
If you’d like to help with advertising, please contact sponsorship@stc-chicago.com.
Website
The Webmaster is responsible for the production and maintenance of the chapter’s website.
Responsibilities include:
- Keeping the site updated with the most current information, making sure to delete or archive old articles and publications as necessary.
If you’d like to help maintain our website (and pages like this one!), contact web@stc-chicago.com.
