STEPS Public Art Communications & Cultural Content Placement

STEPS receives many requests for placements, research partnerships and volunteer opportunities. In response, we have developed an Expressions of Interest (EOI) submission and review process to identify the placement and research partnerships that we can support. These opportunities have been designed to be in line with the Employment Standards Act, and offer benefits to placement holders such as formal and informal training, mentorship and networking. In most cases, placements are unpaid, though some offer remuneration for specific placement related costs.

STEPS placements are geared towards creative, energetic, and organized people with a passion for forging new partnerships, supporting artists, clients and collaborators in executing successful cultural projects and engaging people in public art experiences.
We are committed to offering the following with each of our placements:

• Skill Development: All placements start with the identification of development goals for the term. Those enrolled in the placement are supported by their supervisors to identify experiences to advance their development goals during their time with STEPS.
• Training: STEPS frequently hosts training sessions for our team, including those enrolled in placements over that term. Topics include, but are not limited to: project management, communications, equity, unconscious bias, accessibility, digital engagement, site safety, risk analysis, artistic techniques, and first aid.
• Mentorship: All placements have a mentorship component, where placement individuals are matched with a staff member to meet with, at least monthly, 1×1 during the term.
• Networking: STEPS is always meeting or attending events with our cross-sectoral stakeholders. Opportunities to participate in these activities are frequently extended to those enrolled in placements through which they forge new professional relationships.
• Feedback: As part of every placement there is a mid-point check-in and final placement review, during which the person enrolled in the placement and their STEPS supervisor provides feedback to the other. This enables us to ensure the placement is a beneficial opportunity, and it offers an opportunity to receive candid feedback regarding performance, which can help identify focus areas for further development.
• References: Individuals who have successfully completed a placement with STEPS become eligible to have the organization serve as a reference for future employment or other opportunities.
• Remuneration: Placements are typically unpaid, as most individuals use placements to fulfill an academic requirement. However, STEPS does cover expenses such as: required training fees, travel, research materials, and for special projects offer honouraria. If any remuneration will be provided by STEPS, this would be outlined in the Placement Terms of Reference.

STEPS is a national charity and social enterprise with partners and projects from coast to coast. We currently have staff working from five provinces and welcome expressions of interest from across Canada.

STEPS is mostly a virtual team. We have an office in downtown Toronto and given the place-based nature of our work, we’re frequently at project sites in the community. Individuals enrolled in placements who reside in southern Ontario may have the option for hybrid placements that combine virtual and in-person experiences. For those located outside of southern Ontario, most placements will be virtual, though there may be some hybrid opportunities available for those residing in communities where we currently have projects. We ask those submitting an expression of interest to communicate their placement preferences and ability to travel to sites.

STEPS can accommodate a range of placement formats and scheduling options. The total number of placement hours and the number of placement hours per week will vary from placement to placement, but the format must be identified before the start date, so that our team can thoroughly assess whether we have the capacity to appropriately support the requested schedule.

Typically, we do not host placements for less than the equivalent of 1 day (8 hours) per week, which we find is the minimum amount of time it takes to provide a meaningful placement experience over a term. We ask those submitting expressions of interest to provide as much information as possible regarding their availability and the specifications of any academic requirements they seek to fulfill in their submission.

Qualifications:

About STEPS Public Art

STEPS Public Art is an award-winning Canadian charity and social enterprise that transforms public spaces through public art management, artist capacity building, cultural planning, and placemaking programs. We collaborate with artists, municipalities, developers, and community organizations to foster vibrant, inclusive communities across Canada.

Our office is located on the Ancestral Wendat territory and the shared territory of the Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples, now home to many diverse Indigenous communities. We are committed to cultivating spaces where Indigenous voices are heard and respected.

Learn more at stepspublicart.org

About the Placement

The Communications & Cultural Content Placement is an unpaid experiential learning opportunity designed for post-secondary students in journalism, professional writing, communications, or cultural studies. Working as part of STEPS’ Communications Team, the placement student will support content creation and storytelling efforts that highlight the role of public art in building equitable and vibrant communities.

This opportunity provides a unique lens into the nonprofit arts and culture sector, and includes mentorship, feedback, and access to professional development resources. More information about STEPS placements in general can be found on our Placement & Volunteer Opportunities webpage.

Placement Objectives

This role is ideal for students seeking hands-on experience in nonprofit communications, storytelling for impact, and arts and culture journalism. Responsibilities may include:

• Writing articles, blog posts, or social media content profiling STEPS’ artists, projects, or public art initiatives
• Conducting research and interviews to support storytelling projects
• Assisting with newsletter, campaign, and web content updates
• Supporting content planning and archiving in collaboration with the Communications Coordinator
• Participating in meetings and training opportunities, as relevant to learning goals
• Pitching and developing content pieces aligned with STEPS’ Fieldnotes blog or editorial calendar

What You’ll Gain

• Mentorship from experienced nonprofit communications professionals
• Opportunities to publish your work with byline credit on STEPS’ blog or digital channels
• Behind-the-scenes exposure to public art production, placemaking, and community engagement initiatives
• Enhanced understanding of inclusive and ethical storytelling in the arts sector
• A reference letter upon successful completion of the placement
• Optional support for fulfilling academic internship/placement requirements

Who Should Apply

We are looking for applicants who are:

• Enrolled in a post-secondary program related to journalism, writing, communications, arts administration, or cultural studies
• Passionate about storytelling, community arts, and public space
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively in a remote environment
• Interested in learning about public art, placemaking, and equity-driven nonprofit work
• Strong writers who are open to feedback and editorial development
• Available to commit a minimum of 8–10 hours per week for the duration of the placement

Fluency in French or other languages, and lived experience as a member of equity-deserving communities (including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, racialized, newcomer, disabled, or 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities) are considered strong assets.

We understand that people may want to participate in a placement for different reasons, and we have tried to be flexible with the formats of placements within the constraints that the Employment Standards Act provides.

Our placements are targeted at the following:

• Participants in a placement program approved and operated by an Ontario university, college or private career college
• Newcomers to Canada who are seeking a volunteer opportunity that will help enhance their resume as well as build relationships in the region
• Visitors to Canada who are not legally able to work, but who are seeking a volunteer opportunity while in the country

Application Instructions:

Submit the following materials via our Placement Application Portal

• Responses to the questions in the placement portal
• A resume
• 2+ writing samples (journalistic, blog, or creative nonfiction preferred)

As STEPS receives a high volume of expressions of interest to take part in placements with our organization, we encourage you to apply early if there is a term that you’re most interested in being placed with STEPS. The deadlines stated at the top of this page are the final date that we can accept expressions of interest to enable us to review and identify the individuals who we can best support through our placement opportunities in a given term.

Expressions of Interest for all placements, research and special project collaborations should be submitted through this online portal.

We typically receive more requests for placements than we can approve. For this reason, we try to identify the individuals and research projects we think we can best support to ensure maximum success with the collaboration. The selection process typically includes a meeting over the phone or video conferencing with a member of our team. We value the energy taken by all interested parties, but we cannot respond to each request individually. If your expression of interest is selected for an interview, someone will contact you by email to arrange a meeting. We endeavour to confirm approved placements one month in advance of the placement start date to allow for you and STEPS to plan accordingly.

Those submissions selected for placements or project collaborations will be provided with a Placement Terms of Reference that outlines STEPS’ commitment to you, and your commitment to the organization over the placement or project term, based on the information that you provided through the submission and review process. This document is not an employment agreement.

STEPS encourages submissions from the full diversity of communities in Canada, including complexities of intersecting identities such as ability, class, gender, race, and sexual orientation. We are particularly interested in receiving submissions from equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), Black, a person of colour, newcomer, Disabled, d/Deaf, and LGBTQQIP2SAA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit, asexual, allies, along with additional sexual orientations and gender identities).

If you require accommodations to apply for this opportunity, please send an email with “Placement EOI Accommodation Request” in the subject line to operations@stepspublicart.org.