OBJECTIVE

A position as a communications specialist where excellent writing and outreach skills can help the organization
reach and hold onto to new and existing communities.

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
Professional Writing & Journalism, www.irenakagansky.ca  Presently
 Self-Employed, freelance writer and journalist, providing a variety of communication services to consumer,
corporate and non-profit clients.
 Successfully worked with a variety of clients to provide for their diverse needs.
 Published in a variety of publications including Spacing Magazine.

Online Community Coordinator, BeyondGraduation.ca, TakingITGlobal  2009

 Assisted with the successful creation and launching of www.beyondgraduation.ca a new online community for
students with disabilities who are transitioning from school to work or post-secondary education.
 Expanded the membership base and promoted the site, developing networks around www.beyondgraduation.ca
and making use of online tools like Facebook and Twitter to expand the community’s reach.
 Organized and presented a workshop for students with disabilities in Edmonton, to expand the reach of the site.
 Produced the ‘Animation Guide’, a guide to making effective use of the new community for members and
community organizations looking to make use of the site.
 Wrote press releases to announce the launch of the site.

Workshop Coordinator, TakingITGlobal  October 2007 & January 2008

 Co-Coordinated the Bandwidth for Belonging Project which focused on disability inclusiveness, web accessibility
and the empowerment of the disability community through online and inperson workshops.
 Successfully prepared a comprehensive report on web accessibility and inclusiveness and an evaluation of the
workshops to ensure that the workshop is continually improved.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Founder and Creative Director, Theatre the Good  Presently
 Founded Theatre the Good, a theate company focused on producing plays by Toronto playwrights about Toronto
 Designed and promoted a successful call for community submission of scripts for the inaugural season.
 Produced a video distributed via YouTube promoting the ideals of Theatre the Good.

Founding and Active Director, Civics Education Network (CEN)  Presently

 Developed, as part of a team, a group of programs to improve civic education in Ontairo high schools
 Planned and implemented two student-focused events and a teacher conference.
 Designed the communications materials CEN uses to promote itself to its various stakeholders.
 Developed a community outreach plan to expand CEN’s reach.

Vision Health Volunteer Coordinator, CNIB  2009

 Focused on building a community of volunteers and communicating to them the needs of the CNIB.
 Coordinated volunteers to assist with promotion and outreach activites at community events

School Energy Program Coordinator, Toronto Green Community  2007-2008

 Designed a series of workshops which were presented in local elementary schools to grade 4 – 8 students
 The eight sessions workshop series is designed to teach students about the importance of energy conservation and
to give them the knowledge to reduce their energy use.
EDUCATION
York University  2006 Ryerson University  2008
 Honours BA in English &  Writing for the Print Media
Communications Studies  Freelancing for the Future

LANGUAGES
 Fluent (speaking, reading & writing) in: Russian, Spanish and English
 Able to Understand: Romanian, Ukranian, Polish, Italian, other Slavic languages

FURTHER VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

 Clay and Paper Theatre, Night of Dread  2008
 Toronto Disaster Relief Committee  2008
 Images Festival, box office & crowd control  2007
 Out of the Cold  2006
 Sick Kids Foundation telethon call taker  2006
 Dignitas International, communications team  2006
 Sexual Assault Survivors’ Support Line, York U, call taker  2003-2005

SKILLS & TRAINING

 Media & communications management
 Event Planning
 Crisis support skills and training
 Anti-Oppression training
 Second City Improv Training
 Reception and secretarial skills
 Office procedures and equipment
 MS Office
 Critical thinking and evaluation
 Poetic and musical skills

REFERENCES

Jennifer Corriero
Founder, TakingITGlobal
(416) 977-9363

Stephen Young
Executive Director, Civics Education Network
(416) 995-0157

Rose Jacobson
Project Manager & Artistic Principal, Picasso PRO
(416) 536-7522