You can make
a difference in your local community by volunteering with an NNIRR
member organization in your area. Check out our local contacts and affiliates page to find
a community-based organization working for immigrant rights near
you! If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area (or are planning to
be), you can apply for an internship with NNIRR's national office.
Internship Opportunities at the National
Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
NNIRR offers internship opportunities during the academic school
year and over the summer at our national office in Oakland, California.
NNIRR has welcomed interns from across the U.S., as well as international
volunteers. Interns play a crucial role in the campaigns, projects,
and ongoing work of the National Network. Because of NNIRR's broad
work and intimate environment, internships offer students and volunteers
the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the many facets
of organizing for social and policy change. We typically
host undergraduate students, and on occasion, graduate or law students.
What
are we looking for in an intern?
The National Network seeks interns with an interest in issues
of immigrant rights, race relations, and civil rights. Interns
should have some knowledge of current immigration issues, a commitment
to advancing a human rights agenda for all immigrants, and an
interest in learning more about the role of immigrant rights in
broader movements for social change. Strong writing, computer,
and telephone skills are preferred.
Bilingual interns are welcome as the National Network is dedicated
to meeting the language needs of its constituencies and fully
involving immigrant communities by making information available
in languages other than English. While many of our non-English
speaking members are Spanish speakers, we welcome interns who
are fluent in other languages. We strongly encourage people of
color, immigrant/refugee, and LGBT applicants.
What do interns do?
Interns can work on a variety of projects, including:
- Current Campaigns:
Write, research, and publicize materials. May involve coordinating
conferences and meetings, responding to the needs of member
groups, and working with the media.
- Communications: Work on the Network News, NNIRR's quarterly
national newsmagazine containing analysis and feature stories.
Help maintain website content. Communications-related internships
involve writing, editing, researching, and promotion on various
other publications.
- Database Management:
Help maintain our international database of member organizations
and newsletter subscribers. Assist in managing our clippings
and document files.
- Research: Work on researching a variety of issues, particularly
for current campaigns. Research can be conducted on a variety
of levels and can be a crucial tool for creating effective arguments
to promote immigrant rights.
What is the time
commitment for an internship?
NNIRR asks that interns be willing to commit to at least one semester
(three to four months) and at least eight hours per week. Summer
internships are generally shorter but more intensive - from half
to full-time. Time schedules are flexible during business hours,
and interns can adjust their schedules to fit their needs.
Do Interns receive compensation?
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer stipends
to interns. Interns can arrange to receive academic credit for
their work. Interns may apply for grants or fellowships through
their schools to compensate for expenses; such arrangements, however,
must be made independently.
Where is the NNIRR
national office located?
NNIRR is conveniently located in Oakland,
California's Chinatown, close to the City Center/12th Street or
Lake Merritt BART stations. About 15 minutes from downtown San
Francisco or downtown Berkeley by BART.
If you are interested:
Please complete this application
form (pdf), and send with a copy of your resume and a five
page writing sample via fax to: 510-465-1885, mail, or via e-mail
to echo@nnirr.org.
After receiving a completed application form, we will review applications,
and set up either an in-person or phone interview with potential
candidates. If you have any questions before sending a letter,
please call us at 510-465-1984. We typically host 1-3 interns
for Summer, Fall, and Spring sessions.
Internship application deadlines:
for Summer Session: April 1
for Fall Session: August 15
for Spring Session: December 1
Top |
