Internship - Summer 2023
Mid-May to Late July/Early August (flexible start and end dates)
Break Away is the national nonprofit that serves to train and support student and staff leaders in developing and running justice-centered community engagement programs. Our vision is a society of people who prioritize just and equitable community and we believe community engagement programs act as a catalyst experience in creating such. We work with over 150 colleges and universities and more than 650 community organizations.
For the past 30 years, Break Away has been hosting our summer conference series — the Alternative Break Citizenship Schools (ABCS). The ABCS are experiential training sessions that provide student + staff leaders with the knowledge, skills, and connections they need to start or strengthen a justice-driven community engagement program.
In 2022 we changed the words behind ABCS to reflect our evolving mission, vision, values, + audience. Alternative became Actively, Break became Building, Citizenship became Community, + Schools became Solidarity. The Actively Building Community Solidarity conference participants will still experience the same magic, energy, and growth.
The ABCS combine workshops and planning sessions to help you develop an action plan for the upcoming academic year and beyond. You can look forward to interactive workshops on justice education and service-learning best practices, with processing time in a small group setting. The result is a dynamic conference combining learning in workshops with opportunities to foster connections with student + staff leaders from campuses nationwide.
Break Away’s Intern position is a virtual/remote summer internship (with the possibility of one in-person conference) that provides significant educational and professional development for current students and recent graduates. Interns will construct and execute components of Break Away’s national conferences, the Actively Building Community Solidarity (ABCS). Interns will also have ownership of projects tailored to their skills, college course of study, and professional development goals.
Primary Responsibilities:
Facilitation + Training
- Co-facilitate large group workshops at the ABCS
- Use experience as a student leader to infuse workshop curriculum with new life, as well as recent and specific real-world examples
- Assist in curriculum development for large group workshops
- Participate in evaluative processes with Break Away staff following workshops; co-develop plan for improving facilitation skills over the course of the summer
- Support the Break Away staff in the creation of the ABCS social issue framework
- Serve in an advisory role as a staff partner to Site Leaders at the ABCS
Conference Preparation
- Work with Break Away staff to generate materials for the ABCS including, but not limited to: participant pre-reads, schedule, graphics, and other documents
- Maintain Facebook groups and/or Slack channels for each of the ABCS
- Compile and summarize participant evaluations from each ABCS
- Tech logistics/support
And other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
- Current (undergrad or grad) student or recent graduate
- Facilitation experience with both small and large groups
- A positive and flexible attitude
- A strong sense of self-awareness and identity
- Willingness to ask for help
- Passion for relationship-building
- A deep commitment to working toward Break Away’s vision of people who prioritize just and equitable community through their values and actions
Preferred Qualifications:
- Community engagement experience
- Prior attendance at one or more of the Alternative Break Citizenship schools
- Experience in community organizing and/or working in the nonprofit sector
- Coursework (or relevant experience) in sociology, social justice studies, social work, anthropology, education, etc.
Benefits:
- $2,500 summer stipend with opportunity for additional compensation pending in-person trainings
- Enhanced leadership skills in facilitation, peer advising, operations, etc.
- Specialized professional development
- Deepened knowledge and education on our conference’s social issue
Interns will commit to a 20 hour/week remote schedule during non-conference weeks. During the conference weeks and the week prior, Interns should plan on working 40 hours/week.
Inclusion Statement:
At Break Away, we’re deeply committed to creating an organization that values and centers equity and justice. We want an organization that is diverse in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical and mental ability, + perspective, and an organization where everyone has an equally powerful voice. Applicants from minoritized groups (People of Color, queer and trans folks, disabled folks, etc.) are encouraged to apply.