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TITLE: YOUTH EDUCATION SUMMER INTERN
LOCATION: ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY
START DATE: JUNE 2024
DURATION: 3 MONTHS+
POSITION REPORTS TO: EDUCATION COORDINATOR
BACKGROUND: International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in more than 40 countries and over 20 U.S. cities, the IRC provides resettlement, education, and empowerment support to refugees and displaced people. Over the past eight years, the Refugee Youth Program at IRC NJ has developed partnerships with Union, Essex, and Hudson County public schools, community-based organizations, and local colleges and universities to support the positive development of refugee youth and their communities in New Jersey. The Refugee Youth Program provides year-round programming working directly with refugee youth, their parents and families, and their schools.
SCOPE OF WORK: The goal of the youth programs is to help recently arrived refugee and immigrant children, and youth adapt successfully to elementary, middle, and high schools and prepare for college, career, and beyond while meeting their short- and long-term educational needs and supporting refugee youth's social-emotional well-being and English language development. Youth Education Program staff will work directly with students and parents, provide after-school tutoring and summer academic programs for refugee and immigrant youth, and administer pre-and/or post-English language proficiency (ELP) assessments to meet students where they are and provide the best support for students' emerging multilingual skills.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The Youth Education Programs support newly arrived refugee and immigrant youth, their families, and their schools with the school adjustment process and preparation for college and beyond. Refugee Youth Program Education Interns will assist with a variety of support services, such as administering pre- and post-English proficiency assessments, collecting, and recording the assessment data, accompanying students and families on the program registration and assessment ELP assessment dates, providing and securing interpretation services as needed to communicate and explain the assessment procedure before administering, assist the Education Coordinator with the college preparedness and career guidance workshops, tutoring and summer programming, and developing academic resources for the PreK-12 students and young adults. Youth Education Interns will also provide related educational support services to youth and their families as needed.
Under the supervision of and with support from the Education Coordinator,
- Administer pre and/or post-ELP (English Language Proficiency) assessments, collect, record, and organize data for report writing purposes.
- Organize data from assessment test results to help develop summer school staff training, educator toolkits, and lesson planning purposes.
- Assess and monitor students' linguistic and social-emotional support needs. Keep comprehensive case notes on a shared digital platform (e.g., Google Docs) during teacher support hours and observation sessions for staff supervision and report purposes.
- Assist staff in welcoming, accompanying, and supporting students at the designated summer program location during lunch, recess, activity, and class time.
- Provide or secure interpretation services as needed to inform students and parents about procedures and steps and to address issues involving children's education (as needed).
- Participate in staff development and team meetings and workshops.
- Complete related tasks and responsibilities assigned by the Education Coordinator.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- The Youth Education Intern will learn about analyzing pre- and post-ELP assessments for K-12 newcomer youth enrolled in IRC youth programs for training curriculum development and report writing purposes.
- The intern will develop data collection, recording, and management skills.
- The intern will develop an understanding of newcomer refugee youth's linguistic and social-emotional needs and ways to support them.
- The intern will develop observation, comprehensive case note-taking, and reporting skills.
- The student will develop outreach and advocacy skills.
- The student will develop direct client service skills.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's Degree in education, social work, public health, or a related field.
- Experience working with children and youth, specifically in the context of educational and social programs.
- Experience working with refugee and/or immigrant populations is highly desirable.
- Fluency in a second language (i.e., Arabic, Spanish, Dari, Pashto, Farsi, French, and Kiswahili) is highly preferred.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Showing empathy, patience, cooperation, and interpersonal skills while working as a team and working with clients.
- Understand the need to approach and apply case management methods with the goal of client self-sufficiency and sustainability.
- Availability to commit 15-20 hours a week in person (2 days in person) from June to August.
- In addition to the summer hours, availability to work hybrid in September is highly preferred.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability.
IRC, leading the way From Harm to Home.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.