ORGANIZATION
Comunidad was created out of a desire to provide community leaders a platform to lead and thrive. The idea that would eventually become Comunidad was in development for over 15 years before our founder, Maralee, took the first steps to file our paperwork of incorporation. From the beginning, the goal has always been the same, reflected in our mission to equip and engage locally-rooted community leaders.
As an organization, we believe in building the capacity of everyone in the community, from our youngest leaders to the most seasoned parents and grandparents. Our programming focuses on strengthening literacy skills to enhance reading among elementary-age students; after school youth mentoring to support students with working parents; and adult leadership development to support confidence-building and community-led advocacy.
MENTOR
Maralee Gutierrez, Founder and Executive Director
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
This internship will prepare interns for careers in any of the following:
- Academic Research and Administration
- Advocacy and Policy
- Communication, Outreach, and Publishing
- Data Science
- Non-profit
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
This internship will provide experiences to develop and polish the following skills:
- Communication (Written and/or verbal)
- Data Literacy and Fluency
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Knowledge of Sector and Networking
- Problem-solving and Analytical Thinking
- Thought Leadership and Innovation
MENTORING PLAN
The student will receive mentorship from Maralee, our Founder and Executive Director. Maralee will share Comunidad’s story and how her experienceinformed the mission and vision of the organization. She will explain at a high level the organization’s programs and our strategic plan for the upcoming year. Program specific coordinators will explain more about the nuts and bolts of each program so the intern can understand how each program fits intoour larger mission.
Feedback will be provided to the intern during their check-ins, which will start on a more regular basis and then will be adjusted accordingly. At the beginning of the internship, Maralee and our intern will discuss how the intern hopes to grow during their time at Comunidad. The intern and Maralee will have biweekly meetings to discuss these goals.
The intern will broaden their professional network by participating in meetings with existing and potential partners, consultants, volunteers, and experts who inform Comuidad’s work. Comunidad has monthly professional development opportunities which allow us to connect with industry and leadership experts. Because Comunidad is located in Northern Virginia, many of our volunteers and supporters are experts in their field, highly connected, and deeply invested in our work. Our intern would have plentiful opportunities to network with professionals and learn more about various fields.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Learning about community development in a low-income, low-resourced community in one of the country’s wealthiest counties
- Learning how to work in a highly collaborative and diverse team.
- Learning about education equity for marginalized communities in the US
- Research literacy tool criteria to address widest variety of learners
- Research promising practices when working with children with dyslexia and ADHD
- Assessment of program efficacy and opportunities to modify and adapt based on lessons learned
- Data analytics and fluency
- Knowledge of nonprofit sector and networking
- Communication and effective writing skills
- Collaboration and consensus building
- Project management and leadership
- Implement, evaluate and refine program interventions
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assist SRSL Site Coordinator with the creation, planning, and implementation of weekly reading intervention program for elementary aged students
- Administer evaluation tools that measure efficacy and analyze data to draw conclusions
- Research dyslexia to help strengthen our reading program
- Develop systems that allow Comunidad to replicate SRSL
- Manage and engage with SRSL volunteers
- Provide additional support to SRSL Site Coordinator as necessary
DESIRED QUALITIES
Prospective interns should have baseline experience in some of these areas and the motivation to develop professionally in each of them
- Good communication skills in writing and in person by phone or in virtual meetings
- Experience in research and data collection
- Proficiency with and interest in data analysis, visualization and evaluation
- Ability to organize data in an easy to understand manner for dissemination to a diverse population
- Ability to work independently but integrate individual work into the goals and work product of a larger team is useful
- Cross-cultural experience helpful but not required
- Students with Education, Social Science and other Arts & Sciences training with interdisciplinary interests are encouraged to apply.
MODE OF INTERNSHIP
Hybrid
DURATION
Open to a combination of semesters (Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and/or Spring 2024)