Volunteer Internships Available: Fall 2015, Spring 2016
Give your time. Make a difference. Build your skills and resume.
Spark’s volunteer internship opportunities enable students to gain workplace experience while helping local students succeed. In return for your time, we offer:
Flexible schedules
Unique volunteer learning and training opportunities
Access to nonprofit professionals
And more!
About Spark
Spark is an award-winning, national nonprofit that brings underserved middle school students out of the classroom and into the workplace for individualized mentoring that results in educational success and powerful career ambitions.
Created by educators, Spark is the only mentoring program in the United States working to raise high school graduation rates through tailored workplace apprenticeships that inspire seventh and eighth grade students to engage in their education and set long-term career goals.
Since 2004, Spark has helped thousands of students explore careers through individualized, hands-on apprenticeships with volunteer, working professionals. A school-based Spark Leadership Curriculum connects the apprenticeships to in-school learning. Over the course of the school year, Spark students develop their identity, build community and explore their future, which leads to improved attendance, classroom behavior and course performance. Spark students initially exhibiting signs of educational disengagement have bright futures: Spark alumni enter high school on-track for success, graduate on time and are prepared for their futures.
Spark has been highlighted on the NBC Nightly News, the Today Show and other media outlets for its unique and effective program.
Spark’s Five Core Values
Be a student and a mentor. We celebrate the learning process and believe people can reach their potential when we are always learning and always teaching.
Take positive risks and dream big. We approach our work with an entrepreneurial and optimistic spirit, taking challenges as opportunities as we set our sights on systemic change.
Create meaningful change in the world. We believe all students have the right to realize their potential through an education rooted in relevance, relationships and challenge.
Make diversity a priority. We value different perspectives, cultures and backgrounds. We proactively invite all members of our community to help us learn and to grow together.
Love what you do. We are passionate, devoted and joyful toward our work, applying the best of ourselves to create impact.
Volunteer Internship Overview
The Volunteer Internship is flexible and rewarding for hard-working students. The volunteer intern will report to the Development and Operations Coordinator with support from the Director of External Relations and Events. Volunteer interns can expect to support projects that advance the goals of the organization while building a professional portfolio. Projects may include:
Development Operations: Provide support on strengthening the pipeline of corporate partners by conducting research, processing gifts and maintaining up to date fundraising data.
Communications: Create content for the organization’s social media channels, design campaigns aimed at increasing the organization’s social media and online presence, and assist with the maintenance of quote and story libraries.
Events: Participate in our signature fundraising gala in the fall or signature programmatic event in the spring and contribute to their successful execution through database management and administrative support related to invitations, correspondence, silent auction items, vendor coordination, etc.
Additional networking, training, and portfolio-building opportunities are available.
Volunteer Internship Logistics
Time: The volunteer intern will be expected to commit between 16-24 hours per week in the fall or spring.
Computer: The volunteer intern should be able to use his/her personal laptop and email for all internship work.
Compensation: Please note this is a volunteer internship and is unpaid.
Qualifications
Intern candidates should:
Be enrolled in a degree seeking program (undergraduate or graduate students preferred); recent graduates welcome
Be punctual, creative, and reliable
Be well-versed in online research, social media and the Microsoft Office suite
Have exceptional organization skills and meticulous attention to detail
Have strong verbal and written communications as well as proofreading and editing skills
Familiarity with data management a plus
Interest in non-profit storytelling and fundraising a plus
How to apply
Please email resume and letter of interest/cover letter to:
Juan David Rangel, Development and Operations Coordinator at losangeles@sparkprogram.org.
Please indicate “Development and Communications Internship” as well as your name in the subject line.