IRC Silver Spring recruiting for Summer 2020 Internships: Apply Now

 The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Silver Spring has begun recruitment for our summer 2020 internships. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, we are hoping to host summer internships. Our office is currently closed, and we are working remotely (including interns). I’ve listed the titles and a brief description of each internship below. You can find the full description by going to https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/search.aspx?site=1&c=rescue and searching by Job Location (USA-Silver Spring, MD). Prospective interns will use that link to apply.

If you want professional, hands-on experience working with refugees, asylees, & trafficking victims, apply to be an intern with the IRC in Silver Spring!

The IRC was founded at the behest of Albert Einstein in 1933 to assist people fleeing from persecution. Since then, the IRC has grown and works all over the world providing humanitarian support. In the United States, the IRC is one of 9 US refugee resettlement agencies given permission from the federal government to resettle refugees in the United States. In Silver Spring, the IRC works with refugees the moment they step off the plane to help them get situated and become self-sufficient members of their new community. Our interns are a major part of our work. Most internships give them the opportunity to work directly with refugees to teach them or help them accomplish tasks needed to live successfully in the US.

International Rescue Committee, Silver Spring, MD (located conveniently in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area). Each semester (fall, spring, and summer) we work to recruit 25-30 interns to get hands-on experience in refugee resettlement. We offer 14 unique internships that offer a wide variety of opportunities to develop different skills and gain experience including:

• Anti-Trafficking/Intensive Case Management: This program provides case management services to the IRC’s most vulnerable clients including international survivors of trafficking living locally. Clients are referred to Intensive Case Management when they have extra barriers to self-sufficiency (typically medical conditions and pre-literacy). The ICM program helps them to overcome these challenges. Depending on number of active clients, internship may be heavier sided on case management work or community outreach:

• Asylee Casework: The Asylee Casework team is the first point of contact for asylee clients. Caseworkers provide 8 months of case management to asylees. The services include providing monthly cash assistance, ensuring that clients apply for public benefits such medicaid, food stamps, ensuring that clients apply for social security and enroll in health insurance and ESL classes.

• Career Development: Refugees are often required to accept the first available job they get offered. This means that many refugees with professional experience take jobs outside of their previous field of work. The Career Development Program helps them re-enter their previous field of work. Since these are more advanced positions, staff and interns provide advanced job readiness trainings and teach skills geared towards acquiring positions in mid-level and up jobs.

• Community Interpreter Program: The Community Interpretation Program Intern will assist the Interpretation Services Manager in scheduling appointments with appropriate interpreters and identify and recruit potential candidates for community interpreter training.

• Cultural Orientation: Teach classes to refugees on topics including, US Laws and customs, geography, healthcare, currency, history, etc. Classes are catered to discuss issues relevant to those attending.

• Economic Empowerment: The Economic Empowerment program assists refugees to become economically self-sufficient by providing workforce development. We assist recently arrived refugees to acquire their first job. Through this position you will be teaching our refugee and asylee clients skills and cultural practices that will help them to obtain and hold employment as well as budgeting and US laws.

• Family Mentor: The Family Mentor Program focuses on helping newly arrived refugees feel more at home by connecting them to mentors from the local community. Mentors help refugees practice English, socialize with others, and integrate into the community through weekly visits. The Family Mentor team provides support for mentors during their six month commitment and monitors the refugee family’s improvement throughout the program.

• Immigration: This program’s primary responsibilities include helping immigrants obtain Permanent Residence Status, Citizenship, and family reunification. Many IRC immigration interns go on to pursue law school citing the internship as inspiration and good experience.  

• Logistics: The logistics department is responsible for finding and setting up all apartments prior to a refugee family’s arrival. They work with community partners, US ties, and IRC staff to set up apartments and schedule the airport pickup schedule.

• Logistics and Casework: Internship includes responsibilities of the Logistics internship and the casework internship.

• Refugee Casework: This department oversees the core programing of refugee resettlement. Casework interns teach refugees how to use the bus, take clients to social security, help enroll children in school, and meet with refugees in the office to talk about the challenges they are facing. 

• Refugee TANF Program: This program gives you the chance to work in a job skills training program. It is a good opportunity for those interested in more of an adult classroom setting. 

• Youth Academy: This program runs a Summer Academy program for our high school aged clients to help them with English, Math, career planning, and recreation.

Most internships require a minimum of 15 to 20 hours per week. However, interns who can dedicate more time (~35 hours a week) will get the most out of their experience as it will give them the opportunity to take on more responsibilities and projects. All internships are unpaid. All selected interns will need to undergo and clear a background check and reference check to intern. The IRC is not able to sponsor visas. Students who hold a US visa will need to coordinate with the Volunteer Coordinator to determine if they are eligible to intern. A common visa type that we host are F1 visas with OPT or CPT. Internships take place in Silver Spring, MD. The office is accessible via metro as well as many bus routes.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Kyle Monsees | Volunteer & Family Mentor Coordinator
International Rescue Committee

Silver Spring Office: 8719 Colesville Road 3^rd floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910

T + 1 301 562 8633 ext. 218