Date: Fall 2023 (September to December 2023)
Reporting to: DeBorah Gilbert White, Director of Education
*This is a non-compensated internship unless your college/university is offering fellowship assistance.
How to Respond: Please send a resume or background information including the school you are enrolled in and a cover letter explaining why you would like to join the NCH team as well as if you will be receiving course credit for this internship. Please send your information to dgilbertwhite at nationalhomeless dot org.
Internship Position Summary: The Homeless Speaker’s Bureau Intern can work remotely or some hours in the office at the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington DC. This individual will work with the formerly homeless individuals who are a part of the Faces of Homelessness panel of speakers to implement the goals of dispelling myths about homelessness and better educating students and voters about the realities of living without housing in the United States. This position supports the Speaker’s Bureau director’s strategic plan in the development and maintenance of the NCH national speaker’s network, and the policy and advocacy work of the organization. Duties include identifying and connecting with institutions, organizations and groups across the U.S. to develop speaking opportunities for Faces of Homelessness Speaker’s Bureau members.
The intern will assist with the development of Speaker’s Bureau materials and resources. The Speaker’s Bureau intern will assist with marketing the program and increase its visibility on social media platforms. The intern will assist in outreach to other speaker’s bureaus in the United States and work to recruit additional speakers. The intern will assist with updating the manual for starting a speaker’s bureau to include public speaking tips and information about working with very low income and those without housing. The Speaker’s Bureau intern will help to market the program and increase its visibility in social media. They will assist in working to find additional venues for the speakers to educate the public. Finally, the intern will work with the coordinator to document the success of the engagements with follow up tools and resources.
Specific Position Activities:
- Attend weekly meetings with staff to stay current on the work of the organization.
- Contribute social media posts or videos by lifting up the work of the speakers to advertise the program both locally and nationally.
- Gather information from the people who receive a presentation to improve the talks and show the impact on the overall understanding of homelessness.
- Connect with institutions, groups, and organizations to increase speaking opportunities and Speaker’s Bureau visibility.
- Assist with the development of materials and resources to support the speaker’s bureau network.
- Conduct outreach to other speaker’s programs in the United States and work to form a network of homeless speaker’s bureaus.
- Assist with the creation and development of a manual for starting speaker’s bureaus in parts of the country that do not have a local program.
Required Skills:
- superior research and written communication skills.
- good interpersonal skills.
- work in a diverse setting with all kinds of people
- ability to work remotely and without daily supervision
- ability to research programs and interview individuals
- ability to work with those who have overcome the trauma of homelessness.
Preferred Experiences:
- Direct service with homeless/low income populations
- Experience in public/community relations or marketing
- Experience with various social media platforms.
Mission Statement: The National Coalition for the Homeless, founded in 1982, is a national network of people who are currently experiencing homelessness or who were once homeless, activists and advocates, community and faith-based homeless service providers, and others committed to a single mission. That mission, our common bond, is to end homelessness. We are committed to creating the systemic and attitudinal changes necessary to prevent and end homelessness. At the same time, we work to meet the immediate needs of people who are either currently homeless or at risk of homelessness. We take as our first principle of practice that people who are currently experiencing homelessness or have formerly experienced homelessness must be actively involved in all of our work.
Organizational Goals: The National Coalition for the Homeless remains a substantive voice in the federal legislative process for people who are experiencing homelessness. In our policy advocacy, we work diligently to ensure that mainstream resources and opportunities are available to families and individuals who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. To end homelessness in the U.S., we use the following strategies to accomplish our mission: lobbying, policy analysis, litigation, public education, community organizing, research and technical assistance.
