Position Duration: Summer Semester through Fall/Winter 2021
Reporting to: Caitlyn Cobb, Public Education Coordinator
This is a non-compensated internship unless your college/university is offering fellowship assistance.

Internship Summary: The Homeless Speaker’s Bureau Intern can work remotely or in the offices of 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. The intern will assist with a maintaining contact with the speakers, and keeping them up to date on training and the work of the agency. 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 keep updated on the work of the agency
• update the manuals used by the speakers to improve public speaking and dispel common myths.
• contribute social media posts or videos with 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. 
• contact additional sites to inquire about having a Faces of Homelessness panelist speak. 
• maintain contact with the speakers to keep them informed and updated on the Bring America Home Now campaign
• assist with hosting a quarterly gathering to keep the individuals in the program working together and regularly update their training.
• 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
• 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 writing high-level research papers
• experience in digital and social media writing. 

Application Process: 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 respond by September 1, 2021 via email to bdavis@nationalhomeless.org.

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.

WASHINGTON D.C. STAFF:

Bring America Home Now Campaign Director

INTERNSHIPS

NCH is accepting applications for the following unpaid internships on an ongoing basis. All work is currently be done remotely due to pandemic restrictions. To apply, email your resume, dates of availability, and a letter of interest to mhustings at nationalhomeless.org.

• Special Events and Conferences
• Racial Equity
• Homeless Civil Rights & Organizing
• Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureua

Position Duration: Summer Semester through Fall/Winter 2021
Reporting to: Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of NCH
This is a non-compensated internship unless your college/university is offering fellowship assistance. 

Internship Summary: The Homeless Racial Equity Intern will work remotely until after at least 75% of the population is vaccinated.  This individual will participate in the Homeless Racial Equity workgroup to implement the goals of reducing discrimination and injustice within the housing and homeless system. The intern will assist with compiling a curriculum for local and state coalitions to use in teaching about racial inequality in the homeless sector. They will assist with outreach to advocates throughout the United States to encourage diversity in leadership and board appointments to include more people who have experienced homelessness in leadership.  The intern will assist with updating a literature reference guide to supplement a racial equity curriculum.  The Racial Equity intern will work with advocates from across the United States to implement policy changes to reduce inequality. This intern will work to set up meetings with key policy makers to forward NCH policy objectives. Finally, the intern will work to highlight inequality and discriminatory policies that act as a block to stable housing in the local community. 

Specific Position Activities:

• attend weekly meetings with staff and national committee around homeless racial equity work.
• collect news stories from around the county about discrimination and racial inequality.
• contribute articles to the monthly newsletters, social media and website on discriminatory policies and the disproportionate impact on ethnic minority populations in the United States.
• gather information for a reports on the struggle for racial equity. 
• track local/state/federal legislation related to homelessness and poverty.
• highlight past champions of racial equity and how they relate to homelessness.
• track anti-racist policies and equity plans in various jurisdictions in the United States
• update manuals to be used by community leaders in the area of anti-bias training materials. 

Required Skills:

• superior research and written communication skills
• working in a diverse setting with all kinds of people
• ability to seek input from those with previous experience with homelessness
• ability to work remotely and without daily supervision
• ability to research news and interview individuals 

Preferred Experiences:

• direct service with homeless/low income populations
• experience in writing high-level research papers
• experience in digital and social media writing. 

Application Process: 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 respond by September 15, 2021 via email to dwhitehead@nationalhomeless.org.

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.