Ethics & Leadership in Law Politics & Government

March 24, 2021, Filed Under: Internship

Barbara Harlow Internship in Human Rights and Social Justice – Summer 21

The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice is now accepting applications for the Summer 2021 Barbara Harlow Internship in Human Rights and Social Justice. This internship, which offers a modest stipend, is only open to BDP students. Our summer 2021 internships will be remote. Applications will be due by midnight on Wednesday, April 7, 2021.

The Barbara Harlow Internship honors the life and work of Barbara Harlow (1948-2017), who was the Louann and Larry Temple Centennial Professor of English Literature at the University of Texas. She was a committed colleague, friend, and mentor to countless students, activists, and intellectuals. As a collaboration between the Rapoport Center and the Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDP), the internship aims to introduce BDP students to Harlow’s scholarship and activism, and to encourage them to imagine future trajectories for her work.

This internship is chosen to honor Barbara Harlow because it was largely through her efforts that the Rapoport Center and the BDP partnered to create the Human Rights & Social Justice BDP certificate in 2009. Harlow chaired the faculty panel for the certificate from its inception until 2017. While the internship is open to all BDP students, regardless of which certificate they are pursuing, it is meant for students who are working on issues of social justice. Read more about Harlow and about the internship here.

Harlow interns bring excitement and expanded capabilities to the Rapoport Center and play an important role, supporting various initiatives depending on their background, interest, and the needs of the Center. For Summer 2021, we are particularly interested in interns who can help support the Rapoport Center’s brand new Pop-Up Institute “Beyond the Future of Work: New Paradigms for Addressing Global Inequality.” The institute itself will run from the end of May and into June and will require important project-related follow-up in its aftermath throughout the summer. It will focus on exploring pressing questions around the future of work addressing diverse themes such as care work, essential work, automation, and the global dimensions of worker precarity.

Summer 2021 projects may include the following:

Help to plan, organize, and support the Rapoport Center’s brand new Pop-Up Institute “Beyond the Future of Work: New Paradigms for Addressing Global Inequality.” Related tasks include developing and maintaining the project website, curating and organizing public-facing digital material for the project, and other project-related follow-up.
Work on the publication of the Center’s Annual Review by writing and editing articles, designing layout, and working extensively with the software program InDesign
Engage in human rights research and writing
Expand the Center’s social media outreach
Serve as liaison to UT undergraduate community (through the Human Rights Student Advisory Council) and help develop Center’s undergraduate outreach

Required Qualifications

Commitment to working on issues of human rights and justice
Excellent writing and editing ability
Individual initiative and flexibility
Strong organizational and time management skills
Professional demeanor

The following qualifications may be preferred in some candidates:

Priority:

Website development experience (including the curation and organization of public-facing digital material)
Demonstrated expertise with videography, podcasts, and/or webisode production
Demonstrated expertise with publication and graphic design software (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite)
Demonstrated interest in themes such as care work, essential work, automation, and the global dimensions of worker precarity

Also:

Proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese
Experience with scholarly research and editing
Journalism experience

Additional Information & Expectations

Our summer 2021 internships will be remote. Selected interns should be available at least 20 hours per week during the summer. Though the internship is similar to the Rapoport Center’s standard undergraduate internship, the Harlow internship offers a higher stipend and requires three additional components:

In the cover letter, students should reflect (in one paragraph) on how Harlow’s scholarship and activism might influence their work with the Rapoport Center and their pursuit of human rights and social justice more broadly (see below).
During the internship, each recipient will write a piece for our Human Rights Commentary page, which either engages directly with Harlow’s work or uses her work as a lens through which to engage critically with a topic.
After the internship, each recipient will create a poster to reflect on the internship, taking into account Harlow’s impact on their experience, and present it at the Annual BDP poster session in April. (Fall and Summer interns will submit at the end of their respective term, and then present in April.)

How to Apply

Qualified students should submit the following items through our online application system.

Cover letter
State why you are interested in the position; demonstrate basic knowledge of our programs and activities. Reflect (in one paragraph) on how Barbara Harlow’s scholarship and activism might influence your work with the Rapoport Center and your pursuit of human rights and social justice more broadly.
CV/Resume
Indicate any relevant skills and foreign language proficiency
Transcript
Unofficial is acceptable; an official copy can be mailed or emailed if needed, to arrive by the application due date
List of three references
At least two must be UT faculty; include name, title, and contact information; full letters not required
Writing sample
3-5 pages; does not need to relate directly to human rights, although that is preferable

Deadline: Midnight, Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Contact: Rapoport Center Assistant Director Sarah Eliason at seliason@law.utexas.edu.

March 23, 2021, Filed Under: Internship

Internship with Asylum Connect – Summer 21

Social Services & Outreach Coordinator Intern Summer 2021 (Spanish)

Description

We’re looking for bilingual (English and Spanish) interns to join our remote team!

Our Social Services & Outreach Coordinators play a pivotal part in building the world’s first tech resource platform designed for LGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution. Our Social Services & Outreach Coordinator interns work remotely to maintain and efficiently grow the AsylumConnect platform. In this virtual role, you will focus on verifying new safe services in Mexico for inclusion in our resource app and help to ensure our Mexican resource data remains up-to-date. This is an exciting opportunity to use your Spanish language skills for good and improve your research and outreach skills, while enhancing your knowledge of LGBTQ+ rights, immigration law and policy, and the social services sector. We’re looking for meticulous, hard-working bilingual students who are passionate about LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights.

Responsibilities

Report to our bilingual Resource Coordinator (Mexico).
Complete a comprehensive virtual training program designed to enhance interns’ knowledge of LGBTQ+ rights, LGBTQ+ terminology, immigration law and policy, and the double marginalization of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.
Call and email organizations in Mexico to verify their fit for the AsylumConnect Catalog.
Research new LGBTQ+ affirming and immigrant friendly organizations in Mexico to include on AsylumConnect.
Additional ad hoc resource and outreach tasks (as needed).

Qualifications

Obtained or pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree (e.g. B.A., B.S., M.S.W., J.D., M.S.).
Bilingual in English and Spanish.
The flexibility to call organizations in Mexico during local business hours.
You are comfortable using online communication tools (e.g. G Suite, Slack, Asana, Telzio).
The ability to follow instructions and work independently in a remote environment.
You are reliable, meticulous and appreciate the value of deadlines.
Willingness to learn in-depth about the AsylumConnect Catalog and our tailored resource verification process.
Previous experience in the social services sector is a plus.

Schedule & Compensation: We’re looking for interns to join us for Summer 2021 (Tuesday, June 1 – Friday, August 6, 2021), with a commitment of 10-30 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

*Note: This internship is remote and unpaid. Interns may also extend the internship into the Fall Semester 2021.

Job Benefits

Sample Internship Benefits:

Undergo an extensive virtual training program where interns learn in-depth about the state of LGBTQ+ rights, LGBTQ+ terminology, immigration law and policy, and the double marginalization of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.
Gain hands-on experience working with an international NGO and directly communicating with service providers on the ground.
Connect to professionals in NGOs across North America.
Enhance your understanding of the social services sector.
Gain practical experience in the migration and human rights sector.
Professional development opportunities, including resume reviews and virtual coffee chats with AsylumConnect staff and volunteers.
Interns will also have the opportunity to receive a letter of reference from AsylumConnect upon successful completion of the internship.

March 22, 2021, Filed Under: Internship

Office of City Auditor Internship with the City of Austin – Summer 21

About the City of Austin

Over 13,000 employees work for the City of Austin, the nation’s 11^th largest city. The organization is dedicated to becoming the “Best Managed City” while maintaining an environment dedicated to attracting, motivating, and developing qualified, diverse and productive employees.

Internship Overview

If you’re enthusiastic about public service and love to dive deep into new topics, join us this summer at the Office of the City Auditor! Our internship program strives to give students the training and experience to help them become effective public servants, in their time at OCA and in their future careers. And if you have no experience as a performance auditor, no worries! We’ll help you build your tools for the trade.
Here are more details about our program:

This is a full-time internship for Summer 2021. The internship period runs from May through September, with preferred availability from at least June through August.
This position may be eligible for telework. Selected candidates will be required to report to the City of Austin offices within three business days of their start date to complete all required new-hire paperwork.
Interns will be assigned to an existing audit team and will work with an experienced auditor on one or more projects. Other opportunities available for interns include assisting with investigations and working with staff on social media and the office’s podcast, “Audit ATX.”
The Office of the City Auditor is a City department that reports to the City Council and provides a menu of services including performance audits, investigations, and special request projects.
These services are designed to provide information to support the City Council’s decision-making, establish accountability for meeting expectations, and generate a force for positive change. Projects primarily focus on the performance of City departments, programs, and initiatives with emphasis on results/effectiveness and efficiency/economy.
More information about our office and examples of our audit reports can be found here.

Your duties and functions over the summer may include the following:

Conduct interviews and meetings with external clients to elicit useful, relevant, and reliable information.
Collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, extracting information that is significant to the project.
Conduct research on subject matters related to the project.
Document information and conclusions in an organized and useful manner.
Use collected information to support conclusions.
Develop clear, concise, timely, and accurate written summaries.
Demonstrate increasing mastery of performance auditing processes, procedures, and techniques.

And here are the skills and abilities of a successful candidate for our program:

Ability to learn and adhere to appropriate professional standards, including the Government Auditing Standards.
Ability to master steep learning curves regarding government organizations, programs, activities, functions, and, where applicable, their interrelations with the private and not-for-profit sectors.
Ability to solicit, receive, analyze, and use information provided by office staff and external clients and stakeholders.
Ability to maintain objectivity and implement appropriate standards of care in all scopes of work.
Ability to complete assigned duties and functions in a timely and effective manner.
Ability to demonstrate continuous learning and growth by developing a new skill or pursuing a professional certification.
Proficient at collecting information according to an established project plan.
Proficient at working with others to achieve a project goal or objective.
Ability to analyze and evaluate facts; make sound, objective assessments and observations; and where appropriate, make constructive recommendations.

We appreciate your interest in joining us at the Office of the City Auditor. A couple more notes before you submit your application:

Resume and cover letter are required and will not be accepted in lieu of a complete online application.
The Office of the City Auditor is a tobacco-free worksite. Use of tobacco products and/or e-cigarettes is not permitted at any Office of the City Auditor worksite location. This includes other City worksites, the Silicon Labs garage, City vehicles, and personal vehicles located on the premises.

For more information about the position, and to start an application, please visit https://www.austincityjobs.org/postings/87356. The deadline to apply is 4/10/2021.