2025 KACE Grassroots Internship Application & Instructions
Thank you for your interest in applying for the 2025 KACE Grassroots Internship Program! This application is for an unpaid volunteer high school internship lasting 22 weeks from May 30, 2025 through October 24, 2025.
Full Program Timeline Summary: May 30, 2025 through October 24, 2025
Interns are expected to participate fully for the entire 22 week duration of the internship program (May 30, 2025 through October 24, 2025) and attend our end of year Gala in the fall (official Gala date to be announced later in the summer). Interns meet generally once a week during the Pre-Session, five days a week during the Main-Session, and once a week during the Post-Session, following the general schedule below:
- Pre-Session: May 30th through June 20th (4 weeks)
- Meets once-a-week over Zoom for orientation and lectures
- Avg. 2 Hours a week – 6PM Eastern (New York and New Jersey)
- Main-Session: June 27th through August 16th (8 weeks)
- Meets daily in person.
- MONDAYS – WEDNESDAYS: In-Person Office Meetings (10am-6pm)
- THURSDAYS: In-Person Field Research Trips
- FRIDAYS: In-Person Campaigns (New York)
- SATURDAYS: In-Person Campaigns (New Jersey)
- Avg. 40 Hours a week – the above general schedule is subject to change due to weather, availability of visits or guests, local events or campaigns, etc.
- Throughout the Main Session, Interns will be participating in our campaigns and projects, including weekly voter registration drives, writing articles for our annual internship journal publication, performing at our annual trial reenactment performance, and preparing for our end of year presentations.
- Meets daily in person.
- Post-Session: August 22nd through October 24th (10 Weeks):
- Meets once-a-week over Zoom for lectures and Intern Presentations.
- Avg. 1 Hour a week – 6pm Eastern (New York and New Jersey)
Application Period (January 1, 2025 through March 30, 2025)
The Application Period will open January 1, 2025. If you are accessing this page prior to that date, it is highly recommended that you prepare your application during this time for timely submission. The link to upload all required documents through our Google Form is available at the bottom of this post.
The Deadline to apply is Sunday, March 30, 2025. There is an interview component. Therefore it is highly recommend that applicants apply at the earliest opportunity to ensure enough time to schedule a job interview if selected. We are only able to interview 1 or 2 candidates per business day between the hours of 10am-5pm. There is no guarantee that any candidates will be able to be interviewed after April 30, 2025.
All applications are reviewed for consideration on a rolling basis in the order that they are received. If you need help with your application, please email us at internship@kace.org. Please remember to include your name, grade, and school in your inquiry. All fields of this application and uploading of all documents are required. Please have all of your documents ready to upload before proceeding. Incomplete responses or failure to upload required documents may result in the rejection of your application. If you are selected to move onto the next stage for an interview over Zoom, you will be contacted with further instructions via the Gmail address you provide.
Application Process Overview
The Following seven (7) documents are required and must be submitted together for consideration:
- 2025 KACE Applicant Information Form (link for download)
- Applicant’s Photo
- Clear picture or scan of School ID, both front and back sides
- Resume
- Personal Statement (further instructions below)
- Complete School Transcript
- Stop Sexual Harassment Training Certificate
Failure to provide any of the required documents may result in the delay of processing your application or the rejection of your application in its entirety. As a reminder, this is a job application.
Start and Submit Your Application AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
It is advised that all applicants submit their application as early as possible in order to ensure enough time for an interview. We are only able to schedule an interview during regular business hours (9am – 5pm; last interview at 4pm) Mondays through Fridays not including weekends or holidays. We are only able to interview 1 or 2 people per regular business day. If you are contacted for an interview but are unavailable for your interview at the aforementioned time range, please provide us with three reasonable different dates and times that you are available for an interview.
Instructions for each document for upload:
1. 2025 KACE Applicant Information Form
Please download and complete the information form (link for download) to the best of your ability. You may scan or take a clear and legible photo of the information form for upload into the Google Form application (the link is at the bottom of this post).
2. Applicant’s Photo
Square size (1:1 ratio) from the top of the applicants head to shoulders. This should be something that could be used in a professional profile picture (for example: a LinkedIn account; you do not need to have a LinkedIn account for this application). This is also to help the interviewer verify your identity.
3. Clear picture or scan of School ID, both front and back sides
Please include a scan or clear and legible photo of both the front and back sides of your School ID. This is to help the interviewer verify your identity.
4. Resume
Please prepare a resume that you would submit for any other job application or for your college application. Resumes should be tailored for each different job application. You should also seek reliable persons (for example: your school’s guidance counselor) to help you write or look over your resume for feedback.
5. Personal Statement
Please select ONE (1) of the following writing topics and write your personal statement in no less than 500 words, but no more than 2,000 words, and upload to the Google Form (link below) as a Word Document. AI-Generated content is strictly prohibited and may result in the immediate rejection of your application. This is a job application, so please remember to take this and all portions of this application seriously. Remember to check for spelling and grammar. Please also remember to cite your sources and provide a bibliography if applicable.
- Why you do want to participate in this year’s internship program? What do you hope to achieve by the end of the internship program?
- What is an important moment or person in Asian American history that you believe should be taught in your public school curriculum? Please explain your reasoning and cite your sources.
- A third space can be defined as a place that is separate from your home (your first space), school or place of employment (your second space), where you are able to regularly connect with other people over shared interests or activities. Some examples of third spaces are public parks and libraries. Write about what your third space is, why third spaces are important, and why this particular third space personally matters to you.
6. Complete School Transcript
Please upload a copy of your most recent and complete high school transcript. This is something that you can obtain from your guidance counselor. If you are a current Freshmen in high school, you should still be able to obtain a copy of your transcript, albeit your final year grades may be pending. If you are currently in middle school at the time of applying but meet the minimum age requirements (at least 14 years of age as per the laws of the State of New York), you should also be able to acquire a copy of your complete transcript or its equivalent (i.e. report cards) from your school guidance counselor.
7. Stop Sexual Harassment Training Certificate
This training is mandatory and required as per the laws of the State and City of New York. This is a link to New York City’s webpage for the training video that complies with the requirements: https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/sexual-harassment-training.page
This training is available in multiple languages. The training takes approximately 45 minutes. You can take the training on a computer or a phone. At the end of this training, you will get a certificate of completion.
Please note that you cannot save your progress. Do not refresh the page, as you may lose your place and have to restart the training. At the end of the training, you must click the “SAVE” button first in order to generate your certificate of completion. If you are taking this training on a desktop computer or laptop, you will be able to print or save the certificate to your computer. If you are on a mobile device, you can use the device’s capabilities to take a screenshot, save, or email the certificate.
This training requires Chrome 67 (or later), Firefox 66.0.4 (or later), or Safari 11.1.1 (or later). Accessibility features for users with disabilities include audio descriptions and closed captioning and alt-text for the images and the icons.
The Interview Process
There is an interview portion to this application.
You will need to indicate your general availability to have an interview over Zoom between Mondays through Fridays from 10AM -5PM (last interview at 4PM). If you are unable to have an interview between these timeframes, you will need to provide an explanation and what general days and times you have availability.
Each interview averages approximately 1 hour. The interview will cover three major areas:
- Getting to know who you are;
- Typical interview questions; and
- Your availability and ability to participate in this year’s internship program.
This is a job interview. It is highly recommended that you prepare in advance for your interview, that you dress appropriately for the interview, and that you log in for the interview in a quiet place without distractions.
Here is a YouTube playlist with some videos that may help you prepare for the interview (you do not need to sign up for any course or buy anything; the tips in the videos are more than enough for this interview): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSoraRLW8kLZNwPX-gQtk3jaUcDKdlPgp
Working Papers / Employment Certificate
As per New York State and New Jersey State law, applicants will need to get working papers, sometimes referred to as an employment certificate. Students must also be able to acquire working papers by the time of the start of the internship. It is the student’s responsibility to acquire their own working papers. Speak with your parents first. Your high school guidance counselor should be able to help you get your working papers. Acquiring your working papers may take a lot of time, so it is advised that you speak with your guidance counselor immediately to get the process started. If you run into issues in getting working papers, please let us know. Working papers for minors in New York are small physical certificates. Working papers for minors in New Jersey are digital.
- More information about Working Papers in New York: https://dol.ny.gov/working-papers
- More information about Working Papers in New Jersey: https://www.nj.gov/labor/youngworkers/find-a-job/working-papers/getstarted.shtml
Parents/Legal Guardians Orientation
Parents must also attend and complete the Parents Orientation before the child may participate.
- The Parents Orientation for parents of New Jersey Interns will take place the evening of Saturday May 10, 2025 at 7PM.
- The Parents Orientation for parents of New York Interns will take place the evening of Saturday May 17, 2025 at 7PM.
At least one parent or guardian must attend the Parents Orientation for the high school intern to participate in this year’s program. Additional information, including the location for the Parents Orientation, will be provided to applicants that are accepted into the program.
Annual Trip to Washington D.C.
Our annual visit to Washington, D.C., over the summer is tentatively the third week of July (Tuesday July 15, 2025, through Thursday July 17, 2025 – subject to change due to availability), which if going forward will be mandatory for interns participating in the internship program. The cost per person for this trip is expected to be $300 per person, which includes transportation (via coach bus) and lodging.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award (“PVSA”)
KACE is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering the Korean American community through civic education and community engagement since 1996. We focus on voter participation, youth advocacy, access to legal representation, and small business, all centering around building and maintaining healthy, safe, and sustainable communities. KACE is also a PVSA certified organization, and earned verified/certified volunteer hours can be considered to award the PVSA to eligible volunteers subject to the applicable rules.
For any other questions
For any questions or inquiries about the Grassroots Internship Program, please email internship@kace.org. If you are a student, please remember to include your name, grade, and school in your inquiry. If you are a parent, please indicate your child’s name, grade, and school in your inquiry. Thank you.