Volunteer Internship Opportunities for Young Adults / College Students / Post-Graduates

Description:

Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1996 dedicated to empowering the Korean American community through civic education and community organization. Among several programs and workshops, KACE regularly conducts voter registration drives and get out the vote drives to uplift and encourage responsible citizen participation with the Korean American community.

This volunteer internship opportunity is intended for young adults, college students, and those pursuing post-graduate studies that are interested in helping us empower our community with your volunteer service.  These positions are for unpaid, volunteer, internship positions, with no expectation or guarantee of paid employment at the end of the internship.  It is not to be confused with our annual Grassroots Internship Program or Coordinator Program.  Interns will support staff with our many different programs, campaigns, and workshops.  Interns may also time-to-time assist with work necessary for organization, maintenance, and upkeep of the office.

Those with a major or an educational focus or interest in American history, Asian American Studies, Korean American culture, politics, law, government, grassroots activism, social justice, not-for-profit organizations, or professional development are encouraged to apply.

There are three general areas of concentration that applicants may state their preference. They are:

1. Research: For those that also have excellent research and writing skills that are interested in issues at the local, State, and Federal levels.
2. Media: For those interested in media and content creation and wanting to do some good while growing in their skills.
3. Intercultural Bridge Builders: For those interested in working toward building intercultural bridges both within and around the Korean American community.  This is more than just about sharing Korean and Korean-American culture and history. The Korean American community itself is quite diverse, and unfortunately there remain intergenerational and intercultural barriers within our own communities.

Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Attend meetings and take notes;
• Attend and assist at campaigns, projects, voter registration drives, community events, and outreach efforts;
• Research topics of interest and relevance to KACE’s mission;
• Draft memos, letters, spreadsheets, infographics, and other content;
• Monitor communications over social media and other communication mediums;
• Assist setting up technology (video conferencing, presentations, etc.); and
• Build positive relations with staff, other interns, and people within the community.

Hours: Workdays (Monday through Friday) 10 AM – 5 PM; not including holidays and school vacations.  Shift days and hours are negotiable.  Shift hours for legal interns (current law students) include additional hours for attendance to our pro bono clinic(s).

Office Address: 35-11 Murray Street, Flushing, NY 11354

Rate of Compensation: n/a; this is an unpaid volunteer internship.

Qualifications and Skills:

• 18 years of age or older;
• Must be authorized to work in the United States;
• If enrolled in school, must be in good standing and compliance with the rules of your school’s rules and requirements to participate in this internship;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills;
• Proficient in MS Office and their Google counterparts, Canva, and Zoom;
• Commitment to serving the Korean American community;
• Ability to relate with people of all backgrounds, age, creeds, and gender;
• Ability to work consistently and patiently for long-term team efforts; and
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Bilingual skills in English and Korean is a strong plus, but is not a requirement.

Prior participation in the KACE Grassroots Internship Program, Coordinator Program, and/or the KACE Collegiate Leadership Conference is also a strong plus, but is not a requirement.

For Law Students: Open to currently enrolled law school students that have completed at least one (1) year of law school.  Please indicate in your application that you seek qualifying hours compliant with the 50-Hour Pro Bono Requirement for admission to the New York State Bar.  Legal interns will be tasked with law-related work and must be able to attend our pro bono legal clinic(s).  The legal intern position is in-person only.

How to Apply:

Please email us at internship@kace.org with the subject line: “College Internship Application” (for law students, “Legal Internship Application“) along with the following attachments:

1. Cover Letter explaining why you would like to intern at KACE, the strengths that you bring with you, and your stated preference for area of concentration;
2. Resume;
3. Complete Transcript (unofficial is okay; if you are currently a freshmen, then please also include your complete high school transcript); and
4. Clear picture or scan of School ID, both front and back sides.

All applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  We recommend that you apply at your earliest possibility, as positions may already be filled if you delay too long.  Candidates considered for the next stage of the application process will be contacted by email with an invitation for an interview over Zoom.

For any questions, please contact us at internship@kace.org with the subject line “Questions about College Internship” (for law students “Questions about Legal Internship”), and please remember to include your name.   You can also reach us by mobile phone at (646) 707-2553.