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RAICES Austin Community Outreach Internship

Posted on: June 10, 2020 Apply Now
Public Policy Internships, Public Policy Jobs Expires June 14, 2021

RAICES – Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services

Fall 2020 Internship, 10 week commitment ; your start and end dates will be discussed with your interviewer and/or supervisor.

Location: Due to Covid19 this postion could be remote/ Fountain Park Location – 2800 S. I-H 35, Suite 215

Schedule: 15-30hrs per week; Flexible, office opens 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday; opportunities for out-of-office hours and weekends available

Concentration: Legal & Immigration Education, Community Outreach, Volunteer Management, Communications

Interviews will be in-person if you are a local applicant; interviews can be conducted via phone or Google Hangouts if you are not a local applicant.

THIS IS AN UNPAID INTERNSHIP.

Founded in 1987, RAICES is the largest non-profit immigration organization in Texas with offices in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio and staff in Houston, Washington, D.C., and many other locations around Texas. Since 1986, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) has assisted vulnerable members of the immigrant community – including asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors, immigrant detainees, and survivors of torture ­ to navigate the United States immigration court system by helping them to better understand their rights and responsibilities in that process. With the mission to promote justice by providing free and low cost immigration legal services to underserved children, families, and refugees in Central and South Texas, RAICES has grown from a San Antonio based organization to one that serves clients all over Texas. RAICES current, major ongoing activities include: the legal representation of unaccompanied children, families and adults seeking assistance with their immigration case; emergency shelter and referral services for such individuals who have been released from detention; and working with local communities to increase their capacity to be welcoming and to prepare for any executive actions or immigration reforms.

During this past year, state and federal administrations have implemented immigration policies that target different populations of immigrants. These executive actions and anti-immigrant legislations are typically misconstrued by media, often spreading fear and hopelessness, leaving people misinformed and often times, terrified. In this fast-paced, current political atmosphere of constant changes in immigration law, we believe it is crucial to prioritize that affected communities are informed about the latest immigration happenings, know of our services, and be empowered to fight back, organize and defend themselves while being well informed of the current political situation and their rights.

OVERVIEW:

The purpose of the Advocacy Department is to strengthen and amplify the message of RAICES, advance our mission in our outreach activities, and translate the experiential knowledge gained by our legal staff into community education and outreach. Serving RAICES both internally and through a broad range of external activities, Advocacy links the essential daily legal practice with the broader community. Advocacy, works very closely with other RAICES departments like our policy, development, communications, and post-release to respond to emerging policy and advocacy needs and provide rapid response for acute events. We also work closely with the Director of Community Immigration Services to develop training, messaging, materials, and programs that reflect the legal service delivery priorities of RAICES. By working with communities across Texas to build awareness, interest, and participation in RAICES services, Advocacy links educational programming, and advocacy activities to the daily legal services provided in each RAICES office. Through this practicum you will support RAICES’ staff to organize workshops, information sessions, legal clinics and other events, develop outreach materials and accompany staff to community events. As the Community Outreach Intern for RAICES, you will be responsible for the following:

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Assist in developing resources and events for communities in the Austin area;
  • Assisting in the development of outreach strategies and materials;
  • Assisting staff in scheduling and planning community events;
  • Developing packages for outreach events;
  • Data collection, processing, cleaning, and entry for events;
  • Completing direct assignments ;
  • Other project related tasks and deliverables.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Must be a currently enrolled college/graduate student;
  • Spanish language required;
  • Attention to detail and organization;
  • Public speaking skills not required, but preferred;
  • Ability to effectively organize and present information in group settings, both formal and informal;
  • Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively, self-starter;
  • Ability to thrive in a high-paced work environment, while maintaining procedural and ethical integrity;
  • Interest in serving the community, organizing and in social justice;
  • Studies on or related to Education, Communications, Political Science, International Studies, Public Policy, Humanities, Spanish, Mexican American Studies, etc.

Additional Comments:

By interning with RAICES’ Advocacy Department you will gain broad knowledge of the different components encompassing immigration law, be at the forefront of the fight for a fair immigration system and good governance, gain experience in management, operations, logistics and community organizing, have networking opportunities with other members of partner organizations, and develop leadership and personal development skills.

RAICES is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or veteran status.

Apply Now