International Rescue Committee

Scope of work:

Location: Hybrid before NYSA start, in-person during NYSA 

Start Date: June 1, 2025 

Duration: August 31, 2025 

Position Reports to: Youth Education Supervisor 

Details: Interns will be expected to work 15-24 hours per week during the following times: Before NYSA starts (June 1 – June 30, 2025) – M-F 9am -5pm; After NYSA starts (July 1- August 15, 2025) – class will be held M-TH 3:30 – 5:00pm, but interns can come in M-TH 12:00 –5:00pm to help with administration, preparation, and instruction. After NYSA ends, interns may go back to M-F schedule, but may be asked to work on occasional Saturdays. 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), works in the United States welcomes newly arrived refugees and immigrants, supports them in their resettlement, and provides holistic services to help them build new lives in their communities. As an introduction to the position, this brief, but concise overview of the role should give the reader an understanding of the important components of the job and how it fits into the mission of the program and IRC. 

The Newcomer Youth Summer Academy (NYSA) is a six-week program focusing on preparing newly arrived immigrant youth to succeed at their grade level in the New York City public school system. Up to 130 students ages 5 – 21 from over 20 countries will participate in academic, creative arts, physical education, and social emotional learning classes. 

This year, NYSA is launching an in-person after-school art class for newly arrived middle and high school students. The goal of the program is to develop visual literacy, creativity, and self-expression by introducing foundational drawing skills as well as offer practice with mixed media, field trips to galleries around the city, and meeting local visual artists. It will use a multi-lingual and trauma informed approach. 

The NYSA Youth Art Intern is expected to support the Youth Education team prepare and facilitate all aspects of this program. This will include preparation of materials, curriculum, coordinating field trip locations and guest speakers. During NYSA, the intern will be assisting in facilitation of 1.5 hour lessons. After NYSA, the intern will be asked to help portfolio editing and preparing for the fall student exhibition. 

Interns must be available to be in-person with the team at the school in Manhattan for full days of training on July 1-3, 2024 and 15-24 hours per week on Monday-Thursday during program days July 7- August 15, 2024. Before and after NYSA, interns can work on a hybrid schedule. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Complete all staff training prior to the start of the program, as well as all program meetings and staff development activities thereafter 
• Support program rollout, including facilitating student orientation and editing curriculum 
• Assist in facilitating trauma informed, linguistically supportive, and culturally responsive art lessons 
• Support program wrap-up, including survey reminders and analysis, staff follow-up and debrief 
• Model appropriate student behavior and academic engagement with the Academy students at all times 
• Assist teachers and staff with classroom management 
• Coordinating Fall 2025 student exhibition 
• Other tasks as assigned by Youth Education Supervisor and Youth Education Specialists 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 

1. Learn the behind-the-scenes work required in an in-person arts education program for 6-12 recently arrived students of diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. 
2. Assist in the facilitation of an appropriate arts curriculum for middle and high school students of diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. 
3. Build non-profit program development and management skills. 

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Recent or current undergraduate student or graduate student working towards a degree in Education, arts education, or related field. 
• Experience in art education programming or teaching preferred 
• Knowledge of classroom procedures; health and safety precautions a plus 
• Experience working with children and/or peers highly desired 
• Ability to work well with people of diverse cultural backgrounds 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills 
• Strong team player who is self-directed 
• Flexible, innovative, accountable with a strong desire to learn. 
• Fluency in written and spoken English required. Second language proficiency in relevant language highly desirable (including Arabic, Dari, Farsi, French, Fulani, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Mandingo, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, Wolof) 
• Must be available for all training days and for the entire duration of the program. No exceptions.