International Rescue Committee

BACKGROUND: 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities to restore safety, dignity and hope, the IRC leads the way from harm to home. Domestically, our 22 offices across the U.S. ensure new arrivals have food, shelter, and clothing, and work with refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency. 

SCOPE OF WORK: 

The IRC’s Refugee School Impact Programs and Refugee Youth Mentoring Programs work to support the integration and holistic wellbeing of school aged students who hold a humanitarian immigration status (Refugee, Asylee, SIV, CAM, VOT). The overall goals of the Refugee School Impact Programs (RSIG) and Refugee Youth Mentoring Program (RYMP) are to reinforce a sense of belonging and security within schools and surrounding communities, build students’ confidence in their English and academic abilities, and help student develop graduation and career plans tailored to their unique interests and skills. Throughout the year, students participate in after school and Saturday tutoring programs, community service projects, college and career discovery field trips, employment workshops, and our Summer Academy, each designed to address the express needs of our clients. 

One component of the internship is the IRC Summer Academy which is a five-week intensive learning experience for recently arriving refugee and asylee youth, specifically designed to address identified learning gaps in English and Math. Up to 100 students ages 12 – 21 will participate in academic, creative arts, physical education, and social emotional learning programming through our Summer Academy. 

Interns will work closely with the Youth Team to support all aspects of planning and implementing the 2024 IRC Summer Academy including student recruitment, volunteer recruitment and training, curriculum development, teaching, monitoring and evaluation, public relations, and community partnership development. The Summer Academy will be held offsite in Prince George’s County. 

An additional component of the internship is youth case management, which consists of enrolling new clients in the youth program and completing individual service plans for each individual client. Interns will work closely with Youth Team staff and clients to provide direct case management support and follow up. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Provide feedback to the youth team on ease and effectiveness of existing curriculum, and work with the youth team to revise and/or expand curriculum as needed.
• Assist with Summer program logistics, including setting up program space, contacting participants, maintaining attendance records, and administering pre- and post- program evaluation surveys.
• Co-teach and supervise refugee youth during Summer Academy programming.
• Interact daily with students and families, building positive relationships and encouraging academic success.
• Support the youth program staff with youth client case management, casefiles, and reporting
• Conduct home visits and phone calls to enroll newly arriving and/or newly referred families in the youth program.
• Solicit local companies and organizations for donations of services and/or goods.
• Support with student enrollment in their local schools and navigating the U.S. school system.
• Create new ways to engage and support school aged students.
• Assist students with applications for college, GED courses, scholarships, financial aid, and other opportunities.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 

1. Interns will learn about the challenges and barriers humanitarian immigrant students often encounter while integrating into U.S. schools. Interns will also focus on identifying and working to capitalize on the unique strengths and benefits that these students bring to our communities. 
2. Interns will gain curriculum development experience and skills including defining learning objectives, identifying and developing effective classroom teaching methods for multicultural, multilingual students, and implementing assessment tools. 
3. Interns will gain experience working and teaching in multicultural environments. 
4. Interns will learn about the US refugee resettlement system and services and benefits available to refugees and asylees in the State of Maryland and across the US.