San Francisco Bay Area Program Support Intern

Position Overview:

Spark seeks energetic interns to join a dynamic team in a fast-paced professional environment. The intern's primary role is to support the Bay Area's Program team's facilitation of the Fall session apprenticeships. The Bay Area Program Support Intern will have the opportunity to work directly with students and mentors from various backgrounds. We are seeking interns in our Redwood City, Oakland, and San Francisco schools.

Background:

Spark (www.sparkprogram.org) is an award winning, growing youth apprenticeship program. Spark works to reduce the high-school dropout rate with a unique apprenticeship program, focused on middle-school students in high need communities. In partnership with district and charter schools, Spark creates one-on-one apprenticeships in real workplaces, where youth explore careers and develop the skills and motivation to succeed academically. Spark was awarded the prestigious Draper Richards Fellowship in 2008, given to five early-stage non-profits from around the world with the highest potential for "broad social impact." In January 2010, Spark won the Ashoka Fellowship, one of the top honors for social innovation worldwide. With this and other support, Spark is building a foundation for national scale. Spark's programs have been operating in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2005, in Los Angeles since January 2010, in Chicago since August 2011, in Philadelphia since the Spring of 2013. Spark expects to continue expansion to additional locations across the United States.

Responsibilities:

The Program Support Intern responsibilities vary based on individual qualifications and experience. They may include, but are not limited to:

Volunteer Outreach and Recruitment

Researching businesses and organizations within our communities for potential volunteer mentors driven by students' career interests. Recruitment strategies include: online research, networking events, canvassing and presentations with Spark staff.

Administrative Support for Program Operations

Visiting apprenticeships at workplaces, organizing volunteer appreciation throughout the session and supporting Spark volunteer networking events. Some components of our program include evening events, such as: Mentor Orientations, Match Day Events and Discovery Nights (culminating ceremonies). Additionally, Program Support Interns may drive or accompany students to and from apprenticeships.

Volunteer Coordination and Tracking

Ensuring compliance of all paperwork for volunteers: maintaining Spark's volunteer database (familiarity with Salesforce and Google Docs a plus), and assisting in documentation of all apprenticeships.

School Support and Logistics Coordination

Visiting schools during the Spark Leadership Class and apprenticeship days to ensure successful implementation of program logistics (attendance, transportation, etc.).

Required Qualifications:

• Interest in working in the educational and/or nonprofit industry, experience a plus
• Strong English communication skills with adults and youth
• Highly proficient in Internet research and in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Drivers License with clear driving record
• Laptop required

Desired Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Oakland or San Francisco public transit systems (e.g. BART, MUNI, AC Transit)
• Experience with creative software (e. g. InDesign, iMovie)
• Familiarity with database management (e.g. Salesforce)
• Written and/or spoken language skills in Spanish, Tagalog, and/or Mandarin not required but a big plus
• Afternoon Availability on Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday

Compensation:

• This is an unpaid internship. A $250 stipend is offered upon completion of internship.
• Non-monetary compensation: The opportunity to be an integral member of an energetic, innovative, hard-working and rapidly growing team, within an organization that has the potential to significantly change American middle-school education.

Hours are flexible, and the internship lasts from August 2013-December 2013. Dates are flexible based on applicant's schedule. This position reports to the San Francisco Program Director.

To Apply

Please submit a brief cover letter and your resume to: kverhoff@sparkprogram.org with the subject line Program Support Intern, Your Name.

Your cover letter should include:

• Why you want to intern with Spark
• What unique skills/abilities you would bring to the team
• An indication of which region (if any) you would prefer to work in (Redwood City, San Francisco, or Oakland)