Summer Institute Dean Internship

WHO ARE WE

Sadie Nash Leadership Project provides award-winning, experiential social justice education to more than 500 young women and gender-expansive youth of color each year in New York City and Newark, NJ. Operating with love and rigor, we use the tools of popular education to build critical consciousness, community, and college readiness. We strengthen, empower, and equip participants to lead lives rooted in joy, liberation, and collective care.

Our flagship program, Summer Institute (SI), is an immersive six-week experience for high school students. Nashers explore leadership, feminism, and social justice through classes, workshops, field trips, and intimate conversations with community leaders. Participants engage with concepts of power, identity, and privilege, developing the skills to critically analyze their lived experiences within broader social and political contexts through project-based learning. SI operates at five in-person sites: Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Newark, NJ.

DEAN INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW

We are seeking energetic and passionate Deans to support our summer program at five in-person sites. After completing an in-depth radical youth work training, Deans serve as co-facilitators, mentors, and key administrative supports. They act as teaching assistants, lead daily groups and weekly workshops, and assist with program operations. This role offers hands-on experience in curriculum development, classroom management, healing-centered youth work, and social justice nonprofit leadership. The Dean position is from June 16, 2026 - August 17, 2026. This position requires a full-time, 40 hours per week, in-person commitment.

ELIGIBILITY

Dean applicants meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Graduated high school at least two years ago and will be attending a post-secondary program in Fall 2026 (e.g., earned a high school diploma or GED by 2024 and enrolled in graduate school, trade school, or community college in Fall 2026).
• Completed at least four semesters of post-secondary education and are enrolled in Fall 2026 (e.g., rising juniors or seniors).
• Not currently enrolled in college, but have at least 1-2 years of relevant youth development experience (e.g., working in a school, summer camp, or day care).
• Required: Must complete the full eight-week internship.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Mentorship, Leadership, and Facilitation: Dean will mentor a group of 10-15 Nashers, lead discussions with their mentee group (a.k.a “Dean Group”), serve as a teaching assistant in assigned courses, and chaperone field trips. Deans design and facilitate original workshops on social justice topics of their choosing and are responsible for facilitating the Leadership Seminar curriculum.
• Administrative Support: Deans track and monitor attendance and engagement for their mentee cohort, follow up as needed, and support program logistics, including coordinating guest speakers and field trips. Deans also participate in regular check-in meetings and complete additional administrative duties as assigned.

WHO YOU ARE & KEYS TO SUCCESS (THE MUST-HAVES)

• Intrinsic Passion for Youth Development: Deans are deeply committed to working with young people and eager to grow their skills in transformative facilitation and learning. This role is high-energy and demanding; those who find the energy of 14–19-year-olds draining will not thrive. We seek leaders who see potential in every youth and find the daily process of growth—challenges and all—to be the most rewarding part of their work.
• All-Hands-On-Deck Mentality: Deans approach every task—with the same energy as their mentorship work—whether it’s prepping name tags, moving furniture, or supporting field trips. This high-energy, hands-on role requires significant “sweat equity,” as a large portion of time is devoted to the practical, behind-the-scenes tasks that make our programs run smoothly.
• Social Justice Alignment: Deans are excited about putting SNLP's mission and goals into practice. This includes a commitment to and grounding in intersectional feminism, racial and gender equity, LGBTQIA+ rights, as well as learning and utilizing restorative practices.

HIRING TIMELINE

March 23, 2026: Application Deadline

March 28, 2026: Virtual Group Interview (Saturday, 10 am - 1 pm)

May 8, 2026: Candidates Notified of Decisions

KEY DATES OF THE POSITION

June 16 – July 2: Summer Staff In-Person Training (10am - 4pm; Monday - Friday)

July 6 – August 13: Summer Program (9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday; Fridays are half days)

August 14 – August 17: Close-Out Administration Work (10am - 5pm; can be completed virtually if all in person duties are completed)

Site Placement: We encourage interested applicants to indicate in their application if they have strong community ties to any of our four sites, particularly those with ties to Newark, as we prioritize local community representation in our programming. If there is any site that is not a good fit, please let us know. We cannot guarantee site placement until the time of hire.

Sadie Nash Leadership Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As such, we consider a wide range of candidates bringing different skill sets and lived experiences. So whether you're looking to transition, taking the next step in your career path or returning to work after a gap in employment, we will be happy to have you apply!

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that cis men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria, while others (including women, gender-expansive folks and people of color) tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you are a good fit for this role, we encourage you to apply.

Deans must be in-person during the entirety of the internship to receive the full $4,000 stipend. Interns should make plans to travel back to school AFTER August 17th.