Fall 2025 MS Program Intern

About Breakthrough Silicon Valley

Breakthrough Silicon Valley launches talented students who have been historically excluded from higher education on the path to college, and inspires high school and college students to become the next generation of leaders, advocates, and educators. BTSV’s seven-year college access and success program, which supports students from 7th grade to first year of college, has proven to be effective in preparing these students for college: a stunning 99% of BTSV graduates attend college immediately after high school.

BTSV’s tuition-free program provides year-round out-of-school time academic support, counseling, and advocacy for a diverse group of talented students, most of whom come from under-resourced communities and will be the first generation in their family to go to college. Through our students-teaching-students model, BTSV also provides a consummate professional development experience providing talented high school and college students the opportunity to understand the K-12 system and the drivers of educational inequities, and to design and teach classes under the direction of seasoned educators.

Located in San Jose, California, Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an affiliate of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a leading national service organization that acts as the national voice for 25 Breakthrough sites across the country.

The Position

Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s internships are designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in education through a hands-on, impactful internship experience at a highly effective nonprofit organization. Throughout the internship, you will be coached and supervised by our experienced BTSV staff. Interns will develop organizational, communication, and project management skills, participate in workshops related to youth development and advising, and learn how to operate effective and efficient programming for students.

Each day will look different: you might collect student grades and enter data into Salesforce, design a flyer in Canva to invite families to an upcoming BTSV event, support logistics planning and execution for a workshop or field trip to a local college, or ensure that BTSV’s Chromebook inventory is ready to use at our after-school program.

The Middle School Program Intern will report to the Director of Admissions and Middle School Programs.

What background and skills do you have?:

• You’re a rising sophomore, junior, or senior in college.
• Experience working with students, preferably middle school or high school students, and an unwavering focus on students’ best interests.
• Proficient with MS Office and Google Suite, including Excel/Sheets. Ability to learn Salesforce CRM with direction.
• Ability to work in an organized and thoughtful way while juggling multiple tasks, and implement plans with a keen attention to detail
• Flexible problem-solver with a can-do attitude; willing to support where needed.
• Communicative and able to responsibly pose questions and ask for clarification whenever necessary.
• “Breakthrough Spirit”: You’re a collaborative team player who is committed to excellence and open-minded, demonstrates a growth mindset, thinks creatively to solve problems, and works with a sense of humor and humility.
• Commitment to Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s mission and goals as well as a passion for educational equity.

Bonus points if:

• You’re a former BTSV student, Teaching Fellow, or volunteer, or have supported us in another capacity.
• You’re proficient with Salesforce and/or Canva.
• You’re bilingual (Spanish or Vietnamese).
• You’re majoring in education or a related field.
• You have experience at a youth development or educational organization, particularly one focused on college access for first-generation students, students of color, or students from low-income communities.

We know that many strong candidates will not have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!

Location, Commitment, and Compensation

This is an in-person position, located at Breakthrough’s two offices in San Jose, listed below. Occasional travel to partner school sites in San Jose is also required.

• Herbert Hoover Middle School, 1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126
• Bridges Academy, 1702 McLaughlin Ave, San Jose, CA 95122

This is a part-time (average of 10 hours per week) position for the duration of the fall semester (September–December 2025), with the potential to extend to the spring semester. While we can accommodate your class schedule, you must have availability at least two afternoons (3–6 PM, Monday–Thursday) per week in order to be considered.

This is a temporary, hourly, non-exempt (overtime-eligible) position. You will be paid $17.95 per hour.

Application Process

Apply online at www.breakthroughsv.org/joinourteam. Please indicate where you heard about the position in your cover letter. We will review applications on a rolling basis.

BTSV engages with individuals of all backgrounds and we are committed to embracing diversity within our organization, including developing a team who represents the communities we serve.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, BTSV is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.