Youth ESOL Intern

Job Description

Resettlement is at the heart of the IRC’s work with refugees. Services provided meet refugees’ basic needs for food, shelter and legal rights in the early, critical stages of the long-term resettlement process. All activities lay the foundation for clients to become self-sufficient and contribute positively to their new community. The Youth Education Interns will assist the Youth Education department in supporting refugee and asylee children, and meet their short-term and long-term education goals. 

Please note that this is an unpaid position.

This is a hybrid position, with opportunities to be online and in-person in our downtown Manhattan office. 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a dedicated and compassionate intern to join our team as a Youth ESOL Intern. In this role, you will work closely with our Youth ESOL Instructor to help design and facilitate weekly ESOL classes for newly arrived youth. This internship provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with refugee populations and to learn about the refugee experience as it pertains to education and English language development.

Youth ESOL Program Description

The Youth ESOL Program offers online classes for students aged 12-20. The Fall Term will meet between October 7th and December 20th, 2024, with students attending class twice per week. We currently offer English classes at five levels (schedule subject to change based on student needs)

• Middle School Beginner: Spanish-Speakers (Mondays and Thursdays, 4:30pm - 6pm)

• Middle School Beginner: Multilingual* (Mondays and Thursdays 6pm - 7:30pm)

• Middle School Intermediate: Multilingual (Wednesdays and Fridays 4:30pm - 6pm)

• Middle School Intermediate: Multilingual (Wednesdays and Fridays 6pm - 7:30pm)

• High School Beginner: Spanish-Speakers (Saturdays 11am-1pm)

*Our Multilingual groups will most likely include speakers of Spanish, Persian, Ukrainian, Russian, French, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole. 

General Responsibilities: Program Support

• Assist with instruction during online youth classes, including providing opportunities for differentiation and scaffolding

• This may include: leading activities with small groups in breakout rooms, providing one-to-one support to students, assisting with “emotional scaffolding” (monitoring students’ affect during class), providing translation when necessary, and participating in the chat to respond to students comments and questions

• You are expected to attend 6 class sessions a week (preferably choosing three out of the five English levels to consistently assist with and attend the class session for)

• Support with material and program development 

• This may include: recommending class materials and activities to the Youth ESOL Instructor and leading parts of class

• In addition to online programming, the Youth Education Department offers in-person community programming on Saturdays, where the Youth ESOL Intern will be expected to lead 1 hour of English classes in-person for parents and caregivers. 

• You are expected to be available on Saturdays from 11am - 2pm in-person

• You are expected to create the lesson plans for the Parent classes and facilitate the lessons (with support from the Youth ESOL Instructor and other Youth Education Interns)

General Responsibilities: Logistic Support

• Assist with intake process and assessments for students entering and exiting the program

• This may include: holding video calls with students to facilitate assessments, scheduling check-ins with students throughout the term to see how they are feeling in the program, and helping to collect student feedback

• Provide daily feedback to Youth ESOL Instructor after classes about what went well and what could be improved

• Complete logistical tasks as needed

• This may include: zoom management, sending extra study materials to students via email,  and communicating with parents and families

All interns must: 

• Complete and submit all trainings and professional development by deadline, as assigned.

• Uphold and promote policies and practices necessary to create a linguistically supportive, culturally responsive, trauma-informed learning environment.

• Uphold all IRC and program and child safeguarding policies and directives.

• Work and communicate with IRC staff and volunteers as needed.

• Complete assigned surveys and data tracking tasks, as assigned.

• Complete and submit a weekly timesheet on Salesforce platform to track and codify IRC volunteer hours.

• Additional related duties as assigned.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore Effective Teaching Strategies for Multilingual Classrooms: Gain exposure to and practice various teaching strategies that are effective in multilingual and multicultural settings, including differentiation and scaffolding techniques. Cultivate leadership abilities by gaining hands-on experience while leading English classes and small group activities. 

• Understand Trauma-Informed Education: Gain insight into the principles of trauma-informed education, particularly how to create supportive and responsive learning environments for refugee youth.

• Experience in Community Engagement: Learn strategies for engaging with and supporting the families of refugee and asylee students, particularly in the context of educational and linguistic development.

• Develop Assessment Skills: Learn how to conduct intake assessments and monitor student progress throughout the program, enhancing your ability to evaluate English language proficiency and educational needs. Acquire skills in tracking and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data related to refugee learning outcomes.

• Build Nonprofit Program Development Skills: Learn about the coordination processes between different departments within the IRC and gain insights into how various teams collaborate to support refugee resettlement and education programs.

Qualifications:

• Current undergraduate or graduate student, or recent graduate.

• Preference will be given to candidates with degrees in Education or related fields (Experience in ESOL, ENL, ELL highly preferred)

• Demonstrated experience working with refugee or immigrant students and families, excellent rapport with youth and adults of diverse backgrounds

• Punctuality, excellent time management skills, and a flexible schedule.

• Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding client information.

• Excellent organizational and leadership skills.

• Strong attention to detail and ability to work with minimal supervision.

• Office and administration experience is a plus, but training will be provided.

• Strong intercultural communication skills with demonstrated ability to work effectively with people from other cultural backgrounds.

• 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)

• All offers are contingent on successfully passing background and criminal history checks as required by federal and state law or by IRC policy.

Commitment:

• Minimum of 15 hours per week for 16 weeks

• Primary availability during ESOL class hours (4:30pm - 7:30pm, remote) and Saturday mornings/afternoons (12pm-2pm, in-person)

• Start date: TBD

• End date: May 31, 2025

Reports To:

Sierra Cazassa, Youth ESOL Instructor

Ui Jin Chong, Youth Education Supervisor