Líderes Initiative Internship Position

OverviewThe National Council of La Raza (NCLR) - the largest national constituency-based Hispanic organization and the leading voice in Washington, DC for the Hispanic community - is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization established to reduce poverty and discrimination and improve life opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Four major functions provide essential focus to the organization’s work: capacity-building assistance; applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy; public information efforts; and special and international projects. These functions complement NCLR’s work in five key strategic priorities - education, assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, employment and economic status, and health. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, DC, NCLR has field offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Through its community-based efforts, NCLR reaches more than four million Hispanics through a formal network of “affiliates” – nearly 300 Hispanic community-based organizations that serve 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

The Líderes Initiative is designed to increase the number, capacity, and influence of young Latino leaders in the United States through a national network that supports and strengthens programs and organizations that develop Latino youth. The Líderes Initiative serves as a clearinghouse for the national Líderes Network through the website – http://lideres.nclr.org, providing valuable information about issues, events, opportunities, and resources for young Latinos. The Líderes Initiative also provides expertise and technical assistance to community-based youth programs and campus-based student organizations to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Finally, the Líderes Initiative convenes groups of young people at regional conferences called Congresos, and a national gathering – the annual Líderes Summit, held during the NCLR Annual Conference.

Responsibilities

The Líderes Initiative intern will work closely with Líderes. The intern will assist in various activities that further the work of the Líderes Initiative outlined below, as well as carrying out administrative tasks as needed. A specific work plan will be created for intern at the start of the internship, but options for activities and projects include:

Líderes Initiative Internship Position

Líderes InitiativeConference Planning:Helping to organize Regional Congresos - regional youth leader conferences held in different parts of the country, and preliminary planning for the 2009 Líderes Summit.

Outreach/Recruitment:Distributing materials and communicating with NCLR Líderes Network member groups to encourage participation in NCLR and Líderes Initiative events and activities, including DALE, the 2009 NCLR National Issue Briefing and Advocacy Day, Regional Congresos, and the 2009 Líderes Summit.

Research and Writing: Writing articles for the Líderes website. Polling youth attitudes towards voting and citizenship and related issues. 

Database Maintenance: Updating Líderes Network database information, such as contact information of network members and/or youth organizations.

Website Management/Updates:Identifying, formatting, and posting information, including articles, events, and opportunities on the Líderes website, as well as answering requests/comments submitted through the website.

QualificationsExcellent written and oral communication skills. Strong computer skills including knowledge of Word, Excel, and strong Internet research skills. Strong ability to prioritize and organize multiple tasks, attentiveness to detail, ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines independently and in a team. Knowledge of issues Latino youth face today is a must. Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

The internship is unpaid. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to the attention of Denise Pernick, Líderes Initiative, via fax at (202) 776-1796 or via e-mal at leadership@nclr.org.

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