Wider Opportunities for Women is at the forefront in promoting policies that help women and low-income families move out of poverty and toward economic independence. WOW needs capable, enthusiastic and dedicated interns to support their groundbreaking work. Interns work full time or part time, with a minimum of three half days per week. These internships provide a great opportunity to hone research and writing skills, gain an in-depth understanding of the issues facing low-income women, and learn about what advocacy organizations around the country are doing. Depending on the particular position, interns have the opportunity to discover how interest group coalitions impact federal, state, and DC Metro Area policy; develop analytical and useful resources; support organizations across the country in their work including their state partners within their Family Economic Self-Sufficiency project and the Elder Economic Security Initiative; sustain the strategic policy advocacy of local coalitions in the D.C. Metro area; help develop and teach curricula that educate women and girls about the realities of the labor market and encourages career paths to self-sufficiency; and make great contacts in the advocacy world.
Wider Opportunities for Women is offering four exciting fall internship opportunities, two with our National Programs and Policy Team and two with our Local Programs and Policy Team:
• Federal Policy and Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Intern (1 position) WOW is active in all facets of advocacy and policy work for low-income women and families. As the federal policy intern, you would attend coalition meetings and congressional hearings on program and policy issues (ex: workforce development, welfare, education, asset development), develop policy memos and issue briefs, update web resources, and disseminate policy activity to our state partners and network members.
The Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project (FESS) provides resources and technical assistance to community-based advocates to help improve the pathways to self-sufficiency for low-income women and families. One key resource is the Self-Sufficiency Standard, an innovative cost of living measure. As the FESS Intern, you would analyze federal policy, respond to state FESS partners’ requests for information and assistance, contribute to project development and strategy, modify state project website information, and maintain and develop resources for the project.• Federal Elder Economic Security Policy Intern (1 position) Wider Opportunities for Women’s vision and mission of economic independence for women is intergenerational. In working toward that end, Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) has recently launched an exciting new effort, the Elder Economic Security Initiative (EESI) that seeks to build economic security for elders through a multi-pronged approach that includes organizing, advocacy and research. WOW has partnered with four states, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, to launch the national EESI project. One key resource of the Initiative is the Elder Economic Security Standard – a measure of income that elders require to meet basic expenses to age in place – including meeting their housing and health care costs while maintaining their independence in the community.
As the federal elder economic security policy intern, you would play a role in building the initiative and developing the public policy objectives. Intern responsibilities would include analyzing federal policy, attending coalition meetings and congressional hearings on program and policy issues (ex: Social Security, Medicare, long-term care, pensions, the Older Americans Act), developing policy memos and issue briefs, updating web resources, and disseminating policy activity to their state partners and network members. Further, you would respond to state EESI partners’ requests for information and assistance, contribute to project development and strategy, and maintain and develop resources for the project.• Local Program, Policy and Curriculum Interns (2 positions) WOW initiates advocacy, policy, and programs for low-income women and families in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. As the local program intern, you would work hands-on to develop materials and engage in community outreach around the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Washington, D.C., develop resources for several internal and external audiences involved in the D.C. Women’s Agenda, research and update information on non-traditional career resources for girls and women, and attend coalition meetings and local hearings on program and policy issues including living wages, workforce development, adult and family literacy and economic development in the city.
As the adult and/or teen curriculum intern, you would research and develop curriculum and funding resources, conduct outreach to a broad spectrum of local stakeholders, and impact the lives of low-income women, girls and their families by educating them about career choices that lead to economic self-sufficiency.
TO APPLY: Mail or fax a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and 2 references to the address below. Interns are paid $15 per day. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Contact: Intern Search Committee
1001 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 930
Washington DC 20036
Fax: 202-464-1660
Email: kfarrar@wowonline.org
Website: http://www.wowonline.org