Since 2017, Sparks Within Reach has been an established, youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit working with NYC students facing housing insecurity. SWR currently has over 100 people from various colleges and high schools working to address housing insecurity and education inequality in NYC through providing much-needed academic and emotional support to at-risk students. Come join our team this summer to gain valuable teaching and leadership experience while making some truly unforgettable memories!
Interns will be working with K-8 students as part of the in-person Summer Rising program at The Island School (P.S. 188) on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Interns will be placed in a classroom setting alongside experienced NYC educators, where they will help to teach students and lead activities. Many of the students at P.S. 188 are low-income, facing housing insecurity, or otherwise at-risk. Interns will be working to ensure that these students are both academically prepared for next school-year and have a fun and rewarding summer experience!
All Sparks interns will also engage in an independent project of their choosing to culminate what they learn over the course of the program. This has been one of the most rewarding parts of our program in the past! Previous projects ranged from classroom activities and lessons that are taught to students, campaigns addressing educational inequity, book drives for homeless shelters in NYC, and more.
The program runs Monday to Thursday from July 5th to August 11th, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (we will only be offering a morning session this year). Interns must be able to commit to all weeks of the program. If you are interested but have a conflict, please indicate so in the appropriate box below and we will look into whether we are able to accommodate your situation.
Applicants must be current 9th-12th graders (graduation years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026). No experience is required, as all interns will be trained in tutoring methods, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed teaching. The internship is unpaid, but all interns will receive community service hours for the time that they work!
More information about our organization can be found on our website (sparkswithinreach.org). Interested students may also reach out to contact@sparkswithinreach.org with any questions.
We hope to see you this summer!