NJCA partners with universities throughout the state to provide students with real-world nonprofit and outreach experience in exchange for college credits.
Interns have worked with us on community outreach and education, advocating to state and federal elected officials on current policy priorities, volunteer recruitment and mobilization efforts, assisted with organizing events such as press conferences and rallies with our advocacy team, and engaged in voter education and mobilization.
In the past, our interns helped us get information out in the Newark community about our free services, worker rights to paid family leave and paid sick days, and info about the Medication redetermination process to help folks renew their Medicaid coverage or navigate low-cost plans on the ACA marketplace. They also helped with outreach regarding our Community Assessment Survey.
They have helped with games and painting at the family event we hosted at the Newark Public Library. They also played games with kids at our family health event at the Newark Waterfront Center. They have helped at BloomFest, Newark First Fridays, Newark Downtown Farmers Markets, the Newark Public Housing Authority Health Fair, Senior coffee hours at housing authority community buildings, weekly tabling at the YMCA shelter, grocery giveaways and tabling at local churches, flyering outside local food pantries, tabling in church basements, Newark Afro Beats Festival, and more.
Every summer we also work with Rutgers students through the Rutgers Summer Service Internship Program.
One of our previous interns with RSSI, Danesh Patel, had the following to say about the internship experience at NJCA:
“I learned the importance of the Medicaid renewal process as many people lose their Medicaid as they don’t renew it after every year. I also learned a most important lesson that access to basic human rights and opportunities is a fundamental principle that should be extended to everyone, regardless of income. Providing quality education, healthcare, housing, and employment opportunities ensures all individuals reach their full potential. Treating low-income and high-income people equally and providing them with the same opportunities helps break down systemic barriers perpetuating inequality. I am so glad that I worked as a part of New Jersey Citizen who serves people on the principle of equality.”
If you are interested in becoming an intern with us, please reach out to Liz Glynn, Director of Organizing, at [email protected].