Sunday, February 15, 2015


The DC Rape Crisis Center is dedicated to creating a world free of sexual violence. The Center works for social change through community outreach, education, and legal and public policy initiatives. It helps survivors and their families heal from the aftermath of sexual violence through crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy.

The DC Rape Crisis Center accepts applicants on a rolling basis, but typically have interns coming in starting in January, May, and September. The number of undergraduate student interns they seek varies based on time of year and needs of the organization.

Many interns work within their offices supporting the development, training and technical assistance, advocacy and civic engagement departments. All interns have the opportunity to also serve on our 24-hour crisis support hotline for survivors. The populations vary greatly, and depending on the role they may be going out to a variety of elementary, middle, and high schools in the District, working with volunteers of varying ages and demographics, and connecting with politicians and council members or strategic partners in sponsorship and financial support. 

Interns take on a variety of responsibilities depending on their role. There is a lot of room for administration and research, but the experience is not solely limited to these roles. They may be facilitating trainings in the community or for the greater volunteer corps, building relationships with their strategic partners, posting on social media and discussing communications strategies, and assisting in reviewing legislation. The options depend on the needs of the organization and the desires of the interns. The crisis center works with the interns to create a personalized work plan to both support the agency but also to grow and have access to the experiences they are looking for.

The internship placement can be relatively competitive, but once on board, the DC Rape Crisis Center provides personalized supports as well as community building and engagement, and supplemental learning opportunities related to their issue area of sexual violence and anti-oppression.

To Apply: Complete the application on the website and submit it to getinvolved@dcrcc.org. After the application is received, Cristina Urena will contact the applicant and determine which opportunity would be the best fit. The supervisor of that position will interview them and decide whether or not to offer the position. If you have any questions, you can email Cristina at curena@dcrcc.org.


Location: The offices are located at 5321 First Place, NE Washington DC 20011. It is a one to two minute walk from the Fort Totten Metro stop with access to the yellow, green, and red lines.

Horace Mann Elementary School


             Horace Mann Elementary offers students an opportunity to learn about and work with children aged 3-11. Interns at this site are usually paired with a particular teacher or classroom, an art program, or “high-risk” students who are in need of extra help with school. The assignment is based on the student’s interests.
 The school has had several AU students join their community in years past, one of which is now on staff full-time. While they are not routinely seeking interns, they are happy to accommodate one or two should the candidate be seen as a good fit. The school emphasizes the importance of carrying one’s self in a professional manner, including the need for punctuality. Students at the school will likely form strong bonds with college interns, so reliability and dedication is of upmost importance.


To Apply: Contact Nora Dean, LCSW at 202.282.0206 or nora.dean@dc.gov.


Location: Horace Mann Elementary is located at 4430 Newark ST, NW WDC 20016 (across Nebraska Ave. from AU). 

The Family Place


The Family Place is a non-profit organization that focuses on Family Literacy for the low-income community in the Columbia Heights area. They offer ESL classes, Spanish proficiency classes, and early childhood education to children ranging from two-months old to three years of age. The three most integral internships offered are:
·      ESL classroom intern
·      Early childhood development classroom intern
·      Case Management/Parent Support intern

The Family Place is routinely looking for undergraduate interns, and they have a fall, spring, and summer semester of their family literacy program. Throughout each semester, depending on time commitment of the interns, they take about 12-15 volunteers a semester. Depending on whether the student wants an internship or volunteer opportunity, the Family Place will discuss availability with them directly.

Students would be working with the low-income community in the Columbia Heights area. They serve a majority of Spanish native speakers, but they are not strictly Latino based. The Family Place started in the 80’s when community members were realizing the needs of the recent immigrants from Central America, and therefore provide ESL and Spanish proficiency classes. They admit anyone who is a DC resident, and require a pre-test to decide what level of English they are currently at.

Depending on the volunteer/intern placement, responsibilities can vary. If a student was working in the ESL/Spanish proficiency classrooms, they would be working with students directly forming lesson plans or one-on-one tutoring. They also have early childhood education classrooms, where volunteers would help with development activities and implementing interacting learning activities with parents and children. Over the summer, there are opportunities for case management and parental support, with a more social work focus. Lastly, they offer a Communications and Development Internship, allowing the student to work with their executive assistant with social media and other duties.

Because the participants are majority Latino, speaking Spanish is a valued skill in this internship. However, students who do not speak Spanish are also welcome, particularly in the ESL classroom intern position. If a volunteer does speak Spanish, they may be asked to do additional hours for the front desk area, which serves the reception area throughout the day for participants and walk-in community members with direct services such as diapers, food, or other emergency services.

To Apply: Email Kiersten Rossetto, Volunteer Coordinator, at krossetto@thefamilyplacedc.org or call her at 202-265-0149.

Location: 26th Street in Columbia Heights (two blocks away from the Columbia Heights Metro station)

The Family Place is also accessible to many bus systems, such as the S2, S4, and S9 buses along 16th street, the 42 bus, and the circulator that drops off at the Columbia Heights Metro Station.