Position Overview
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) seeks an intern passionate about public policy and its power to improve lives. This in-person internship is an excellent opportunity to experience various aspects of community engagement while working for a well-known nonprofit organization in our Little Rock office.
This community engagement internship is an 8-month, part-time, paid internship. The intern will work in-person in Arkansas Advocates’ Little Rock office 10 hours per week. This position will allow the qualified candidate to expand their knowledge of community engagement and public policy advocacy.
Under the supervision of the Community Engagement Director, the intern will assist with ongoing and special projects related to AACF’s public engagement work, including helping with the planning and implementation of events, assisting in the identification of potential partners and issue champions, providing support for focus groups, and other duties as assigned.
Education
Ideal candidate is a recent college graduate (graduated within the past year) or an undergraduate/graduate student.
Responsibilities
- Assist in the planning and implementation of focus groups
- Assist with logistics for outreach events around the state including creating flyers, developing email blasts, and promoting events
- Identify and research potential partners and supporters for our work around the state
- Create an event resource spreadsheet including event spaces and catering options in several communities around the state
- Assist with AACF outreach and engagement on public policy
- Assist with bill tracking during the 2025 General Assembly Session
- Assist with additional projects as assigned
Knowledge and Skill Requirements
- Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage and advance multiple projects at once
- Experience working successfully in collaborative team environments
- General interest in public policy
- Commitment to the mission and work of AACF
Learning Outcomes and Benefits
- Network with nonprofit leaders, advocates, and decision-makers
- Gain experience in public policy advocacy
- Learn about public policies and their impact on the well-being of children and families
- Learn basics of community engagement and building equitable partnerships
- Attend policy and advocacy events and Capitol hearings
Academic Credit
The intern may receive academic credit for the internship. It will be the intern’s responsibility to make arrangements with their school. AACF will provide the necessary internship description and performance review upon request.
Additional Requirements and Details
Must have valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation for attending meetings and helping with events.
Start Date: Position open until filled, requires 8-month commitment or through May 2025.
Hours: 10 hours/week, in office.
Compensation: $15/hour
To Apply: Please a send cover letter and resume to sbrown@aradvocates.org with the subject line: Community Engagement Intern.
Interview Process
From the time the position is advertised, AACF collects resumes for three to four weeks before scheduling interviews. Candidates can continue to apply after the interviews begin. AACF accepts applications until the position is filled.
If we receive a high volume of applications, potential candidates may be asked to participate in an initial screening call or Zoom meeting with the Community Engagement Director.
Stage 1: Up to four candidates will be asked to participate in an in-person interview with the Community Engagement Director.
Stage 2: Final candidates may be asked to do a final interview with the Community Engagement Director and another member of the AACF staff before the final decision is made.
About Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families
AACF was founded in 1977 by a group of prominent Arkansans who believed that children needed an “independent force to provide information and education to parents and citizens about our state’s policies toward children and families.” For 45 years, AACF has provided leadership, research, and advocacy to promote wide-ranging reforms that have improved the lives of Arkansas’s children.
The mission of AACF is to ensure that all children and their families have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy and productive lives and to realize their full potential. To carry out its mission, AACF serves as a voice for children at the Arkansas State Capitol and in Washington, D.C., gathers and analyzes data to support public policy that serves all children and families, and organizes coalitions of diverse groups to drive change across the state.
Equity at AACF
AACF has been a dynamic and effective voice for Arkansas’s children and families, guided by a vision calling for equity for all children. AACF’s work spans all policy areas impacting Arkansas’s children and families, including child welfare, economic security, COVID-19 response, early childhood, education, health, hunger, immigrant children and families, juvenile justice, tax and budget, and racial equity. Learn more about these policy areas at www.aradvocates.org/issues.
In all of this work, AACF’s racial equity focus strives to align mission and stated values with organizational practices and programs. It recognizes that structural inequity has been embedded in our national and state culture and policies and has had a lasting effect, as seen today in disparities in children’s outcomes across race and many other identities. AACF believes in intentionally engaging diverse perspectives throughout its work and is committed to amplifying the voices and wisdom of those most directly affected by systemic oppression, with a focus on building a more equitable and inclusive Arkansas to truly serve every child and family.
Apply Now
Please a send cover letter and resume to Shyy Brown, sbrown@aradvocates.org.