Arab American Action Network (AAAN) Summer Youth Organizing Internship

The Arab American Action Network (AAAN) summer youth organizing internship is designed to introduce young people (mostly Arab, but also African American and Latino) to the world of community organizing and to help them understand that they can make a real and productive difference in their communities. Over the course of 6 weeks, youth interns will learn the definitions of community organizing and campaign development, and will work on designing a youth-led campaign around an issue that affects youth of color. Once an issue is identified, youth will work to define campaign goals; research supportive data and materials; define the campaign constituency; identify allies, opponents, and targets; identify and secure resources; develop campaign tactics and actions; establish a campaign timeline; decide how to end the campaign appropriately (decide which steps to take based on whether a campaign is a win or loss); and develop an evaluation method for their work. By the end of the internship, youth should understand these basic components of organizing and have designed a youth-led campaign that would be carried out in the upcoming school year. In addition, teens will gain other skills as well, including teamwork, time management, resume writing, and job readiness.