Center for Social Concerns

Interfaith Worker Justice

The Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) Summer Internship is a collaborative project of Interfaith Worker Justice, colleges and universities, and local interfaith worker justice committees.

The summer internship program begins in Chicago on June 08, 2008 for an intense week of training and orientation with social justice workers and theologians.  Interns will then travel to local interfaith committees around the country for eight weeks of hands-on service. Participants will reconvene in Chicago August 15 for reflection and exploring next steps.

The Internship will give undergraduate students the opportunity to:

•Witness workers’ struggles for justice in the workplace

•Work with local interfaith committees on issues facing workers, including living wage campaigns, affordable health benefits, immigrant worker issues, and local organizing campaigns

•Develop a wide range of skills, including coalition building, organizing, advocacy, public policy, communications, and social analysis

• Integrate principles and theories of religious teachings with hands-on experience of working for social change in a range of vocational and social arenas.

• Collaborate with diverse, interfaith teams

Expectations of the intern:

•Help identify and solicit funds from your university, congregation, and other sources to cover your stipend & expenses

• Participate in a confirmation phone interview with the site

• Carry out assignments and follow work plan

•Write a reflection/integration paper

• Keep a journal or documentary account of your experiences

• Check in with the Internship Coordinator regularly

• Complete additional assignments for academic credit if required

• Participate in regular conference calls with other interns

Financial Agreements:

The Center for Social Concerns will sponsor two students in this program.  Additional students from Notre Dame may also participate, paying the program fees themselves.  The cost for participation in the internship is $4,000.00 per student. This includes $1,000.00 for training and orientation, and $3,000 for stipends given to the students. While many students are sponsored through their university, each student must do some amount of individual fundraising.  IWJ works closely with students to help identify funding. As long as efforts have been made, no qualified students will be turned away.

Each intern will receive:

•Housing provided by a local interfaith committee

•All local transportation costs, including a bus/train pass and/or mileage

• Stipend raised through academic institution and other sources

• Academic credit – For Notre Dame students, this is a three-credit pass-fail Economics course.  There is reading and writing to complete during the internship, and follow-up meetings in the fall semester.

You can submit your application on line to the National office, but also print it out and submit it to Andrea Smith Shappell at the Center for Social Concerns, if you would like to be considered for the two funded positions.