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Applications Due March 1, 2023 by 11:59 PM
Thank you for taking the time to apply to be an intern for the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center at the University of Virginia for the 2023-2024 academic year. The internship is an engaged scholarship program that links the classroom with the community through hands-on experiential education. The academic component of our program includes two mandatory courses titled Front Lines of Social Change Part I & II. Part I is a 3-credit course offered in the fall semester and Part II is a 3-credit course offered in the spring semester.
The Women's Center offers ten (10) different internship programs. Below you will find a brief description of each of our programs. To learn more about our individual programs please access the following link: http://womenscenter.virginia.edu/internship-program/. If you are interested in applying to more than one of our internship programs, you must submit a separate application for each of the programs for which you would like to apply. Even though you are able to apply to more than one internship program, you will only be able to commit to one program.
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Important notes about application:
*Time Frame: Please set aside approximately 20-25 minutes to complete the application. You can apply to up to three (3) separate programs but each requires a separate application. You can only serve on one internship per year. If selected for more than one program, you will be contacted to identify your first choice. For ease of completion, the "save and continue later" feature is available at the top right corner of the application. You will be asked to provide an email address which will forward a link for you to access your application later.
*Resume Required
Please be prepared to upload your resume. Applications without resumes will be considered incomplete.
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INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS
Body Positive - The Body Positive team seeks interns who are interested in issues related to diverse social identities, intersectionality, and inclusivity in connection to body image. Interns complete extensive training and co-facilitate small group discussions with UVA community members using a multimedia approach. All programing is focused on promoting body+ activism through a social justice and trauma informed lens. This program aims to educate, raise awareness and spread the message of radical self-love on Grounds through implementing evidence based practices. The Body Positive team is invested in having a diverse group of interns and we welcome students of all genders to apply to this program.
Director's Intern - These Interns work with the Director of the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center on developing event(s) for the WC's signature events (including Women's History Month, the Rodriguez Lectureship, and the annual MLK Speaker), conducting research, and (if desired) creating special programming of their design. They coordinate the Student Advisory Council (the SAC) and the Reading in Hues book club. Interest in assisting with a small learning cohort focused on feminist issues is a plus. Preference will be given to returning interns.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Intern- The Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment for people of different backgrounds, identities, and beliefs. The DEI intern will work closely with the Program Coordinator to address issues and courageous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion with students, faculty, and staff at UVA through an intersectional lens. The intern will be conducting research and co-facilitating trainings and workshops with the Program Coordinator. This includes intentional programming for cultural/heritage months and DEI workshops/trainings.
Gender Violence and Social Change (GVSC)- This internship works to build a university community free of violence and abuse. The GVSC intern team collaborates with students, faculty, administrators, staff, and organizations. We believe that it will take an entire community to foster non-violent, healthy relationships across Grounds. This internship highlights the importance of using intersectionality to address issues of gender and sexual violence. Because gender-based and sexual violence disproportionately impacts people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals, we strongly encourage students from these communities to apply to this program so that your vitally important experiences are amplified through your work at the Center. Interns will facilitate trainings such as Supporting a Friend, and Understanding Rape Culture as well as collaborating with campus partners on annual events during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
Iris Magazine - Iris interns are responsible for writing an array of content for this online magazine and for working with a student assistant editor who is a member of the Women’s Center staff to plan content throughout the academic year. Iris has been bringing high-quality coverage to issues that are relevant to young women at UVA and beyond for over 35 years. Iris interns create provocative, engaging content for the Women’s Center’s student magazine. Working with an artist and student editor, Iris writers illuminate issues that matter at UVA and beyond.
Legal Clinic - Interns organize free semi-monthly clinics to connect members of the Charlottesville and UVA community with local attorneys who volunteer their time to provide information on common issues such as family law, wills, etc. In addition to organizing regular semi-monthly clinics, interns can work on other projects such as compiling referral resources or organizing special topic legal clinics during the course of the year.
Men's Leadership Project (MLP) - An innovative community-based leadership development and mentoring program designed to build and reinforce authentic and responsible leadership capacities of both undergraduate men and middle school boys. MLP accomplishes this mission by training and pairing a diverse group of undergraduate men with a select group of seventh-grade boys. Interns help organize and execute the logistics of the program. *Note: MLP interns are not direct mentors to middle school students.
Speaking in Hues Podcast is an immersive narrative podcast entering its fourth season. The podcast seeks to amplify the stories of women of color and other minoritized persons who are trying to survive and thrive within the University of Virginia, the city of Charlottesville, and beyond. The production also seeks to address issues of equity, inclusion, diversity and justice. Podcast interns will work with the Assistant Director of Engaged Scholarship and devote approximately 6-10 hours a week (some weeks much less) researching episode topics, producing and editing the podcast, contacting potential guests, and editing audio. Applicants with audio editing and production experience are encouraged to apply.
Social Media Marketing Team - Interns on this team maintain, grow and analyze the effectiveness of the Women’s Center’s social media presence. They curate relevant content from around Grounds, the Charlottesville area, and the Web, as well as implement social media campaigns for Women’s Center events and initiatives. Summer extensions of this academic year internship are possible. Interns who bring personal connections that can help the Women’s Center reach the full breadth of schools/groups at UVA are encouraged to apply.
Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP) - An innovative mentoring program founded by the Women’s Center and the Virginia School of Education and Human Development in 1997. YWLP is designed to support and enhance the sense of competence, connection and autonomy of a diverse group of college women and middle school girls by promoting participants' innate leadership abilities. A YWLP intern will work closely with the Program Coordinator on tasks that include but are not limited to recruitment, mentor support, and event planning. Applicants selected for the internship position will need to be highly organized and solution-oriented. Students who have previously served as Big Sisters in YWLP will be given priority for internship spots. *Note: YWLP interns are not direct mentors to middle school girls. If you would like to apply to be a mentor, please fill out our Big Sister Application available at ywlp.virginia.edu.
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Diversity Statement
A diverse University of Virginia community provides every member respect and a safe place for understanding our differences as well as our similarities. Fostering the safety, dignity, and respect of women and girls is central to the mission of the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center. We believe that an environment that welcomes and supports people of different backgrounds, beliefs, ages, identities, ethnicities, and worldviews best accomplishes these goals. At the Women’s Center, we actively engage in discussions about social change and bias, challenging our assumptions and exchanging ideas. We invite others to join us in these discussions at our events, in our classes, and by social media. We encourage students from a variety of backgrounds and identities to apply to the internship program.
Advocacy and Self-care
The work required in the Women's Center internship program can be demanding emotionally and sometimes triggering. Internship supervisors provide reminders about managing stress in a work environment, including discussion of beneficial self-care strategies and appropriate ways to integrate them with their work setting. Interns are highly encouraged to, and supported in, developing proactive strategies for identifying, addressing, and managing such stress.