2025 Spring State/Local Advocacy Internship

United We Dream (UWD) is the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country. We create welcoming spaces for young people – regardless of immigration status – to make their voices heard and win victories so that all people can live free and thrive. We recruit, support, engage and empower young people and are creating a new generation of social justice leaders to change our world. 

Our powerful network is made up of 1.2 million members, over 100 local groups across 28 states, and we reach over 5 million people online every month. We celebrate our diversity and believe in multi-ethnic, multi-racial, inter-generational intersectional solutions. Over 60% of our members are womxn and 20% identify as LGBTQ.

Whether we’re organizing in the streets, building innovative technology systems, opening doors for LGBTQ immigrant youth, clearing pathways to education, stopping deportations, or creating alliances across social movements, United We Dream puts undocumented immigrant youth in the driver’s seat. United We Dream is a fast-paced, dynamic organization which has become a leading voice in social change and has appeared in every major news outlet in the country.

We are driven by the priorities and needs of our members; have trained thousands of individuals; and have supported countless local organizing groups. Today, United We Dream is arguably the most influential immigrant rights organization in the nation and a leading driver of progressive politics and strategy. Our brand is known around the world and we are proud to be driven by the hopes, dreams, decisions, and brilliance of directly impacted young people. 

Learn more about United We Dream by visiting www.unitedwedream.org

POSITION SUMMARY

United We Dream (UWD) is looking for passionate and self-motivated State/Local Advocacy Intern to join our internship program. In collaboration with the Texas Advocacy Manager, you will research, develop, and support the implementation of advocacy campaigns in Texas and beyond to advance our immigrant justice goals. These campaigns will center on advocating for greater state/local protections for immigrants from deportation and detention agencies, like ICE, CBP and police. You will also advocate for state/local policies to expand immigrant access to social services, protect and assist immigrants in detention, and end family separation caused by deportation. 

The ideal candidate will be passionate about UWD’s mission and be highly motivated about working in a fast-growing organization. They must be committed to fighting for freedom and dignity for all communities of color, a skilled multi-tasker, reliable, and committed to meeting deadlines while working collaboratively across teams in a fast-paced environment. This is a remote, part-time position. Although not required, a major plus if you are multilingual. 

CURRICULUM

The internship will provide both a professional and educational opportunity for interns. Interns will be invited to participate in workshops and learning opportunities that will enable them to succeed in the program and beyond. Below you will find some of the key skills and concepts you will learn and put into practice during your time as an intern.

• Concepts
  • Advocacy as a critical tool for organizers
  • Immigrants Rights: A Racial & Social Justice Issue
  • People Power, Policy and Politics
  • Narrative and Public Leadership

• Critical Skills
  • Basics of Power-mapping
  • Key Skills to Developing Strategic Relationships
  • Understanding Internal/External Organizational Dynamics
  • Understanding Inside-Outside Strategy and Tactics
  • Intro to Communications, Facilitation and Digital Organizing
  • Basics of Project Management

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support implementation of local advocacy campaigns. Assist the Texas Advocacy Manager in researching, planning and executing advocacy and policy campaigns as directed by our membership in the Greater Houston area and beyond.
   
• Create public education materials. Conduct research to create policy explainers, draft short statements on policy, and draft other public education materials and resources. You may also contribute to project and action proposals, educational livestreams, and actionable toolkits.
   
• Support the development of strategic partnerships. Attend meetings with local partner organizations to build strategic partnerships and push organizational priorities. You may also be asked to help prepare for, attend and support in meetings with state and local electeds.
   
• Conduct research on team projects. You may be asked to support strategic team projects on a case-by-case basis. You may be asked to create and maintain simple databases on state legislation, local policies, or immigration-related news to help inform our advocacy priorities.
   
• Represent the states advocacy team. Join advocacy team meetings and build relationships with fellow team members, as well as represent the advocacy team in broader organizational meetings. 

Desired Qualifications and Skills

• Basic knowledge of and commitment to immigration work, past experience preferred
• Some experience or interest in creating educational content
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, Spanish a plus
• Ability to remain calm and professional while dealing with tight deadlines
• Smart, flexible, and likes working in a fast-paced environment
• Familiar with online work platforms including, but not limited to Zoom, Slack, and G-Suite

Cultural Competency

• Strong understanding of the immigrant experience
• Understanding of race, gender, sexuality and other aspects of identity, and their intersections, and how that plays out in the work
• Demonstrates self-awareness of their own multiple group identities and their attendant dynamics, and can adapt approach as needed
• Ability to build strong relationships and trust across race, gender, class, and other group identities, both internally and externally

COMPENSATION
Interns will receive a stipend of $20 per hour and will be expected to commit 15 hours/week for 12 weeks. A regular work schedule can be coordinated with the supervisor.

LOCATION
As UWD is a remote-first workplace, this is a full-time, remote position. We have a preference to hire in states where we already have employees working from home - AZ, DC, CT, CA, FL, IL, MO, NJ, NM, NY, OK, SC, and TX. 

TO APPLY
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please submit a resume, cover letter, and writing example through our career website https://unitedwedream.org/about/careers/. Please do not send duplicate materials and incomplete applications will not be considered. No phone calls, please.

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UWD is an equal opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. UWD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, citizenship status, religion, political orientation, genetic information, sexual orientation, age, or disability.