MPA Internships and Fellowship Program

MPA Internship and Fellowship Program

 

MPA’s internship and fellowship programs are designed to develop the skills and leadership of students and other community members who seek an intensive training. The program is open to seniors in high school, all college students, recent graduates and people interested in social justice careers. We offer paid opportunities through our fellowship program as well as unpaid for credit internships with coordination at your school. Priority for paid fellowships is given to individuals directly impacted by the issues we work on (low income, immigrant, woman, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, etc.).

 

About the programs: 

The internship and fellowship programs begin with participants attending a mandatory orientation and onboarding. During the training, participants learn about building power, the campaigns MPA is currently engaged in, the skill of holding one-on-one meetings, recruiting leaders, and more. Following the training, Participants will be assigned an MPA staff person as their supervisor, who will work to help them develop individual work plans and goals for their time in the program. Participants will receive day-to-day supervision, ongoing training, and mentoring from an assigned staff member. They will also be expected to fill out weekly reports and meet regularly for reflection.

We offer:

Internships: Interning with MPA is an unpaid volunteer position. Students are expected to spend anywhere from 5-20 hours a week in this position. People can intern for school credit or for the experience depending on what their school requires or allows. Some applicants may be able to get funding for an internship through their school but students are responsible for coordinating such an arrangement with their respective schools.

Fellowships: Fellowships with MPA are a paid, hourly position. These positions range from 10-20 hours a week for no more than 6 months in a 12 month period. This program is competitive, as we have limited funds available.

Ideal candidates should meet the following criteria:

  • Must have a passion for social justice and be able to demonstrate how you’ve participated in social justice activities and want to learn solid skills in the field of organizing.
  • Knowledge of current events and comfortable with social media
  • Highly organized, with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments
  • Fearlessness – not afraid to be a bold and outside-the-box thinker
  • Honesty and integrity in fulfilling your commitments
  • Ready to work hard and take on new challenges and responsibilities
  • Fluency in Spanish, Somali, Arabic, and French or other languages relevant to recent immigrants is a plus.
  • Ability to commit 5-20 hours per week, depending on position

MPA strongly encourages women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community to apply.

Important Dates:

 

Application Deadline

Length of program (can vary with school programs)

Fall Semester

July 30th

September - December

Spring Semester

November 30th

January - May

Summer Semester

March 30th

May - August

 

Applications will be reviewed and responded to after the above deadline has passed. That being said, if you are working with a school that is on a different timeline than what we have above (ex: BSW/MSW internships, other school internships), please reach out to the contact in charge of the program you’re applying to and explain your situation.

 

Please note, even if you have missed the application deadline, we encourage you to still apply, as we may still have positions available.

See below for the programs we offer, and how to apply:

Organizing program:

All organizing interns/fellows will work in targeted regions to recruit, train, and develop the leadership of community members and engage them in current campaigns. Organizing interns/fellows will work closely with a local organizer. The spring organizing program coincides with the Maine legislative session and will involve organizing grassroots activists to engage in state and federal policy work. Fall organizing interns/fellows will get hands-on experience during election season. Activities will include: door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, meetings, trainings, writing, planning, lobbying, and more. To apply for an internship or fellowship with the organizing program, please complete this google form. If you have questions about the organizing program, please email Senior Organizer Esther Pew at esther@mainepeoplesalliance.org.