Internships & Leadership Opportunities
Internships are a great way to explore career options in various fields. There are internship programs available to students during and after high school. Most internships require applications and can be competitive, so make sure to reach out for support if needed!
If you are looking for an internship in a area not covered here, reach out to the CCC to see if there are any programs that haven't been added here yet!
The Junior Commissioner Project, started in 1993, is a mentorship project of the Commission on the Status of Women. This nationally recognized, ground-breaking project is designed to develop and mentor high school youth for future leadership roles in our community. Junior Commissioners are selected each spring for a term that runs concurrent with the following school year. Junior Commissioners may be eligible for school credit for their participation.
DEADLINE TYPICALLY SPRING
MORE INFO & APPLICATION HERE:
The Junior Human Rights Commission was founded in 2013. Our expectation is that the experience of working on the Junior Commission will both encourage participants to be involved in the day-to-day issues that affect their community and stretch the boundaries of their individual and collective exploration of the meaning and impact of human rights.
We believe that participation in the Junior Commission will:
Produce a comprehensive understanding of the true meaning of Human Rights
Bring a greater awareness of the day-to-day issues that affect their lives
Create opportunities to develop communication and facilitation skills
Empower participants to recognize and act in ways that make a positive impact on their schools, their families, their friends and their own self esteem
Result in the knowledge that one individual truly can make a difference
Sonoma County high school students ages 14 through 18 are selected each spring to serve as Junior Commissioners for the following school year. Selection is based on a written application and an interview process.
DEADLINE USUALLY MAY
MORE INFO HERE:
SWAP is a free one-week summer early career exploration program at Santa Rosa Junior College for high school students entering their sophomore or junior year in the 2024-2025 school year and who are interested in exploring careers in Health Sciences and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
Participants will engage in hands-on laboratory experiences and will meet featured guest speakers who will share insights about careers including nursing, pharmacy technician, nutrition & dietetics, dental, medical assisting, radiology technologist, pre-med, and jobs in the STEM fields such as engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, computer science, and mathematics.
SWAP 2024 DATES: MONDAY, JUNE 24 – THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024
STUDENT SELF-NOMINATION FORM 2024 DUE 3/15:
https://forms.gle/Kr6M5Q3GjPDdTo928
STUDENT APPLICATION:
https://hsi.santarosa.edu/avanzando-summer-academy
Future Faces of Family Medicine (FFFM) is a pathways program for high school students from minority, lower socioeconomic and first-generation college backgrounds. Our aim is to address healthcare disparities along racial and socioeconomic lines by mentoring underrepresented minority high school students and providing avenues to careers in medicine.
Each spring semester, after reviewing applications, FFFM leadership selects approximately 15-20 local high school students to participate in the program.
Students must be a minimum of 16 years old to participate in all aspects of our program. 14 & 15 year olds can do some parts of the program.
Students must provide their own transportation for all activities.
Applications for the 2024 FFFM are now available! Deadline is November 1, 2023
Program acceptance will be announced on November 11th.
LandPaths offers a limited number of youth internship positions for students between 16 and 25 years old. Successful candidates will work alongside the LandPaths stewardship crew in the field and learn multiple facets of land stewardship through direct hands-on experience. Management themes may include weed and forest management, trail building, biological monitoring, erosion control, and volunteer engagement.
MORE INFO HERE: https://www.landpaths.org/community-service-and-internships/
TeenNat interns gain valuable, real-world experience in conservation science. During field time, they are given instruction on the use of equipment, plant and animal identification, use of field guides, the nature of scientific inquiry, and wilderness safety
TYPICALLY DUE IN APRIL
MORE INFO HERE: https://www.pepperwoodpreserve.org/what-we-do/inspiring-connections-with-nature/teennat/
Latino Services Providers (LSP) is a community based non-profit network organization whose mission is to be a bridge across generations for the Latinx community focusing on health, culture, and social issues. We do this by developing young leaders; building awareness and connections to community services; and advocating for equity across race and ethnicity. The Youth Promotor Internship, a project funded by the CA Department of Public Health, American Red Cross, Kaiser Permanente, and Center for Disaster Philanthropy seeks to address the mental health, emergency preparedness, civic engagement, and environmental education inequities in the Latinx community of Sonoma County.
INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW:
Latino Service Providers Youth Promotor Model provides paid internships to bilingual and bicultural students (ages 16-25) in Sonoma County. The goal of the Youth Promotor Internship Program is to meaningfully engage the Latinx community on issues that impact health outcomes in Sonoma County, and inspire the future community health workforce. The required commitment is a minimum of ONE YEAR. This is a paid internship.
MORE INFO HERE: https://latinoserviceproviders.org/youth-promotores/#_internship
DEADLINE TYPICALLY JAN-FEB EACH YEAR
Interns are provided with work experience that expose them to administrative and supporting careers in health care environments. Interns will not participate in medical treatment or procedures for patients or members during this internship.
About The Experience
A six-week paid summer work experience, earning the city’s hourly minimum wage
Weekly workshops designed to give participants valuable personal and professional skills development
A unique relationship with supervisors and mentors to gain insight on how to prepare for a career in health care
Networking opportunities with peers and senior leaders through work-based activities, community service projects, or social events
MORE INFO HERE: https://kplaunch.kaiserpermanente.org/high-school-program/
THE APPLICATION PERIOD IS TYPICALLY NOV-JANUARY
The Grapevine Youth Leadership Program is designed to support Black youth in Sonoma County in developing their leadership skills and help them reach their goals and aspirations for the future. It also gives them a safe space to discuss the challenges and issues they may face as youth of color in our society and get support from peers and African American professionals, leaders and mentors.
Two cohorts for ages of students, ages 10-13 and 14-18. The program takes place over the course of 3 months with a minimum of 6 group sessions. Each session will consist of a combination of guest speakers, discussions, and hands-on activities designed to explore leadership skills, explore different career options, and also develop confidence and self-care skills.
DEADLINE IN JANUARY
MORE INFO HERE: https://pbcd4us.com/youth-leadership/
OPEN TO SONOMA COUNTY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
¡DALE! is a youth-led program that includes: training, practice, and mentorship components.
Are you looking for a youth program that can support your advocacy, leadership, civic engagement, and personal or professional development?
Have you wanted to forge connections with other students and local leaders who share your commitment to advocacy, organizing, leadership, and civic engagement?
Would you like to have a sounding board to discuss and address challenges and opportunities related to educational justice in your high school?
The mission of the ¡DALE! program is to prepare, support, and create conditions of empowerment for high school students who seek to address educational justice in their school. To that end, we seek to convene organizers and leaders to support high school students to understand and address equity and educational justice issues in their school community.
DEADLINE IN EARLY FALL
You can apply as an individual or as a team (4 to 5 students).
MORE INFO HERE:
Our program is fueled by the leadership of youth & young adults that live in the communities we serve! Each semester we recruit interested and motivated youth to join our youth leadership teams (YLTs), which run in 6 month cycles with home-bases in Napa, Santa Rosa, Calistoga or Sonoma.
The YLT is a team of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) youth that create events and advocate for change in partnership with LGBTQ Connection. YLT gives youth the opportunity to learn how to be a part of a team and be community leaders. If you know a youth that would benefit from being on this team, nominate them. If you're a youth, apply yourself!
DEADLINES IN JAN/FEB & JULY/AUG
MORE INFO HERE: https://www.lgbtqconnection.org/en/youth-leadership-team
Community Voice Digital Marketing Internship
This is an entry-level digital marketing coordinator internship opening. This position will help the Marketing and Sales Executive optimize our organization's digital marketing programs. As an entry-level position, training will be provided. Ideal candidates for this role should be creative, multimedia savvy, well-organized, and communicative.
6-8 hours a week
Remote position
Counselor/Teacher recommendation required
OPEN TO ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR...
Active on social media
Highly organized
Strong computer literacy
Strong attention to detail
Hardworking & eager to learn
Communicative & collaborative
Comfortable working independently, as well as part of a team
Be punctual, reliable, and professional
See more about the Community Voice here: https://www.thecommunityvoice.com/site/about.html
DEADLINE: ROLLING
EMAIL MS. HAZLEWOOD FOR APPLICATION: Jess_Hazlewood@crpusd.org
Conservation Science Intensive
A 5-day residential immersive program that gives teens the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in science, explore different pathways into the field of conservation, and build relationships with mentors across multiple professions.
CSI is based at the beautiful Martin Griffin Preserve on Bolinas Lagoon in Stinson Beach California. The program includes day trips to Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Cypress Grove Research Center and various locations in and around Point Reyes National Seashore. During the week participants explore topics including: natural history, conservation, research, stewardship, and leadership skills.
Who should apply?
Conservation Science Intensive centers the feminine, which includes those who are socialized as, or identify with, the terms girl/young woman, as well as those who transcend our inherited gender binaries. We are committed to creating safe, inclusive, and accessible spaces for all participants.
INFO SESSION IN JANUARY
PROGRAM IN JULY
MORE INFO HERE: https://www.egret.org/for-teens-csi/
Native Youth Internship Program
Introduces HS students to career opportunities in the field of transportation via internships with MTC’s transportation partners (such as traffic engineers at city & county public works departments or planners at transit agencies)
● Must be 16 years of age by mid-June, have completed 10th grade, & live in the county in which project is located
TYPICALLY DUE IN SPRING
MORE INFO HERE: https://mtc.ca.gov/about-mtc/careers/high-school-internship-program