Teach English to Refugees in San Jose

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ABOUT THE IRC:

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a leading non-sectarian non-profit organization providing emergency relief, protection, rehabilitation assistance, resettlement services, and advocacy for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities to restore safety, dignity and hope, the IRC leads the way from harm to home. Domestically, our 26 offices across the U.S. work with refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency, and ensure new arrivals have food, shelter and clothing.

IRC SAN JOSE:

As one of the IRC’s 26 domestic offices, the San Jose office serves refugees, asylees, special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan, and victims of human trafficking in Santa Clara County. Since opening in 1975, the San Jose office has resettled over 20,000 refugees, who in turn have helped to build a stronger community. A committed staff of professionals and volunteers provide essential case management and immigration services to immigrant families, providing them with the resources and tools to rebuild their lives with safety and dignity.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Interns work closely with the employment team and VESL instructor to provide basic ESL classes to newly arrived refugees, asylees, and victims of trafficking. The English taught is primarily focused on creating a vocational vocabulary for IRC clients to secure their first job. Interns will help create, develop, implement, and teach curriculum to IRC clients.

This position reports to the VESL Instructor.

COMMITMENT

Minimum 10 hours per week for 4 months, with a courtesy notice of at least 2 weeks prior to leaving the organization. Hours can be completed during normal business hours of Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

This internship is unpaid.

ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS:

• Develop lesson plans for one ESL class per week. Classes are 1-2 hours in length and students are at the beginner to intermediate levels
• Practice English Language Skills with students, including grammar, conversation, reading, and writing
• Lead ESL classes and record attendance as required by the IRC
• Complete administrative tasks, including file creation and maintenance
• Other duties as requested by the VESL Instructor or Employment Services staff

REQUIREMENTS:

• Reliable with a strong attention to timeliness, detail, and organization
• Excellent communication skills (both interpersonal and with supervisors)
• Have a strong sense of personal initiative and can work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Prior experience in a multicultural setting highly desirable
• Proficiency in Arabic, Farsi, Spanish or Tigrinya preferred

REWARDS:

• Gain familiarity in cross-cultural training techniques, skills development, and many other useful resources for career development
• Learn about various challenges faced by new arrivals in the U.S.

APPLY:

• Complete an online application here : http://bit.ly/IRCVolunteerApplicationSJ
  • Applications must include a resume and cover letter in a single PDF file. Please tailor your cover letter to include the following:
    • Up to three positions of interest ranked in order of preference
    • Time availability, i.e. specific days and times each week, your anticipated start and end dates for interning, and your immediate interview availability, if different from internship availability
    • Any requirements for filing your internship for school credit, e.g. total number of hours to be completed or filing deadline
    • Once your application is received, qualified candidates will be invited to schedule a phone screening

For more information on the application process and timeline, visit our internship page at https://www.rescue.org/announcement/fall-internships-san-jose-2018