Fall internships run from approximately the second week of September to the second week of January. We review applications for these internships on a rolling basis each August and early September.

Spring internships run from approximately the third week of January to the first week of May. We review applications for these internships on a rolling basis each December and January.

826DC provides interns with hands-on, real-world experience in an arts education nonprofit within an urban school district. Depending on their chosen internship tract, interns will gain skills in classroom and behavior management, program development, lesson planning, volunteer coordination, web and social media communication in a professional setting, graphic design skills, fundraising and grantwriting, editing and proofreading, and nonprofit marketing and communications.

Interns will also have the opportunity to interact with diverse community members and leaders while learning best practices for developing, integrating, and supporting creative and expository writing within various educational settings.

Additionally, 826DC interns will acquire job skills in a professional and dynamic setting, including professional etiquette when interacting with various constituencies; soft skills such as public speaking, youth development, and managing up; as well as hard skills such as Salesforce, Mailchimp, editing and proofreading, and social media for a small business.

At the start of each internship, interns are required to provide a goal sheet to their supervisor. 826DC staff provide regular and routine feedback to interns about their progress towards these goals.

We seek to build a community that connects interns to 826DC staff, their fellow interns, volunteers, and students, which allows for natural network-building.

All interns receive a mid-term evaluation and end of semester assessment.

Interns are encouraged to take leadership on projects and tasks, have ownership over their actions, and connect to our mission through a robust training program that includes student support, working in nonprofits, and sensitivity training around diversity and inclusion.

The typical day for a Programming or Publishing Intern might include supporting students in our on-site or off-site programming, collaborating on a lesson plan with staff or another intern, supporting our publishing projects, attending a book release in a school, supporting program evaluation, responding to volunteer inquiries, following up with teachers, or proofreading student work.

The typical day for a Communications and Development Intern might include promoting an 826DC fundraiser, taking pictures at a writing program, thanking donors, drafting social media, writing a blog post, speaking with local businesses or journalists, or crafting compelling stories about our mission and work for different constituencies.

The typical day for a Graphic Design Intern might include designing a chapbook cover, creating flyers or posters, designing displays for 826DC’s storefront, illustrating a field trip book, and more.

Former interns have gone on to be teachers, graduate students in education, freelance graphic designers, editors, nonprofit leaders, and 826DC staff members.

826DC interns each receive small stipends, based on the number of hours they work with us each week, at the end of their internships!

• Up to 8 hours per week: $400
• Between 9 and 19 hours per week: $600
• Between 20 and 30 hours per week: $800

Currently, 826DC does not provide a transportation stipend for staff or interns.