Community Outreach Specialist Internships
Community outreach specialist internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience in community engagement and program coordination, mentorship from working outreach professionals, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings cover {{top_industries_phrase}}, with AARP, Lyte Fiber, and BERKS COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT among the employers posting roles now.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH & EVENTS INTERN
DEPARTMENT/SITE
RISE Foundation
INTERNSHIP TERM
Fall 2026
POSITION TYPE
Grant-Funded, Temporary, Part-Time Internship
WORK MODALITY
In Person
COMPENSATION
$20.00 per hour; W-2 employment
SCHEDULE
To be established in accordance with OSHE requirements and departmental needs
LOCATION
400 U.S. Highway 1, Jersey City, NJ 07306
SUPERVISION
DEFINITION
Under the supervision of the Chief of Staff/HR Director and designated staff, the Community Outreach & Events Intern assists with RISE foundation events, workshops, and outreach activities across JCHA sites. The internship provides hands-on experience in community engagement and helps connects with programs, services, and resources.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The following describes the general duties of the position and is not a complete list of all responsibilities.
- Assists with planning and coordinating events, workshops, and outreach activities across JCHA sites.
- Promotes events and programs through flyers, email, social media, webpages, and direct outreach.
- Assists with event preparation, setup, registration, attendance tracking, and follow-up.
- Collects feedback and participation information through surveys, sign-in sheets, and conversations.
- Maintains outreach calendars, contact lists, event records, partner information, and related documents.
- Participates in staff and partner meetings related to RISE foundation services.
- Communicates professionally with JCHA staff, residents, and community partners.
- Assists with spreadsheets, data entry, document organization, and basic event tracking.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
INTERNSHIP LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Gain experience in community engagement.
- Develop skills in event planning, outreach, resident engagement, attendance tracking, and follow-up.
- Build communication, organization, teamwork, and community-service skills.
- Participate in meetings and receive guidance, feedback, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Eligibility:
- Must meet the eligibility requirements established by the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) for the Fall 2026 Career Accelerator Internship Grant Program.
- Eligible candidates may include current undergraduate students, current graduate students, and qualifying recent college graduates, subject to OSHE verification requirements.
- Students from a variety of majors are encouraged to apply, including business, public administration, communications, technology, education, health, social sciences, arts, and related fields.
Knowledge and Abilities:
- Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with residents, staff, and community partners.
- Ability to stay organized, manage priorities, and meet deadlines.
- Good interpersonal, customer-service, and teamwork skills.
- Ability to accurately collect and organize attendance, feedback, contacts, and program records.
- Ability to work in an office and at programs, events, and outreach activities across JCHA sites.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and use good judgment.
Technical Skills:
- Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, or willingness to learn.
- Comfort using email, social media, webpages, online forms, and basic flyer-design tools.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The intern will regularly use computers and office equipment, communicate by email and phone, sit or stand for periods of time, move around during outreach activities, and travel within JCHA sites. The intern may occasionally carry light event materials or supplies. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
JCHA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and interns without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and New Jersey civil rights law, it is the policy of the Jersey City Housing Authority to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant, employee, or intern with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship.
GRANT-FUNDED FALL 2026 INTE
Community Outreach Specialist Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Community Outreach Specialist Internship Search
Apply earlier than the role feels urgent
Large employers, including major nonprofits, government agencies, and healthcare systems, recruit summer interns the preceding fall. Smaller organizations and co-op programs post closer to their start dates. Check for openings in August and September for summer positions rather than waiting until the new year.
Build a portfolio before you apply
Hiring teams for community outreach specialist interns expect limited work history, so give them something concrete to assess. Documented community needs assessments, volunteer program plans, event coordination write-ups, or published social media campaigns show outreach instincts better than a blank experience section ever could.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to organizations running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity widens the pool you reach and doubles your chances of landing an interview.
Practice the community outreach intern interview format out loud
Community outreach specialist intern screens often involve situational or behavioral questions, brief writing or communication exercises, and scenario-based problem solving around stakeholder engagement or program design. Practice answering out loud and explaining your reasoning, because interviewers weigh how you approach a community challenge as much as the final answer you land on.
Target structured cohort programs at larger organizations
Many government agencies, large nonprofits, and healthcare systems run formal cohort or rotational internship programs designed to train people new to community outreach work. These programs offer structured mentorship and project exposure but recruit early and fill fast, so identify the ones that fit your interests and apply in the first wave.
Set your work-type filter before you start searching
On-site roles are 40% of the community outreach specialist internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to before you start sorting through openings, then filter by location and work type on Migrate Mate so you are reviewing only roles you can actually take.
Community Outreach Specialist Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a community outreach specialist internship?
Lead with coursework and projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. The concrete artifact that gives recruiters something to assess is a portfolio of outreach campaigns, event coordination write-ups, or community needs assessments you have completed. Pair direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a community outreach specialist internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For community outreach specialist interns, what drives it most is visible performance on real projects, available headcount on the team, and return-offer timing aligned with your graduation date. Treat the internship as an audition, contribute meaningfully, and stay connected with your manager without counting on a specific outcome.
When should I apply for community outreach specialist internships?
Earlier than most candidates expect. Large employers, including nonprofits, government agencies, and healthcare systems, often recruit summer interns the preceding fall. Smaller organizations and co-op programs post closer to their start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking regularly and applying as soon as a role fits your background gives you the strongest position.
Are community outreach specialist internships paid?
Most professional community outreach specialist internships in the U.S. are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location. Some nonprofit or government placements are unpaid or stipend-based, so read each listing carefully. Where the employer discloses pay, the listing will show it, letting you compare across opportunities before you apply.
What should a community outreach specialist internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three documented projects that show community engagement skills, naming the tools you used, such as survey platforms, social media scheduling tools, or volunteer management software, and link to any published reports, event recaps, or case studies where the work is visible. Add relevant coursework and keep the resume to one page.
Are there remote community outreach specialist internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 60% of the community outreach specialist internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they attract applicants from across the country, so apply early and filter by work type to see those openings before they close.
Can international students get community outreach specialist internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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