Operations Intern (Fall 2026)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

SCOPE OF WORK: The IRC Newcomer Youth Summer Academy is a five-week intensive learning experience for newcomer youth, specifically designed to address identified learning gaps in English, social-emotional learning and school readiness. Up to 100 students ages 12 – 21 will participate in academic, creative arts, physical education, and social emotional learning classes.

Interns will work closely with the youth department to support all aspects of planning and implementing the 2026 IRC Newcomer Youth Summer Academy including student recruitment, volunteer recruitment and training, curriculum development, teaching, monitoring and evaluation, public relations, and community partnership development. The Newcomer Youth Summer Academy will be held offsite in Prince George’s County.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct home visits to enroll newly arriving and/or newly referred families.
• Solicit local companies and organizations for donations of services and/or goods.
• Develop and implement teaching content and curricula based on academic standards.
• Interact daily with students, building positive relationships and encouraging academic success.
• Assist with program logistics, including: setting up program space, contacting participants, maintaining attendance records, and administering pre- and post- program evaluation surveys.
• Provide feedback to the youth team on ease and effectiveness of existing curriculum, and work with the youth team to revise and/or expand curriculum as needed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Interns will learn about the challenges and barriers newcomer students encounter while integrating into U.S. schools. Interns will gain curriculum development skills including: defining learning objectives, identifying and developing effective classroom teaching methods for global multilingual students, and implementing assessment tools. Interns will gain experience working and teaching in a global environments

REQUIREMENTS:

• Access to a personal vehicle is required.
• Available to work (at least) 30 hours per week from June 9 to approximately August 22.
• Experience working in education and/or youth development such as facilitating summer camps/activities, teaching, tutoring, etc.
• Experience working with refugee and immigrant youth desired
• Ability to take initiative, think creatively, and problem-solve effectively
• Ability to work in a fast pace environment

TO APPLY
Click Apply Now at the top of this page. Please attach a resume, cover letter, and a list of (at least) three references to your application. The deadline to apply is August 21st, 2026.

This position is for the Fall semester and requires a minimum commitment of 24 hours per week. Ability to work in-person at the Silver Spring office and at a minimum of 15 hours per week is required.

Fall 2026 interns are expected to begin their internship term by attending an in-person intern orientation on September 7th, 2026 from 9:15AM-3:30PM.
We currently offer internships during the following semesters:

Spring: January – May
Summer: June – August
Fall: September – December

Internships are typically posted 2-3 months prior to the anticipated start date.

Note: Internships with the IRC in Silver Spring are unpaid. Fall 2026 interns may be eligible for per diem reimbursement at the rate of $15/day to offset the costs of food and travel. For information on scholarship opportunities, contact your university or the IRC Silver Spring Community Engagement Coordinator Michalina Kulesza at michalina.kulesza@rescue.org.

*Candidates applying not enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and outside of 12 months from graduation are welcome to apply. These candidates will be processed as volunteers.

To protect our clients, the IRC requires all selected applicants to complete background checks. We ask that you make a $30 donation to help us cover the associated costs. Currently, 87% of our funding goes directly to programming to support our clients, and your help to cover this cost will ensure that no funding is directed away from serving our clients. Instructions will be provided after you have been selected to intern or volunteer.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Cookies: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/cookiesettings

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.