Refugee Barrier Reduction 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:  IRC programming assists refugees to become economically self-sufficient and supports acclimatization within the United States by providing access to casework services. This role will support the IRC’s economic empowerment program in effectively reducing the barriers of humanitarian migrants to achieve self-sufficiency in the United States.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide clients with support in the completion and submission of various applications to assist the reduction of barriers to employment in the United States (childcare voucher applications, LifeLine phone applications, etc.).

• Conduct training on the topics of public transportation, childcare options, digital literacy, job readiness, and understanding public benefits to reduce barriers to employment.

• Participate in supporting clients in Job Application Hours to understand the process of applying for jobs in the United States and submit needed employment applications to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

• Coordinate with economic empowerment service teams to support clients over the course of their service provision at the IRC in issues of barrier reduction.

• Engage respectfully with all clients regardless of background.

• Facilitate and conduct client outings (contingent upon office status) to financial institutions, libraries and various other venues to support client engagement with needed resources.

• Other duties as identified by Family Employment Services (FES) Program Coordinator.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Intern will gain insights into IRC casework and workforce programs and the process of refugee and asylee integration within the United States.

• Intern will learn to communicate effectively with clients across cultures and with interpreters.

• Intern will learn individual coaching techniques to engage and empower adults.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Self-motivated and able to work independently

• Excellent communication and writing skills, including cross-cultural communication skills

• Works well in a fast-paced environment and adapts quickly to change

• Strong interest in refugee and asylee issues.

• Language skills in Spanish, Amharic, Dari, Pashto, Haitian-Creole, French, Kinyarwanda or Swahili are a plus

• Three-month minimum. Required 24 hours/week.  Preferred full-time.

• Preference to current students and recent graduates*

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.

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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.