Description

Title: Intern, Leadership Development

Location: Hybrid (Washington, D.C.) (2 days a week in the office)

Term: August 2025 – June 2026 (Full Year)

Time Commitment: 10–20 hours per week

• Mix of flexible/asynchronous hours and scheduled hours
• Hours include one night per week roughly 7:00–8:30 PM EST + availability during regular business hours

FLSA Staus: Non-exempt

Hourly Rate: $18/hour

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With nearly four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and one million coaches and volunteers in more than 170 countries, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 50,000 games and competitions every year. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org. 

Position Summary:

The Inclusive Youth Leadership Intern will support the planning, facilitation, and execution of a dynamic youth leadership cohort program serving youth ages 14-25 with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). This internship is ideal for someone who is organized, proactive, creative, and passionate about creating a more inclusive world by uplifting youth- led change.

Key responsibilities:

Cohort Program Facilitation & Content Development

• Support preparation of engaging, accessible activities, resources, and other innovative learning materials for cohort sessions to supplement developed content, using branded templates and Easy Read best practices
• Revise and adapt existing content for different learning styles and incorporating feedback from youth leaders
• Strategically encourage the building of a community of practice through a variety of cohort engagement methods
• Facilitate live virtual sessions (includes facilitating video call logistics, breakout rooms, screen sharing, co-facilitation as needed) once per week during which you will use existing lessons to develop leadership skills in youth and prepare them to lead impact projects in their communities.
• Provide feedback as requested during development and review of materials such as syllabus, resources, and lesson plans.

Administrative & Operational Support

• Maintain and update cohort calendar; assist in scheduling meetings and sessions
• Take detailed notes during meetings and support session evaluation
• Track attendance, follow up on absences, and help reduce barriers to participation
• Communicate with youth participants, families, mentors, and school contacts to maintain consistent flow of information
• Organize and manage resources, participant data, internal/external file folders, and SharePoint dashboards
• Collaborate with other departments to gather and manage data and program documentation (e.g., headshots, waivers, award letters)

Marketing & External Engagement

• Manage the youth leader alumni LinkedIn group and other communication tools
• Support collaboration with the Marketing & Communications team
• Assist with social media content creation and visibility efforts

Additional Possible Tasks:

• Support management and close-out of non-cohort youth leadership grants
• Contribute to participant application review and cohort selection
• Co-facilitate live sessions or present content
• Contribute to the design of the next iteration of the youth leadership program

Required Skills:

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Independent, intermediate-to-advanced tech literacy (especially PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Teams)
• Reliable calendar and email management
• Excellent written communication
• Proactive, responsive communicator
• Flexible, team-oriented attitude
• Passion for equity, inclusion, and youth development

Preferred Experience:

• Experience working with youth with and without intellectual disabilities (ID)
• Familiarity with Special Olympics or Unified Champion Schools
• Experience with public speaking
• Previous work with youth leadership development, educational settings such as teaching or tutoring, and experiential learning programs in particular

Special Olympics provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 

**Special Olympics is an E-Verify Employer**