ChildFund Alliance is seeking an intern to help support the overall Communications needs of the Alliance.
ChildFund Alliance is a global network of 12 child-focused development organizations working in 70 countries. We help more than 23 million children and their families overcome poverty and the underlying conditions that prevent children from achieving their full potential. Members work to end violence against children; provide expertise in emergencies and disasters to ease the harmful impact on children and their communities; and engage children and youth to create lasting change. Our commitment, resources, innovation, knowledge and expertise serve as a powerful force to elevate the voices of children and transform their lives.
Internship Opportunity
The Volunteer Communications Intern will have the opportunity to further their educational and career interests in the non-profit sector through hands-on training and experience. The Intern will assist ChildFund Alliance’s Strategic Communications Advisor as the Alliance embarks on the launch of our new four-year Strategic Plan FY22-25: Working Together to Address Emerging Threats against Children (Annex 1). Our first strategic campaign will focus on Online Safety. As such, the Intern will learn about communication strategies that are designed to advance ChildFund’s work to reduce the threat of online child sexual exploitation and help children become effective digital citizens. He/she will report directly to the Strategic Communications Advisor, who will provide supervision and guidance.
Likely projects include but are not limited to:
- Contributing ideas for developing and honing elements for the launch of the organization’s FY22 Online Safety Campaign
- Assisting with the organization’s social media accounts and posting approved content
- Monitoring various social media platforms on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram and sharing what relevant stakeholders and partners are promoting
- Analyzing analytics to gauge the success of ChildFund Alliance’s social media activity
- Assisting with writing and creating outreach related materials (e.g., ChildFund Alliance newsletter, promotional flyers, and event invitations)
- Collaborating with the team on external content (e.g., videos and web-related materials)
To be considered for the Volunteer Communications Intern position, the candidate must be pursuing a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in a relevant program. The candidate must also be proficient in English. The ideal candidate will have good writing skills, attention to detail, and a basic understanding of social media platforms. An interest in humanitarian causes and children’s rights will be considered a plus.
The volunteer internship will run from January 2022 through May 2022. It is generally expected that the Volunteer Communications Intern will provide volunteer services 2 to 3 days per week in ChildFund’s New York office. Specific days and hours are flexible and will be established based on the Intern’s school and work schedule.
The Communications Intern is an unpaid volunteer position, though ChildFund Alliance will provide a modest stipend to help the Intern defray their costs. The Volunteer Communications Intern will not be entitled to employment with ChildFund Alliance at the conclusion of the internship.
Acceptance into the internship program will require: receipt of two satisfactory references; a writing sample; proof of eligibility to work in the United States; and certain background checks in conformity with ChildFund Alliance’s child safeguarding policy.
The internship is open immediately. Please send Cover Letter and CV to admin@childfundalliance.org.
Annex 1
ChildFund Alliance Strategic Plan FY22 –FY25
Priority 1: Addressing Emerging Threats to Children’s Safety
ChildFund is committed to ending violence against children and reducing emerging threats to their online safety. The number of children participating in the online environment is increasing rapidly — more than 175,000 children go online for the first time each day across the globe, with the majority gaining access through mobile phones. Children leverage digital technology to socialize, communicate, learn, and play, all of which are essential to their well-being and development. Yet, studies conducted in diverse geographies have all indicated that a mix of increased access, lack of safeguards, and low awareness of risks amongst children and their caregivers makes children particularly vulnerable to online threats.
The risks to children online are diverse — from discrimination and hate speech, to cyberbullying, and privacy invasions. Perhaps none is more alarming than the radical increase in online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) in recent years. While available data on the prevalence of online CSEA has gaps, particularly in the Global South, it is clear that the danger to children is global. Consider that in Cameroon, The Gambia, Kenya, Togo and Uganda, more than fifty-percent of children report having seen someone their age in child sexual abuse material online.
Experts globally indicate child sexual abuse material has skyrocketed during the pandemic, with children even more vulnerable to such threats due to increased social isolation and unstructured time online. Currently, legislation to address the issue of child exploitation and abuse exists, but it is often fragmented or does not cover the online incidence of this troubling phenomenon. Further, enforcement of existing laws is uneven at best.
We seek to address the gaps in international and regional legislation and policymaking to increase children’s online safety, by building on recent advances such as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) updated Guidelines on Child Online Protection COP. Where laws do exist, we will seek to address weaknesses in implementation and enforcement.
We also recognize that empowering children’s participation in society cannot be achieved without empowering children and young people to become active digital citizens. Ensuring affordable and reliable access for all children and young people and equipping them with a full portfolio of skills and knowledge to help them avoid online risks, maximize online opportunities, and exercise their rights in the online world, are essential to active citizenship (both on and offline). ChildFund aims to support children as effective digital citizens, equipped to participate in online civic engagement safely, ethically, and responsibly as part of their heathy development.