Immediate Growth
It was clear from the moment we opened Year 2 recruiting that our internship program would grow: We received more than 540 applications—more than double the 250 submitted last year.
Our unique approach to internship hiring and compensation, which focuses on equity and inclusivity, along with our decision to once again make the program fully remote, enabled us to hire a racially and geographically diverse group of young workers and learners. This year’s 26 interns will work for JFF from 21 cities across the country, and 88 percent of them identify as people of color.
Our key stakeholders in last year’s pilot internship program—interns, managers, mentors, and an engaged and supportive JFF community—provided us with a tremendous amount of positive feedback as well as suggestions of ways to strengthen and expand the program. We are implementing those suggestions, and we feel confident that the improvements we’re putting into place for this year’s internship program bring us much closer to our goal of positioning JFF as a leader among peer organizations offering work-based learning experiences for young people.
“As the program drew to a close last year, it was really great to see interns show appreciation for what they felt was a very thoughtful and meaningful approach to both the project work and professional development opportunities with which they were able engage,” says Emmanuel Manu, senior manager in JFF’s People & Culture unit.
