2022 Summer Internship: Seattle Office for Civil Rights
The Career and Community Engagement Center is pleased to announce an extraordinary professional opportunity for Whitman students who have either participated in the Whitman Teaches The Movement initiative or who have significant academic work related to civil rights. If your involvement in last year's academic theme, Race, Violence, and Health, piqued interest this internship is a great opportunity to continue the momentum. This will allow the selected student(s) to be a part of current civil rights efforts in the U.S.
The Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education (OCR) Seattle office offers a Whitman student, currently in their sophomore or junior year, the opportunity to participate in the Department’s student volunteer service program during the summer of 2022. The internship is open to domestic students who are eligible to work in the U.S.
This special internship will last for the majority of the summer (ca. 10 weeks), and requires the intern to work with the OCR office ca. 30 hours per week. If selected to intern at the OCR, the student will need to complete a separate 2022 Summer Whitman Internship Grant application (please reach out to CCEC staff if you have any questions about this process). Whitman will be able to award an educational award up to $4500 to the student selected for this program.
The mission of OCR is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. OCR Seattle has jurisdiction over the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.
Any Whitman College student interested in applying for OCR’s student volunteer service program should refer to the website at www.ed.gov/ocr to obtain more information about the mission and work of OCR nationally.
STUDENT VOLUNTEER Activities
The Whitman College student who participates in the student volunteer service program during the summer of 2022:
- Will participate in orientation and training provided by OCR.
- Will work on mutually-agreed upon projects of benefit to the student and OCR Seattle.
- May assist in the investigation of civil rights complaints or compliance reviews.
- Will make one presentation to OCR Seattle employees regarding the student’s Teaches the Movement experience or other civil rights experience, academic focus, or background.
STUDENT qualifications
Whitman College students who qualify for the student volunteer service program will have:
- Experience in the College’s Whitman Teaches The Movement program, other experience working in civil rights, or an academic focus or background that relates to civil rights.
- Ability to interact with diverse OCR Seattle employees and customers.
- Completed their sophomore or junior year.
- A minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Proficiency with Word, Outlook, office skills, etc.
- Students must be in good academic and conduct standing with the College.
Application Materials
Whitman College students who apply for the student volunteer service program must provide:
- A short (max. 500 words) essay describing their civil rights experience or interest.
- A résumé.
- Current Whitman College transcript. (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
- At least one letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has taught the student. Please include contact information.
- Availability throughout the summer months (i.e. working hours)
Application PROCESS
Completed applications must be submitted via Handshake, by Wednesday, March 2, 2022. All components of the application must be submitted by the deadline.
The selected student will need to complete a 2022 Summer Whitman Internship Grant application.
Whitman College will process the applications and refer up to five finalists. OCR will review information from the finalists, conduct interviews starting the week of March 7th and perhaps the following week and then select one student for placement after notifying the College. Successful completion of a federal background check will be required before the intern can start working.
OCR anticipates a Tuesday, May 31st, 2022 start date.
Please note that selected student interns may have the opportunity to continue their internship remotely throughout the 2022-23 Academic Year.
Questions?
* Any questions about this opportunity can be directed to Noah Leavitt, Director of the Career and Community Engagement Center (leavitns@whitman.edu) and Mitzy Rodriguez, Assistant Director for Internship Programs (rodrigmy@whitman.edu).