Non Profit Work -- Spring Internship The Relationship Foundation

Sound like the impossible dream? Perhaps it's not too far off. Do you have a burning desire to be a part of social change? If so, read on and find out how the Trauma-Informed Schools approach and an extraordinary communication skill set called Nonviolent Communication (NVC) can transform any school's culture especially in this period of the health crisis and the long overdue reckoning with systemic racism. Our work directly addresses this paradigm shift.

We ask this important question:

We spend 12 years in school preparing for a career.

How much time do we spend preparing for a relationship?

Any relationship?

Have you been asking this question along with the rest of the population? With the increase in youth suicides, bullying, social cruelty, self-harm, uncensored media, and now partial/full isolation from schools and colleges, offering Relationship Education that focuses on respectful communication is ever more necessary.

The Relationship Foundation is seeking interns for:

Interns are needed now (fall and winter), and into the spring/summer. This is currently an unpaid internship, but that could soon change as our program gains more acceptance in schools and organizations. We've given eight remote trainings for over 450 schools. We have also been asked to give trainings for mental health workers and psychologists who work with First Nations populations (aka American Indians) in the west and in North Dakota. We are also working with the Mt. Sinai Hospital system in New York to develop a curriculum for medical students and residents. And finally, we are working with an organization that supports individuals on parole.

If you are a college student, a graduate, or even if you've been out in the world a while, this internship will give you a sense of purpose and you will learn relationship skills you may never have imagined were possible to embrace.

Here is what we do and who we are:

The Relationship Foundation (TRF), a 501(c)3 non-profit has been teaching its "Healthy Relationships 101" program in high schools in New York City and in cities in several other states for over twelve years. We instruct students and teachers on how to sustain healthy, thriving, meaningful, and fulfilling relationships with everyone in their lives. (and now how to have these during limited social access)

One of the most effective things we do is support students and teachers to articulate their needs and feelings without blame and judgment and to listen empathically; everything we wish we had learned growing up. Given how disconnected (or over-connected) our society is today, learning this work can make all the difference both in and out of school.

The communication skill set we teach is based on Marshall Rosenberg's "Nonviolent Communication (NVC)," and the results from this approach have been extraordinary. See our website for details. Equally as important is introducing the Trauma-Informed Schools approach to help schools' staff to understand that so called problem students are actually kids with toxic stress in their brain chemistry due to abuse, neglect, and unstable home lives (or homeless lives). Understanding this changes how kids are treated and the positive outcomes are phenomenal. The Trauma-Informed approach with a disruptive student is not what's wrong with you, but what's going on with you? We also go into detail about the neuroscience of trauma and how decreased neural networks can be regenerated.

One administrator called our work, "CPR for the Soul."

We have a book, a curriculum for schools, and a guidebook for organizations that are available on our website. Our guidebook for facilitators is being used by women's organizations and has been requested by other social service organizations, domestic violence prevention groups, mental health clinics, prison counselors, and therapists.

Candidates will be selected for the skills they bring to the organization and their commitment to the organization's mission. A motivated self-starter with a keen sense of organization is a must.

Excellent typing and computer skills are also required.

As an intern, you will become a valued staff member and learn the history of the project, gain new insights, and help to focus on opportunities to maximize their potential.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for someone who dreams big, wants to join a non-profit on the brink of wider recognition, and desires to make a difference in the world. We're closing in on grants and an increase in paid services so the internship could lead to initial compensation and eventually a paid position. Course credit can be given.

Thank you!

Michael Jascz, Executive Director

The Relationship Foundation