THE BETSY CODDINGTON LEGACY PROJECT

After dedicating over 20 years (’94 to ’15) as the Executive Director of our org,
Betsy Coddington created a fund to support youth with internship opportunities at RNW.

“Our youth internships will give youth an opportunity to lead, learn new skills in a supportive environment, and give back to their community … a win-win-win for youth, for RNW, and for our community.”

– Betsy Coddington

“I was lucky to spend my summer as an intern and was given the opportunity to turn my dream of planning a student leadership conference into a reality. I am grateful to RNW for believing in me and helping make this possible.”

– Abby Alvarez

SUPPORT FUTURE YOUTH INTERN LEADERS

RNW recognizes the amazing projects that past interns have accomplished and looks to continue providing a space where youth can express themselves and share what they offer.

Your support helps to keep this opportunity ongoing and allows youth leaders to expand the positive impact they’d like to have with their peers and the community throughout PDX.

INTERNSHIP FAQ’s

We recognize the obligation that many youth, particularly, QTBIPOC youth have to support their family financially. This is why we offer stipends to greatly increase youth access to opportunities, while supporting their self-development.

The following are examples of what youth interns may be exposed to:

  • Potential career paths in the nonprofit sector around restorative justice, DEI, facilitation and mediation.

  • Basic skills development in time management, teamwork, communication, and more.

  • Other specific skills such as: project management, training agenda development and facilitation, and development of program and training materials.

One intern expressed:

“This experience was transformative for me. Not only was this a great first job experience, but I adopted a way of looking at the world that I will always carry with me. I feel like I have a better understanding of how we as humans impact each other and how to make that impact as positive as possible. I can see myself using RJ practices, circles and relationship building exercises, in the future, checking in with people who appear withdrawn, and taking into account outside factors in people’s life before I make judgements.”

Interns also gain the following:

  • Skills in mediation, facilitation, public speaking, written communication
  • Meaningful relationships with mentors and community members doing RJ, mediation, facilitation, and social and racial justice work
  • An understanding of the nonprofit world and types of jobs available
  • An opportunity to build their resume

Projects vary based on the intern’s skills and goals and the needs of the organization.

In the past, youth interns collaborated with RNW staff members, other youth interns, and community partners to develop a Youth Conference. Tasks included:

  • Determining a date & location

  • Securing a keynote speaker

  • Creative brainstorm of youth-centered conference agenda

  • Devising a marketing plan and outreach materials

  • Facilitating conference

Other past projects included:

  • Writing curriculum for school-based restorative justice circles

  • Partial facilitation of RJ in Schools training for faculty and staff

  • Working with the Youth Action Committee to engage youth in community work

  • Capturing youth voices through audio-visual interviews

  • Creating training and workshop materials

  • Providing testimony to city and county officials on youth needs and the impacts of RJ

  • Writing articles for our quarterly newsletter or monthly updates

  • Facilitating small group discussions

  • Providing support at large group meetings and forums

We are not currently accepting applications. A link will be present on this page when available. 

All youth ages 16-21 are eligible. Priority will be given to youth applicants who:

  • Have been or currently are members of the Youth Action Team.
  • Demonstrate personal commitment to restorative practices and leadership.
  • Have short and/or long term goals that align with RNW’s mission to facilitate honest dialogue to resolve conflict and advance racial & social justice.

This internship typically takes place from July through September, and potentially into October. Exact dates and times will be determined by intern and mentors.

Depending on the scope of work, interns may conduct tasks at our office, in the community, or remotely.