Thrive Academy Spring Intern

The Program:

Summer Academy has long been the keystone of Thrive Scholars’ Six-Year Program, offering a signature summer experience through intensive college-preparatory courses taught by college instructors. Thrive’s current strategic direction builds on the success of Summer Academy to expand our impact by establishing community-based Thrive Academies in cities across the United States. We launched our first two Thrive Academies as commuter programs in Los Angeles and New York City in 2024 while simultaneously continuing to offer the residential Summer Academies for Scholars who are part of our Six-Year Program. We are gearing up to open a third Thrive Academy in Chicago and expect to continue extending our reach to other cities in the coming years.

The Students:

Our students are high-achieving and identify as underrepresented, including first-generation college-goers, students of color, and those from under-resourced communities, with an average high school GPA of 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. They are eager to learn, inquisitive, and highly motivated to succeed. In general, they see themselves as good students who perform well in school and are determined to live up to that expectation. Students in SA 1/TA 1 are rising high school seniors, while students in SA 2/TA 2 are rising college first-years.

The Position:
As a Thrive intern, you will get first hand experience learning the ins and outs of running a college prep program with multiple locations across the country. You’ll have the opportunity to work across departments, brainstorm and spearhead projects and take them from idea to fruition. Along the way you’ll receive mentoring from your colleagues and other professionals in our networks. With support from the Director of Academies and Program Operations Managers, the intern will be responsible for supporting the Academies team with day to day administrative tasks leading up to Thrive Academy, supporting pre-departure needs of Scholars, and developing communication materials for Scholars, internal and external stakeholders. 

Remote Part-Time

Tentative Dates - March 1st - June 22nd

Primary Responsibilities:

• Communication Management: Oversee communication systems for scholars, internal teams, and external stakeholders.
• Procurement: Manage the purchasing of program materials and supplies for students.
• Site Visits: Conduct or assist in visits to program locations.
• Event Planning and Support: Help brainstorm and plan student events like college fairs and tours. Organize and support in-person and virtual events such as orientations and welcome days.
• Attendance Management: Support set up and training for attendance platform
• Documentation Review: Carefully review scholar documentation for accuracy and lead scholar outreach as needed
• Project & Data Management: Develop skills in project management and assist in expanding data systems related to student enrollment and engagement.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with the Program Operations Manager, Academies, to meet program objectives.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Non-profit, education, or business internship experience; preferred
• Passion for working with and/or on behalf of low-income, first-generation students of color
• Detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to collaborate with team members and correspond professionally with participants.
• Comfortable with changing priorities and able to handle unexpected challenges effectively.
• Collaborative attitude with a willingness to support various aspects of the program.
• Event planning experience 
• Strong organizational skills and initiative
• Intellectual curiosity and an interest in learning about non-profit management
• Understanding of and commitment to Thrive Scholars’ ‘North Star’: Economic Mobility. Please review our position statement on economic mobility here.

Preference will be given to candidates located in the Chicago area to provide occasional on site support during the remote dates of the position. Applicants in other locations are still encouraged to apply. 

Working Environment & Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a seasonal employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this role:

• Frequent sitting, talking and listening and occasional walking, bending, stooping, and pulling
• Handle and operate computers, tools or controls
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
• See clearly in an indoor and outdoor environment
• Work in an indoor classroom environment that may not have air conditioning in the summer
• Travel off campus (transportation will be provided and advance notice will be given if required)

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

--

Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. Knowing their importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org