Community Engagement & Research Intern

Defender Association of Philadelphia•Philadelphia, PA

17h•$0 - $24•Hybrid

About The Position

The Child Advocacy Unit (CAU) is a collaborative team of attorneys, social workers, and peer advocates dedicated to providing high-quality, client-centered legal representation to dependent clients from birth to 21 years old. They advocate in court for effective, community-based services and develop appropriate permanency plans for every child and youth they serve. Recently, the CAU was awarded a grant to develop and launch the FosterPower PA app. The purpose of this app is to empower foster youth by helping them understand the court process, their rights, and the resources available to them through the foster system in Pennsylvania.

Requirements

Lived Experience: You must have former experience as a youth in foster care and have transitioned out of the dependency system at least two (2) years ago.
Age Requirement: You must be over 21 years of age.
A High School Diploma or GED is preferred; current college enrollment or some college experience is a strong plus.
You demonstrate strong leadership qualities, are naturally team-oriented, and possess excellent interpersonal skills.
You are highly competent in both written and verbal communication, with the ability to adjust your style when speaking with management, IT professionals, external partners, and foster youth.
You have a proven ability to work respectfully and effectively with highly diverse populations.
You are highly organized, take initiative, and are willing to learn how to input data and collaborate with Data Analysts.
Must be willing to complete all identified job and advocacy training.
Must successfully complete child abuse clearances and background checks.
Ability to work in a hybrid capacity.
Ability to travel within Philadelphia for community meetings and client outreach.

Nice To Haves

Prior group facilitation experience is a major plus.
The ability to speak Spanish is preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

Facilitate Lived-Experience Learning Communities: Design and host groups bringing together teens and young adults with lived experience in the foster system. Guide discussions to discover what information and features they find most helpful.
Drive Statewide Recruitment: Under supervision, develop and execute outreach strategies in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania to recruit young people for our Learning Communities and early-stage beta testing.
Build Professional Partnerships: Actively engage with peer organizations, social workers, and child welfare professionals to gather diverse insights and expand the app’s community network.
Synthesize Feedback: Collect, organize, and clearly communicate user feedback and field insights to the core project team to guide the app’s development and updates.
Act as an App Ambassador: Provide information and live demonstrations of the app to professionals and youth by presenting at conferences, participating in community panels, and engaging in one-on-one outreach.