Position Title: Intern, Young Athletes
Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid 2-3 days in the office)
Department: Young Athletes
Reports to: Manager, Young Athletes
Date and Length of Internship: Minimum of 9 months/Approx. 20 hours per week
Hourly Rate for US Based Staff: $17.00
Organization Overview:
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With nearly four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and one million coaches and volunteers in more than 170 countries, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 50,000 games and competitions every year. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org.
Position Summary:
Special Olympics is seeking an intern to work in the Young Athletes department of its headquarters office in Washington DC. Special Olympics Young Athletes is a sport and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), ages 2 to 7 years old. The Young Athletes intern position will assist with the creation and communication of new resources, materials, and information to the 7 Special Olympics regions. This position offers the chance to take on meaningful projects and to further one’s professional development through organized skills training sessions and the work itself. He/she will have the opportunity to work closely with the members of the Young Athletes team.
What We Are Looking For:
For this role, we are looking for a creative and motivated team member who is eager to work and to learn in a dynamic workplace. The ideal candidate will enjoy working independently. Thrive on taking projects from concept to execution and have the maturity and flexibility to work successfully with a variety of individuals. Strong creative, writing, and presentation skills are critical.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Assist with the alignment of Intellectual Disabilities into the global Early Childhood Development and family’s sector
- Conduct comprehensive research to identify trends, insights, and actionable recommendations
- Perform data analysis using appropriate tools to transform data into meaningful information
- Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
- Have strong editing and professional writing skills
- Proficiency with all Microsoft word and excel applications
- Must be detail-orientated with the ability to handle multiple tasks in a timely and professional manner
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with individuals from a range of cultures and professional backgrounds
- Ability to work well independently.
- Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
- Interest in disability, inclusion, and early childhood education.
Desired Skills:
- Preferred knowledge of Young Athletes, Unified Schools, and the Unified Movement but not required
- Currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development
- Experience in developing and implementing age-appropriate curriculum and learning activities
- Experience in conducting or reviewing research, preferably in an academic or professional setting
- Experience in creating wireframes, storyboards, and user flows along with a strong interest in graphic design is desired but not required.
Special Olympics provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
**Special Olympics is an E-Verify Employer**
