Internship: Design Thinking Coach Internship

SparkShare is seeking an energetic and engaging person who is interested in mentoring/coaching high school-aged youth.

ABOUT SPARKSHARE

SparkShare is a growing, diverse, collaborative Network of high school-aged youth teams who recognize and embrace the power of our differences, share ideas and resources, and build problem-solving skills to address a wide range of challenges in their communities, including racial injustice, mental wellness, food insecurity, and substance use. Based in Boston, our youth teams come from communities such as Dorchester, Cambridge, Roxbury, Newton, and Needham, and as far away as Pakistan.

ABOUT THE JOB

In order to more effectively support young changemakers, in their communities, SparkShare is seeking interns that would enable greater capacity for hands-on learning experiences on-site with youth teams. They are seeking an energetic and engaging person who is interested in mentoring/coaching high school-aged youth in a hybrid setting to develop their leadership skills and confidence around problem-solving using Design Thinking as a tool. Coaches will work on-site at a Boston-area (likely T-accessible) program or school for part of the time, and then asynchronously for the rest of their time.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Coaches will be equipped by SparkShare with module kits containing:
● Slide presentation containing the necessary but optional introductions to the module contents
● A task list for successful youth completion of the module
● Activity templates for the youth to use in their work
● Any additional materials required for the module i.e. flipcharts, sticky notes, markers, etc.

Google classrooms will be used for each team and coach. Coaches will be able to review updates of teamwork between synchronous sessions, communicate expectations, and connect teams to the resources provided by SparkShare. The SparkShare team will be available to coaches for support and guidance on logistical concerns, curriculum questions, or any other challenges that arise from their engagement with the youth organizations in the Network.

DesignThinking Coaches are responsible for:
● Delivering curriculum materials in an engaging and comprehensible way for young people
● Guidance through the work of the design process as young people move from loose problem statements to prototyped concepts
● Managing the team expectations
● Communicating team challenges to SparkShare
● Preparing adequately for in-person sessions to maximize the time with teams
● Transportation for in-person days

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION

High school degree or equivalent; must be enrolled in an accredited university/college program to receive credit

● Proficient computer skills, familiar with google suite
● Must be 18 years of age
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills
● Interest in working with high school students
● Interest in youth development
● Interest in community challenges such as food insecurity, mental wellness and substance misuse
● Must attend Design Thinking Training provided by SparkShare

COMPENSATION

● Volunteer opportunity
● Internship opportunity
●Sign off on hours for courses

SCHEDULE

Thursdays, 5:30pm- 7pm

Sample Schedule:
Goal Setting Session:  In-Person 90m
Problem Statement Session:  Virtual 30m
Understanding Your Audience Session: In-Person 90m

TIME COMMITMENT

● Prep + training time: 18h
● Fall synchronous session time: 14.5h
● Virtual session time: 8h
● Travel time: 10h
● SparkShare Summit: 16 hours
● Engagement: Nov- May
Total time: 66.5h

TO APPLY

Please fill out the form here.