At this time no internships are available, but please keep an eye out for Internship opportunities in 2026!
Intern with OCO
and help us build an Oregon where all children thrive
An Opportunity Helping to Make a Better Oregon
Our Children Oregon’s Equity in Policy and Advocacy Program provides an internship or fellowship experience for students and individuals interested in child advocacy and targeted universalism. Undergraduate and graduate students contribute over one or multiple seasons to advance our mission while developing essential skills that support their career paths and personal interests.
Now is the time to reimagine the world we want to live in and make it real with each decision we make. Our shared prosperity will depend on our ability to create access to opportunities for our young people to develop and learn, OCO’s Equity in Policy and Advocacy Program is one such opportunity.
What to Expect as an Intern or Fellow
- A paid internship to obtain academic credit
- Co-creation of projects that address organizational needs, provide valuable learning experiences, and address the interests of the intern
- Develop and improve skill sets by area of interest
- A remote and virtual internship experience
How to Apply
Applications are reviewed on a first-come first-serve basis. Internship recruitment usually aligns with the academic school year. Please submit an application using the link below, taking care to answer all questions to the best of your abilities. Have questions before you apply? Reach out! david@ourchildrenoregon.org
Internship and Fellowship
Programs & Applications
Research & Data Internship Opportunity
This internship opportunity comes with stipend.
Organization Overview
Our Children Oregon’s mission is to be a voice and a force for the common good of all Oregon children, ensuring all children have the resources and opportunities needed to reach their full potential. Our Children Oregon is a statewide advocacy and child abuse prevention non-profit organization. We are committed to whole-child well-being and advancing equitable policymaking in support of a just and fair Oregon where all children thrive. To achieve this, we advocate with and for systematically excluded communities for policies and solutions grounded in equity, resource youth to self-advocate, and connect, learn, and engage with Oregon communities to collaboratively activate meaningful change.
Internship Overview
This internship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful research and data analysis projects. The intern will play a vital role in supporting our advocacy efforts, providing crucial insights to influence policy decisions that impact children’s lives in Oregon.
Duration
Winter/Spring 2023-2024 (specific start and end dates to be determined based on the intern’s availability).
Responsibilities
- Conduct thorough research on child welfare policies and trends.
- Analyze data sets related to child well-being and public policy.
- Assist in the development of reports and policy briefs.
- Collaborate with the advocacy team to translate data findings into actionable insights.
- Participate in team meetings and provide input on research strategies.
Qualifications
- Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a relevant undergraduate or graduate program (e.g., CS, business, public policy, statistics).
- Strong analytical and research skills.
Proficiency in data analysis and visualization software (e.g., Tableau, R, Excel). - Data Management experience.
- Passion for child advocacy and public policy.
- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
Benefits
- Gain hands-on experience in data analysis and policy research.
- Work closely with a team of experienced advocates and researchers.
- Contribute to impactful work that supports the well-being of children in Oregon.
- Flexible schedule to accommodate academic commitments.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and a brief writing sample demonstrating analytical skills here.
Our Children Oregon is an equal-opportunity employer that values workplace diversity and strives to be an inclusive organization. Our Children Oregon takes affirmative action to ensure that discrimination does not occur against an employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual identity, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation, disability or any other classification considered discriminatory under applicable law.
Development Internship Opportunity
2025
This internship opportunity comes with stipend.
Organization Overview
Our Children Oregon’s mission is to be a voice and a force for the common good of all Oregon children, ensuring all children have the resources and opportunities needed to reach their full potential. Our Children Oregon focuses on child abuse prevention, improving child well-being through legislative and policy solutions, and on research and data that elevates the needs of children and youth in Oregon. Our Children Oregon centers the needs of BIPOC communities as our path toward moving the needle on our most persistent and pervasive societal concerns. Our role is to lift these voices to better direct vital state resources to improve outcomes across the state for all our children and their families.
At Our Children Oregon, we are committed to being a statewide voice for youth and their families. We believe that this, along with accessibility, should touch all components of our work. As a result, we have made our internship program remote, and are dedicated to welcoming and accepting students from all backgrounds, universities, academic programs and geographic locations in Oregon.
Position Summary
The intern would support a number of projects and have the opportunity to gain professional experience in nonprofit management and planning, philanthropy, donor and corporate relations, and promotion.
This position reports to the Director of Development, Shānna Pittman-Frank(she/her/hers pronouns). Additionally, the intern will also have the opportunity to engage with and learn from all members of our team including our Advocacy & Policy Director, and Data and Communications Director.
The intern will meet regularly with a senior team member to discuss specific projects and learning goals and opportunities. The intern will also participate in team planning meetings related to specific projects, as well as the bi-weekly Our Children Oregon team meeting. Anticipated hours per week will be 15-20.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The following represent critical path projects for our organization so, regardless of the specific areas of interest of the intern, there will be the opportunity to make a significant contribution to our work. We hope to co-create projects that address organizational needs and provide valuable learning experiences and address the interests of the intern. These may include some or all the following:
- Support strategic planning and alignment around OCO events, development activities, and communications/outreach
- Corporate Relations and Engagement: recruit and secure sponsorships with existing and potential corporate partners, recruit event attendees, solicit items for silent/live auctions, opportunity drawings, and in-kind donations for all events
- Support the development and writing of grant proposals
- Support event coordination (planning, design, execution, post-event follow-up) for our fundraising events such as the Lights for Our Children Awards and the State of Oregon’s Children Event
- Provide event logistics support for events and conferences hosted by other departments such as Children’s Agenda Convenings
- Usage of social media, email marketing, text-to-action, and website tools (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
- Maintain and develop corporate, donor and foundation outreach list, support creation and distribution of materials, social media toolkits, etc.
- Support relationship tracking across the organization to maintain relational alignment
- Monitor and elevate partners’ social media posts to elevate diverse voices on children’s issues
Desired Qualifications
- Commitment to equity and cultural responsiveness.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to collect and synthesize information from diverse sources.
- Comfortable with the use of technology to support remote work; experience with specific tools isn’t required, but helpful; tools we use or are exploring include GSuite, Slack, Asana, Box, Salesforce.
- Ability and willingness to work collaboratively.
- Self-motivated, dependable, and organized.
- Flexible, innovative, energetic, and excited to work as a member of a team.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and a brief writing sample demonstrating analytical skills here.
For any questions, please email Grace Fortson, Policy and Advocacy manager at grace@ourchildrenoregon.org.
Our Children Oregon is an equal-opportunity employer that values workplace diversity and strives to be an inclusive organization. Our Children Oregon takes affirmative action to ensure that discrimination does not occur against an employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual identity, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation, disability or any other classification considered discriminatory under applicable law.
Legislative Internship Opportunity
2025
This internship opportunity comes with stipend.
Organization Overview
Our Children Oregon’s mission is to be a voice and a force for the common good of all Oregon children, ensuring all children have the resources and opportunities needed to reach their full potential. Our Children Oregon focuses on child abuse prevention, improving child well-being through legislative and policy solutions, and on research and data that elevates the needs of children and youth in Oregon. Our Children Oregon centers the needs of BIPOC communities as our path toward moving the needle on our most persistent and pervasive societal concerns. Our role is to lift these voices to better direct vital state resources to improve outcomes across the state for all our children and their families.
At Our Children Oregon, we are committed to being a statewide voice for youth and their families. We believe that this, along with accessibility, should touch all components of our work. As a result, we have made our internship program remote, and are dedicated to welcoming and accepting students from all backgrounds, universities, academic programs and geographic locations in Oregon.
Position Summary
The intern would support a number of critical projects and have the opportunity to gain professional experience in advocacy, policy development, and communication skills via relationship building.
This position reports to Grace Fortson, our Policy and Advocacy manager. Additionally, the intern will also have the opportunity to engage with and learn from all members of our small team including our Director of Policy & Advocacy, Director of Communications & Data Integration, and Executive Director.
Grace also plans to hold a 15-30-minute check in with the intern to talk about the previous day’s work, confirm tasks for the day, and track progress on learning goals. We would also schedule a longer conversation once a week/biweekly to dive deeper into specific topics or project planning. The intern would also participate in team planning meetings related to specific projects, as well as the bi-weekly Our Children Oregon team meeting.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The following represent critical path projects for our organization so, regardless of the specific areas of interest of the intern, there will be the opportunity to make a significant contribution to our work. We hope to co-create projects with the intern that could include some or all the following, depending on the intern’s interests, experience, and areas where the intern wants to grow skills:
- Research state and federal policy issues impacting children; develop issue briefs in collaboration with Our Children Oregon’s Director of Policy & Advocacy and Director of Communications and Data Integration
- Gather contact information for legislative candidates, distribute issues briefs, schedule and attend meetings to educate candidates on children’s issues
- Support the process of Our Children Oregon’s partner organizations legislative concepts in each session
- Schedule and attend advocacy partner and legislator meetings with members of the Policy & Advocacy team to discuss joint policy initiatives
- Support Our Children Oregon in legislative Advocacy Day (hosting meetings with legislators, constituents, legislative staff, phone & text banking)
- Attend coalition meetings on behalf of Our Children Oregon & take notes to share with the Policy & Advocacy team
- Connect with community members through Our Children Oregon’s advocacy network, All Children Thrive
- Help with content creation for community events hosted by Our Children Oregon
- Help with recruitment and turnout for community events hosted by Our Children Oregon
- Be willing to attend community events (either hosted by partners or Our Children Oregon) on behalf of Our Children Oregon
Desired Qualifications
- Commitment to equity and cultural responsiveness
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Comfortable with the use of technology to support remote work; experience with specific tools isn’t required, but helpful; tools we use include GSuite, Slack, Asana, Canva,
- Ability and willingness to work collaboratively
- Self-motivated and organized
- Flexible, innovative, energetic, and excited to work as a member of a team
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and a brief writing sample demonstrating analytical skills here.
For any questions, please email Grace Fortson, Policy and Advocacy manager at grace@ourchildrenoregon.org.
Our Children Oregon is an equal-opportunity employer that values workplace diversity and strives to be an inclusive organization. Our Children Oregon takes affirmative action to ensure that discrimination does not occur against an employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual identity, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation, disability or any other classification considered discriminatory under applicable law.
Communications Internship Opportunity
2025
This internship opportunity comes with stipend.
Organization Overview
Our Children Oregon’s mission is to be a voice and a force for the common good of all Oregon children, ensuring all children have the resources and opportunities needed to reach their full potential. Our Children Oregon focuses on child abuse prevention, improving child well-being through legislative and policy solutions, and on research and data that elevates the needs of children and youth in Oregon. Our Children Oregon centers the needs of BIPOC communities as our path toward moving the needle on our most persistent and pervasive societal concerns. Our role is to lift these voices to better direct vital state resources to improve outcomes across the state for all our children and their families.
At Our Children Oregon, we are committed to being a statewide voice for youth and their families. We believe that this, along with accessibility, should touch all components of our work. As a result, we have made our internship program remote, and are dedicated to welcoming and accepting students from all backgrounds, universities, academic programs and geographic locations in Oregon.
Position Summary
Our Children Oregon is seeking a communications-based intern to join our team and support our mission to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive in our state. The Communications Intern will be working closely with the Communications Director on earned media, public relations, advocacy, communications activities, and campaign projects.
This internship will provide an eager person with hands-on experience in communications, advocacy, and community engagement, while working toward a worthy cause.
We look forward to finding a candidate who is fueled by the passion for improving the lives of Oregon’s children, has a strong determination to contribute to child welfare, and a thirst for personal growth and experience in an established organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Assist in the creation of written content for our blog, social media channels, email newsletters, and other communication.
- Collaborate on upcoming campaign, event, and legislative session projects.
- Help strategize to increase earned media and press engagement.
- Provide input for the development and implementation of our content strategies to increase engagement and spread awareness about OCO.
Required Skills:
- Superb writing and editing skills and the ability to navigate different tones and formats.
- Command of various social media platforms and best practices in engaging with diverse communities.
- Collaboration with team members and external audiences, excellent organizational and time management skills, the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
Preferred Skills (Bonus):
- Knowledge of policy and advocacy, related to child well-being and familiarity with the Oregon legislative landscape.
- Video, photography, and/or graphic design work for engaging visual content.
- Experience navigating press releases, PR, and earned media sources.
- Proficiency in Canva, or other relevant design and editing software.
Application Process
Please send us a resume along with a writing sample of not more than two pages outlining your interest in the position and how you might add value to our mission.
We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply; our work focuses on the experiences of all young Oregonians including how policies impact different communities disproportionately. We are committed to advocating for equity and improved experiences for all youth across the state.
For any questions, please email Grace Fortson, Policy and Advocacy manager at grace@ourchildrenoregon.org.
Our Children Oregon is an equal-opportunity employer that values workplace diversity and strives to be an inclusive organization. Our Children Oregon takes affirmative action to ensure that discrimination does not occur against an employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual identity, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation, disability or any other classification considered discriminatory under applicable law.
See What Past Interns & Fellows Have to Say About Their Experiences at OCO!
