Virtual Internship-Researcher for USAID Youth Office

Seeking a dynamic researcher and writer to conduct a study of evidence to action on youth outreach/community center models, safe spaces, and after-school programs across the globe. This will be a year long study and could be used for an undergraduate or graduate thesis.

Today, the world’s 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years make up 16 percent of the global population, most of them in developing countries. Youth have a critical role in development efforts in peacebuilding, economic development, health, and civic and political participation. Youth centers, safe spaces and after-school programs are designed to provide an enabling environment for youth development at the individual and community levels. These spaces connect youth with mentors, allow for healthy, safe, peer-to-peer interaction, and teach valuable life skills and behaviors. This is particularly critical for marginalized groups such as youth with disabilities or females, who may lack a broad range of opportunities for public socialization.The purpose of this desk study is to develop a report and presentation of promising practices and evidence on what works in improving youth centers, safe spaces, and after-school programs globally. The overarching theme is how to use these types of activities to support positive youth development and how to increase the effectiveness, scale, and sustainability of these type of programs. The results from this desk review will be used to develop research briefs which will serve as a resource for policymakers and practitioners interested in evidence-based best practices and examples of youth spaces.

Interns in bachelors and graduate programs are welcome, including those in a field of study related to topics of interest to USAID or with an interest in such topics. Visit youthpower.org for a list of topics of interest to the Youth Coordinator’s office at USAID.

French, Spanish, or Arabic skills nice to have.