Social Justice Internship

Applications for the 2024-2025 Social Justice Internship Program are now closed

2024-2025 Social Justice Interns

“Pick a piece of the problem that you can help solve while trying to see how your piece fits into the broader social change puzzle.”

-Marian Wright Edelman

About the Program:

The Social Justice Internship Grant Program is a year-long, 250–275 hour internship experience. Students will have the opportunity to engage in significant work at one of five Chicago area non-profits: Misericordia, Catholic Charities, ONE Northside, Girlforward, and Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America. Through a competitive application process, 13 students will be selected and will move through the internship experience in a cohort model. In the first (fall) semester, the cohort will meet every few weeks for community building, reflection, and continued training. In the second (spring) semester, students will enroll in a section of EXPL 390, gaining 3 hours of academic credit for their internship experience.

Students will receive a $2,000 grant each semester ($4,000 total) per successful completion of program requirements. This grant will be applied to the student’s educational costs at Loyola.

About our Current Interns:

Click this link to find out more about their work and what they're learning from their experiences.

About the positions:

Descriptions of the available internship positions can be found here.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to participate in this scholarship competition, students must meet all of the following criteria:

Rising sophomore, junior, or senior status.
Enrollment in an undergraduate program.
Full-time enrollment at Loyola University Chicago in 2023 - 2024 and expected full-time enrollment at Loyola University Chicago in 2024 - 2025.
Have not earned a bachelor’s degree by the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester.
Have not received a full tuition scholarship from Loyola University Chicago.
GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Criteria for selection:

Quality of application
Financial need

Applications and Further Questions:

Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now closed.
Any additional questions about the Social Justice Internship can be directed to: Jorion Tucker, Community Partnerships Coordinator.

About our Partner Organizations:

Whether they are young or old, hungry or addicted, homeless or friendless, Catholic Charities sees the face of God in those in need. By providing food, clothing, shelter and counseling, they bring hope to the hopeless in the city of Chicago and its suburbs.

All about help and just about everywhere. Catholic Charities is in your neighborhood. With more than 159 programs at 156 locations across Cook and Lake counties, they help people of all races and religions move toward empowerment and self-sufficiency. Last year Catholic Charities touched the lives of more than 1 million parents, children, seniors and individuals, helping them through hard times.

The mission of Misericordia is to support individuals with developmental disabilities in maximizing their level of independence and self-determination within an environment that fosters spirituality, dignity, respect and enhancement of quality of life. We promote development of natural family and community support, community awareness, education and advocacy.

Misericordia offers a community of care that maximizes potential for persons with mild to profound developmental disabilities, many of whom are also physically challenged. By serving society’s most vulnerable citizens, Misericordia also serves the families who want the best for them, yet cannot provide it at home.

GirlForward is a community of support dedicated to creating and enhancing opportunities for girls who have been displaced by conflict and persecution. GirlForward programs focus on mentorship, education, and social support to female-identifying, high school students who have come to the US through refugee resettlement.

ONE Northside is a mixed-income, multi-ethnic, intergenerational community organizing group on the North Side of Chicago where everyday people lead the fight for a better world and government. We envision a diverse, united North Side of Chicago acting powerfully for our shared values of racial, social, and economic justice in communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Based in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood, FORA's mission is to ensure that refugee families are provided access to an education sufficient to prepare them to become economically self-sufficient and robustly engaged in American civic life.