Children's Rights

Program: Human Rights Major

Name of Organization: Children's Rights

Website of Organization: https://www.childrensrights.org/

City: New York

Country: United States

Start Date of Internship: Monday, June 2, 2025

End Date of Internship: Friday, August 15, 2025

Duration of Internship: 2.5 months

Average Number of Hours Worked Per Week: 25

Position Title: Communications Intern

Type of Position: Unpaid

How did you find this internship?

ISHR Listserve

Briefly describe the organization

Children's Rights is a national nonprofit organization that works to protect the rights of children impacted by government systems. Through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education, the organization seeks to reform child welfare, juvenile justice, healthcare, and other systems to ensure better outcomes for children. Its work focuses on addressing systemic issues such as family separation, inadequate mental health services, and inequities affecting marginalized communities.

Key Responsibilities & Outputs

My responsibilities included analyzing social media data from Instagram and LinkedIn, such as engagement rates, to understand audience interests and behavior. I drafted posts on children’s rights issues of my choice, two of which were pitched to the team. I also developed a LinkedIn outreach strategy for engaging potential funders, which I presented to the team, tailoring the language to raise awareness of human rights issues and encourage stakeholder engagement.

Challenges

Adjusting to the fast-paced nature of communications work was initially a new challenge, but I quickly adapted and grew to deeply appreciate the dynamic environment. I found it especially exciting to work on diverse tasks, from analyzing data and graphs to editing captions and crafting advocacy-driven narratives, all within the same day.

What skills or prior experience helped you obtain this internship?

I completed three internships in think tanks and NGOs focused on policy work, worked as a human rights research assistant at ISHR, volunteered with four branches of international human rights organizations, and contributed to the Roma Peoples Project at ISHR. Additionally, as a Teaching Assistant for the Freedom and Citizenship initiative, I worked with first-generation, low-income students, many facing challenges similar to those addressed by Children's Rights, and expressed interest in writing about violations of children's rights for my senior thesis. These experiences strengthened my adaptability, research, and communication skills while showing my strong interest in the issues central to this role.

What skills or prior experience helped you succeed in this position?

My background as a Human Rights major gave me a strong foundation in research, analysis, and understanding complex contexts, which proved essential during this internship. I was able to apply the research skills I developed through academic papers to professional tasks, such as exploring new topics for social media content or translating complex legal concepts from the legal team into language accessible to a broader audience. Additionally, my political education and intuition helped me anticipate the organization’s strategic priorities and better understand the broader advocacy landscape, which made it easier to contribute meaningfully to communications work.

What type of training/orientation did you receive?

I received access to a range of trainings offered across multiple departments, including sessions designed for development and legal interns, as well as broader orientations on the organization's mission, advocacy strategies, and legal actions.

In what ways did this experience provide you with insights into your professional strengths and weaknesses?

I learned that while I sometimes felt I lacked the technical, hands-on skills that STEM students often have, my Columbia education gave me valuable strengths: adaptability, openness, and the ability to understand complex issues quickly. These skills allowed me to integrate effectively into the team and navigate fast-paced, multifaceted tasks. I also discovered that I work best under structured deadlines, as I am more focused and efficient when timelines are clearly defined.

How did this internship relate to your human rights studies and career goals?

As a Human Rights major planning to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector, this internship allowed me to see firsthand how communications play a critical role in advancing an organization’s mission. It helped me understand the importance of  language and communications strategy within an NGO context. Since I am especially passionate about children's rights and plan to write my senior thesis on related issues, this experience was invaluable in connecting my academic studies with my long-term career goals.

I Would Recommend This Internship

Strongly Agree

Did this internship directly or indirectly lead to subsequent professional opportunities?

Yes

If yes, how did it lead to professional opportunities?

It drove me to connect with professionals in the field, especially since I had to be highly active on Linkedin in my role as a communications intern, and I was encouraged to converse with people working in  other departments of the NGO.

After Completing This Internship, Have You Subsequently Held a Position with This Organization?

No