Voting Rights & Civics
New York State Democratic Committee
Non profit, 30+ team members
Address: 53 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY
Action Areas: Education Policy and Equity, Reproductive Rights, Voting Rights
About: The New York State Democratic Party is committed to electing Democrats at every level of government across the state. We’re focused on addressing the top priorities of all New Yorkers and electing candidates who will make New York stronger and move our state forward.
Position Description: Students would come into our office in Poughkeepsie and interact with our staff and volunteers, as well as going out into the local community and engaging with Poughkeepsie as a whole
Desired Skills: Bilingual Spanish-English, Communications – emails, phone calls, in person outreach, Public speaking/presenting, Research skills, Social media management, Data collection/analysis
Hours: 4hrs/week, 8hrs/week
Are you interested in getting involved with The NY Democratic Committee? Visit here for your next steps.
For the Many
Address: 302a Mill St, Poughkeepsie NY 12601
Action Areas: Environmental Justice and Food Security, Housing Insecurity/Justice, Public Health, Affordability
About: For the Many is a grassroots organization building a movement of everyday people to transform New York so that it works for everybody. For too long, greedy corporations, billionaires, and political elites have rigged our state and our country to work against everyday, working-class people. We organize folks across race, age, and class to pass laws and win elections that put the power back in our hands and create lasting change. Over the past decade, we’ve organized renters to fight back and win a historic rent reduction, organized undocumented immigrants to win access to New York State drivers licenses, and elected champions to local and state government to fight for us. Right now, we’re focused on passing legislation to protect renters from predatory rent hikes and eviction.
Position description:**Position Description – Student Organizing Intern**
Throughout the fall, we are focused on passing legislation throughout the Hudson Valley – including in the Town of Poughkeepsie – to protect renters from predatory rent hikes and eviction. Student Organizing Interns will organize other students to take action in support of this housing justice campaign. Activities will include: making calls and talking to potential volunteers and members, having 1-1 conversations with volunteers to develop their relationship with the organization, and event planning.
Interns in this role will develop skills around community organizing, facilitation, volunteer recruitment, and familiarity with digital organizing tools.
**Position Description – Fundraising Organizer Intern**
Around the country, social justice organizations are losing funding and downsizing, but we’ve been insulated from that because of our robust grassroots fundraising program. Most donations to For the Many are $28 or less. Fundraising Organizer Interns’ key project will be to build a team of volunteers who will ask people to donate during a week-long fundraising drive at the end of the semester. Interns will then manage team members to help them succeed during the fundraising drive!
Interns in this role will develop skills around community organizing, volunteer recruitment, supportive management, assertive communication, and fundraising.Desired Skills: A passion for social justice and a willingness to talk to others – we’ll set you up with everything else!
Hours: 4hrs/week, 8hrs/week
Are you interested in getting involved with For the Many? Visit here for your next steps.
Town of Poughkeepsie
Municipality (local government), 30+ team members
Address: 1 Overocker Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Action Areas: We provide resident services in the areas of public safety, parks, and senior and youth programs, among others.
About: We are the municipality within which Vassar College operates. We provide essential services (water, sewer, roads) as well as parks, youth and senior programs, and other resident services.
Position Description: Seeking a student to work directly with Rebecca Edwards, Town Supervisor, to build a spreadsheet with basic contact information for businesses in the town, focusing primarily on small, locally owned businesses. The town does not have any such list; the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce list is very partial and even for those businesses that are members, contact information is outdated. Some home-based businesses are licensed but others are not.
This is a big undertaking and the student will just get us started, but can survey and classify the types of businesses, begin to reach out and ascertain business owners’ needs and concerns, research how we might define “local,” and think about how we might create in an online directory. The work will then continue in the summer.
Desired Skills: Communications – emails, phone calls, in person outreach, Fact-checking, Research skills, Spanish-language skills would be valuable but are not required. Driver’s license helpful but not required.
Hours: 4hrs/week
Are you interested in getting involved with The Town of Poughkeepsie? Visit here for your next steps.
Prisoners’ Brain Trust
Non-profit, 1-5 team members
Mid-Hudson Valley
https://www.instagram.com/prisonersbraintrust
Action Areas: Prison Abolition
About: The Prisoners’ Brain Trust (“PBT’) embodies people directly impacted
by the prison industrial complex’s many harms. Our members are a combination of queer/trans, cis-hetero, Black, Brown Indigenous People of Color, and white anti-racist/anti-authoritarian partners. Each member brings their full carceral and personal experiences into our work to dissect ow policies impact and intersect our lives and communities. Prisoners’ Brain Trust addresses toxicity associated with the patriarchal structure; provides gender & sexuality training, political education, and leadership development; hones public speaking/debate skills; and offers moral/emotional support through the community.
Position description: Spring 2025 Internship Opportunity: Prisoners’ Brain Trust – Felony Murder Law Campaign
The Prisoners’ Brain Trust (PBT) is seeking five dedicated interns from Vassar College for the spring semester to work on dismantling New York State’s felony murder law. Interns will collaborate with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated community members to amplify the voices of those impacted by this legislation. This internship offers hands-on experience in social justice advocacy, communication, and community engagement.
Campaign Focus: “The Five Faces of Felony Murder”
The interns will be integral to The Five Faces of Felony Murder campaign, which is dedicated to humanizing those affected by felony murder laws and advocating for reform.
Key Responsibilities:
- Uplift Voices – Work with impacted individuals to share their stories and contributions to the campaign.
- Graphic Design and Presentation – Design visual materials for campaign outreach and create engaging presentations to be used in advocacy efforts.
- Communication and Advocacy – Coordinate with community members to ensure their voices are heard and accurately represented in campaign materials.
- Meeting Attendance – Participate in virtual campaign strategy meetings and prepare summaries or action points for the PBT team.
- Site Visits – Visit Eastern Correctional Facility and participate in advocacy trips to Albany (travel support provided).
Requirements:
- Strong skills in graphic design, public presentation, and community engagement.
- Ability to communicate respectfully and effectively with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.
- Availability to attend remote meetings and commit to site visits as required.
- Passion for criminal justice reform and sensitivity to issues impacting incarcerated communities.
- This internship is a unique chance to engage in meaningful advocacy work and contribute to a transformative cause. Interested applicants should demonstrate a commitment to justice reform, empathy, and strong organizational skills.
Desired Skills: Communications – emails, phone calls, in person outreach, Copywriting, Fact-checking, Research skills, Social media management, Data collection/analysis
Hours: 8hrs/week
Are you interested in getting involved with PBT? Visit here for your next steps.