Hosting a Diocesan CCHD Intern
Since 1999 CCHD has placed more than 200 interns in CCHD offices. In this capacity interns have assisted diocesan offices by:
Promoting the Collection
Arranging for speakers in parishes
Preparing promotional materials
Creating a promotional DVD
Building Relationships with Funded Groups
Reviewing grant applications
Making site visits
Working on site with groups |
Educating Catholics
Assisting with Journey to Justice
Coordinating the Youth Arts Contest
Making presentations to groups
Connecting with college campuses
Publicizing the Poverty USA Campaign |
| The national CCHD office provides grants for a number of paid summer, fall and academic year internships for young Catholic leaders, ages 18-30, to gain experience working with and on behalf of the poor through the efforts of a CCHD diocesan office. The CCHD internship combines practical work in addressing the mission of CCHD at the local level, opportunities to develop relationships with community leaders, reflection on Catholic social teaching, and time for sharing experiences with other CCHD interns around the country. |
Hosting an intern can be a rewarding opportunity for an office and a Catholic young adult. As you consider whether or not hosting an intern is right for you consider these questions:
What projects/tasks do I want an intern to accomplish?
Do I have the time to provide adequate supervision of a young person, who is not professional staff, and to meet with him or her on a weekly basis?
Does my diocesan office have work space for an intern?
Do I have time between January and April to actively recruit candidates?
Return a completed Request Form by December 17th. Diocesan sites will be announced in January. Since the number of placements is limited by funding, the national office will prioritize proposals which combine substantive work on CCHD projects, local community exposure, and strong supervision.
Selected dioceses are asked to begin recruiting low and middle income Catholics, between the ages of 18 and 30, from the local area. Local parishes, other diocesan offices, CCHD funded groups, college campus ministry offices and career service centers are good places to start. This Sample Recruiting Plan includes ideas on how you might successfully recruit intern candidates in your diocese.
During the month of March, diocesan directors will interview intern candidates. These Suggested Sample Questions can be used while interviewing your candidates. Diocesan Directors should choose the best intern candidate by early April and forward the application of the chosen candidate to national office staff for final approval.
Intern candidates will be invited to a two day training program in Washington, DC in late May or early June. Travel and expenses are paid by the national office. The 2008-09 Intern Training Program will be held June 1-4, 2008.
This Checklist of Tasks to be completed by Diocesan Directors around the Intern Program and the Expectations for Hosting a CCHD are a helpful summaries of the steps that should be taken throughout the process.
During the internship, the diocesan director or other designated supervisor will mentor the intern as s/he works on ongoing CCHD projects and engages in ongoing learning and development. At the start of the internship, the supervisor must complete a work plan, which is a one page outline of projects/tasks, the intern's schedule, the hours of supervision and the signature of both the intern and supervisor. This Sample Work Plan is available to assist you in creating this work plan.
Near the end of the internship, the intern will submit a final report and evaluation to the supervisor and to Jill Rauh in the national office. The CCHD diocesan supervisor will submit an evaluation to Jill Rauh.
[The intern] provided our office with greater access to other diocesan departments. Because she was new to the Archdiocese, we could easily ask for and get time to meet with the department heads, to hear about their work, to explain ours, and to discuss ways that we can work more closely together.
Joan Harper, DD, Los Angeles
The internship was a chance to prove to myself that my career and my faith didnt have to be separate.
Genevieve Collins, 2005-06 intern, Belleville
Having an intern is invaluable to the work of my office and the continued success of CCHD in our Archdiocese
without an intern I am not able to reach as many churches, especially young people, about the work of CCHD.
Anne Avellone, DD, Santa Fe
Because of this internship, I realize being Catholic means mobilizing not only myself but others to live out the principles of justice and equality.
- Meaghan Williamson,2005-06 intern, Milwaukee |
For more information about the internship program, please contact Jill Rauh,
Youth & Young Adult Coordinator, at 202-541-3297 or JRauh@usccb.org.