Summer Internship in DC for State/Church Separation

Internships Available: At least three full-time paid internships available 

Opportunities Available in the Following Departments: Communications, Organizing, Policy, Education, Development

Dates: June 2 - August 8, 2025, 10 weeks for 35 hours a week

Location: Interns must reside in DC and work at least 3 days per week (Mon, Weds, & Thurs) from our Dupont Circle offices

Compensation: $17.50/hour ($6,125 for the summer) 

To Apply: Visit this link: https://forms.gle/63CSvCW9rAqHZ45p6 

Who You Are: 

You’re a college student who’s deeply dismayed by the state of the world right now. Trump and his Christian Nationalist cronies are dismantling our freedoms and trying to divide America, choosing who they think matters and counts and who doesn’t. You want to do more than fight back: you want to give people something to belong to, believe in, and fight for. Something that can give people a sense of belonging and meaning in a country where too many people - especially young people - feel isolated, powerless, and dispossessed.   

You’re hungry for a summer job that will teach you to be a leader on the values you care about, where you’ll be put to work on substantive projects and help build a movement for people like you: driven by a deep belief in human dignity and human potential, and deeply committed to reason, science, and compassion as the guideposts for your own life and public policy. 
You’re also a no-job-too-small person who wants to be put to work and learn about all the facets of running an effective nonprofit working to change the world - from the fascinating and innovative to the boring and messy.

Does that sound like you? Good. We’ve been waiting. 

The Role: 

We designed our summer internship program in partnership with the Secular Student Alliance to help college students interested in church-state separation and building positive secular communities develop their skills and leadership, explore careers in the secular space, and contribute their expertise and vision to our movement.  

Interns work full-time in our office in DC for 10 weeks. 

Every intern will be placed in one of our departments (Communications, Policy, Organizing, Education, or Development). You’ll have the opportunity to rank your preferences in your application. Below, please find a brief overview of each department and the tasks you might be asked to perform. 

Regardless of your role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Meet with all AHA staff members to learn more about different work functions and career paths in the nonprofit world, including 1:1 mentorship sessions with our Executive Director.
• Work on small teams and collaborate directly with a senior staff employee at the AHA, receiving mentorship and feedback from a seasoned leader in the secular space. 
• Attend our national conference (June 26-29) with all expenses (flight, hotel, meals, ground transportation) covered by the AHA, where you’ll be able to attend and participate in thought-provoking sessions on humanism’s biggest and newest ideas. (We might even have you give a presentation, if you like!) 
• Write articles that may appear in The Humanist magazine and TheHumanist.com. 
• Work on substantial projects in your department, though you should also expect significant time (up to but no more than 50%) spent on administrative work. 
• You may also have the opportunity to work on cross-departmental projects and group projects with other interns, attend free events in DC as guests of the AHA, and attend the Secular Student Alliance’s annual conference - these are all TBD, but very possible. 

Requirements

Non-negotiable:

• Ambitious and driven: You dream big for yourself and the places you work for, aiming high, working hard, and always asking “What can we do better?”   
• Intrepid and fearless: You’re comfortable with failure, unafraid of rejection, and always up to (thoughtfully, strategically) court a little controversy.
• Creative and open: You see possibilities others don’t, aren’t afraid of divergent thinking, and are described as “bursting with ideas.” 
• Responsible and action-oriented: Able to move quickly from ideas to action. You have a high output, meet deadlines, and finish what you start.
• Strong verbal and written communicator, able to articulate complex ideas clearly.
• Strong cultural competency, able to make people feel welcome and respected no matter their background or identity.

Super Helpful, A Big Plus 

(The successful applicant will absolutely have some, but likely not all, of these):

• Experience in the humanist/secular movement space, or adjacent movements like Unitarian Universalism, whether as an intern, volunteer, or group member. Special consideration will be given to Secular Student Alliance chapter members and leaders (Enthusiasm and willingness to learn the culture of these spaces is an absolute must). 
• Experience related to your preferred department (e.g., volunteering on a campaign for those interested in a policy internship, work as a student journalist for those interested in communications)
• A history of activism for causes you care about 
• Experience as a team member and leader of student groups on campus

Compensation and Logistics:

Dates: This 10-week internship runs through June, July, and the first week of August (June 2 - August 8). 

Pay: Interns will work 35 hours a week and will be paid $17.50/hour ($612.50 per week and $6,125 for the entire summer). You’ll be paid every other week. 

Hours: Interns are expected to work 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, with half an hour for lunch to be taken whenever you prefer. You will also have 2.5 hours of “Flex Time” you can take off each week. You can use it for anything you like: to lengthen lunch, take off early on Friday afternoon, for appointments, etc. 

Paid Time Off: We will provide paid days off on June 19th (Juneteenth), June 30th (the day after the AHA conference), and July 4th.

Work Location: Interns are expected to work in the AHA’s offices near Dupont Circle at least 3 days per week - Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesdays and Fridays interns may choose to work from the office or remotely. The office is a short walk from the Farragut West and Dupont Circle Metro stations, and MetroBus stops right around the corner.