WATER Internship Program

WATER welcomes students from seminaries, universities, and colleges both national and international to participate in the internship program.

Kennedy Thedford, Melissa Feito, Claire Coker, Kali Lo-Ng, and Emily Neufeld in the WATER office in 2019.

The WATER Internship Program offers an opportunity to learn how a small non-profit operates and see what it takes to nurture and maintain a wide network of feminists and activists across the country and worldwide. Interns engage in a full range of activities, from fundraising to planning programs, initiating independent projects to reviewing books and films. Those who wish to do their own research have a chance to utilize WATER’s extensive library of more than 6,000 books on feminist theology and its related fields, as well as consult with our experienced colleagues through monthly WATERtalks and periodic in-house seminars. Oh, and they also have fun!

Here are just some of the opportunities WATER interns have:

• Program and event planning
• Assistance with writing and editing projects such as WATERtalks, WATERrituals, WATERcast, WATERwheel newsletters, journal and web articles, books, and presentations
• Non-profit fundraising
• WATER community outreach via phone, email, and listserv to our broad network of colleagues
• Hosting Visiting Scholars, ministers and guests
• Maintenance of social media platforms including the website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more
• Read and review the latest feminist books and films
• Attend social justice events and rallies in the DMV area
• Join or initiate conversations with prominent feminist scholars, activists, religious leaders, and more

Interns must commit to a minimum of six weeks, but have the opportunity to stay for a year or more. Internships are unpaid. Some interns are placed through established programs of their universities, seminaries, or religious organizations, such as Mennonite Voluntary Service and the Loretto Volunteer Program. All participants are encouraged to apply for academic credit from their home institutions for their work at WATER.

Summer internships typically begin in May and finish at the end of July. There is flexibility given the applicant’s schedule. Check out our 2020 WATER Intern Application (pdf  or word document) for details. 

Application Deadlines:

• April 6, 2020 for Summer Internships
• July 13, 2020 for Fall Internships
• November 18, 2020 for Spring Internships (beginning January 2021)

For more information about the program, contact the office at (301) 589-2509 or send an email to waterstaff@hers.com.