Ruhee Singh
AP is absolutely incredible. From my first day to my last day there was never a dull moment in my work. Though AP is small, you can see your work making a huge different to the organization and its members. Every task, document, and email was significant and you really are doing tangible work that does benefit our partners in the long run. AP has been my most rewarding work experience yet and I will stay in touch
Alexa Brenner
Spending a semester with The Advocacy Project was an invaluable experience. I expected to learn a lot about the nonprofit world and development, but never could have predicted how much I would take away from this internship. Karen and Iain are two of the most hardworking and dedicated people I have ever met, and I learned so much from them. I gained a massive skillset related to my position as the Marketing and Outreach Assistant, but also gained personal and professional confidence, mentors and friends. I will miss AP so much, but cannot wait to hear about the successes of AP in the future.
Nicole Gerhardt
My internship experience at the Advocacy Project was overwhelmingly positive. I held the position of Fundraising Assistant, but was able to learn much more than just how to raise money. I learned how to communicate effectively with interns and supervisors alike, how to be a full-time student and a part-time intern at the same time, how to prioritize tasks, and I've learned how rewarding it is to work with an organization whose mission and values you wholeheartedly support. This was a great first internship experience, and I will continue to support AP for years to come.
Princia Calida Vas
" AP is much more than a nonprofit organization. It is a whole world in itself and I love how driven and passionate people are about the work they do here. I consider myself very fortunate and blessed to be part of the mission of AP. I have learned so much and got the opportunity to wear so many hats during my time here, which has helped me both personally and professionally. AP will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you Karen and Iain for being the best mentors. "
Alexandra West
Working at the Advocacy Project has been an incredible experience to say the least. It was humbling to work under the supervision of Karen and Iain and among the other interns in our DC office. We worked efficiently as a team, all while having fun and staying true to AP's mission and vision. Not only have I learned a lot, grown professionally, and gained confidence, but I can now call AP my home.
Katie Dallimore
"My internship at AP truly transformed me from a student to a viable candidate for a career in international development. I have learned so much about the incredible work AP does all over the world and it has helped me become motivated to start the next chapter of my life in the professional world. Karen and Iain are great mentors, and I hope to stay involved with AP in the future."
Corinne Cummings
"My internship at AP helped me grow in many ways, namely what vocational route I'll pursue in the future as well as challenging my writing abilities through constructive criticism. It was through this engaging experience that I'll now be more equipped to take the next step in searching and securing a position in the nonprofit sector.
Samantha Givens
I am extremely grateful for my time with The Advocacy Project. I learned a great deal and am now well-versed in ongoing and prevalent issues surrounding marginalized communities around the world. As an Intern, you are highly valued as a team member and the skills you gain throughout are irreplaceable.
Donna Olson
As the Development Assistant, I researched possible funding for AP and their partners. This was an amazing experience which allowed me to learn about the wonderful work that AP and their partners do.
Lana Zimmerman
"Working with The Advocacy Project not only provided me with skills to further my own professional development, but also afforded me the opportunity to support global human rights in a direct, palpable way. Interning with AP taught me to be a leader and take initiative in my work: from building a website to assisting with presentations for graduate students, AP exposed me to a world of academia and professionalism that, as a first generation college student, I would not have otherwise had access to. I am grateful to have been able to learn under the guidance of Karen and Iain in working to empower marginalized groups globally".
Marianne Sangare
As a Fundraising and Outreach Assistant, I was in charge in maintaining and updating AP's Donor Database, managing AP's Global Giving Campaigns and keeping track of all donations, managing Constant Contact, sending thank you notes to AP donors, posting Bulletins to the AP WordPress website, and attending Outreach Events. I was also responsible for fundraising online through Global Giving for the Use Soap to Empower 60 Rape Survivors in Mali campaign during the 2018 Little by Little Campaign. During my time at AP, I learned a lot about human rights, development, peace, as well as fundraising, non-profit management, and outreach. I have gained more skills during a short period of time. It has been such a memorable and rewarding experience!
Elifnaz Caliskan
"The massive influence, the positive impact, the social change that AP promotes is so impressive that nobody would believe me when I told them AP is run just by Iain, Karen and a team of 4 interns. Though, for me, it was not a surprise--our small office in DC was filled with dedication, ambition, and faith in better futures for those who are marginalized. Hence, the great, family-like, work environment led to productivity and efficiency--as an intern, I could truly feel that I was a part of something bigger than myself. In our AP family, my voice, my opinions, my input mattered! As the Coordinator for Fundraising and Outreach, I was given the opportunity to be creative, be in charge, be responsible for real actionable tasks. Karen and Iain empowered me, so that I could empower AP's partners. From conducting outreach activities in federal departments to creating and executing fundraising strategies on behalf of our partners, I had many favorite moments that I am proud of. If you are looking for a hands-on internship experience where you will learn a lot, AP is for you too!"
Langston Alexander
"As an AP intern my official title was Peace Fellowship Assistant, but during my 4 months at AP I was able to experience far more than that title suggests. I supported the website update as we organized all the content AP provides online, represented AP at local events, and researched potential funding possibilities just to name a few of my responsibilities. The nature of AP's small staff is no one is isolated to a single specialty, but has to pitch in where needed. This was a great way for me to sample the gamut of what a small NGO does. The small staff also leads to a tight-knit group that supports and teaches each other on a daily basis. I feel so lucky to have been a part of the AP team. Beyond the work I did for AP, I learned so much from the conversations and interactions with AP's staff both in DC and from the field. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your noble work and giving me the chance to learn from what you do. I'll make sure to stay in touch!"
Kirsten Drew
My internship with The Advocacy Project (AP) was a once in a lifetime experience. Not only was I able to expand my knowledge of social media platforms and strategies, but I was able to see the inner workings of a successful nonprofit organization. I began HTML coding, assisted in administrative duties, attended events, and so much more in my time with AP. This internship helped me find the career path I am most passionate about. I know that this experience aided me in securing a spot in a Master's development studies program at the University of Manchester. I cannot thank the team at The Advocacy Project enough for their expertise, capacity for multiple issues in international development and friendship.
Talia Hoch
"The Advocacy Project plucked me from college obscurity when they showcased their Middle Eastern Refugee Quilt at my university. It was love at first sight. I fell in love with AP's message and mission and knew I just had to work for them. After our first meeting I reached out and secured a summer internship. On my first day at the office they showed me the couch that they had and said that I could nap there whenever. From that moment I know I had chosen the right place to intern at! After arriving I truly got to know AP's mission and how they operated first hand. My official title was the outreach and fundraising assistant but I did more than just that. By being the outreach intern I got to meet with and Skype with many different organizations. I learned how to conduct meetings and how to work towards a common goal with these organizations. However, I learned so much more than that. I learned basic html (never thought that would be something I would ever learn or ever want to learn), catalogue design, excel, and a lot more. I had already respected AP's mission of working with marginalized and underserved populations but once becoming an intern I grew to love it. AP never tried to come off as 'white saviors' coming in and telling these community organizations what to do. Instead they strove to build the capacity and the capability of these organizations. They were also so careful to not hijack the narratives of these communities for their own gain they made sure that the voices of these people were heard loud in clear. I am so grateful for my time with AP working with Karen, Iain, Natalie, and Bri was so rewarding. We were such a team working together to support everyone's job to be an effective non-profit. I will miss them all dearly but I know I'll be seeing them soon!"
Natalie Roberts
"As the AP social media assistant, I have had the ability to virtually keep up with our summer peace fellows! I had the opportunity to invest my time in learning about AP's partner organizations, and the fellowship program. Before this experience, I undoubtedly considered myself a social media guru, but this summer, this skill has grown to what I would call a 'social media junkie.' My everyday tasks consisted mostly of tracking our nine fellows through their journeys abroad and reporting them to the various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr etc.). However, I also edited video, edited pictures, designed graphics, assisted with basic office tasks, and collaborated with my co-interns on GlobalGiving appeals, fundraising and event ideas, and partner organizations. I was even able to connect with AP's supporters through the writing of blog digests to highlight the fellows blog postings. AP truly lives up to the notion of "small but mighty." AP's commitment is truly inspiring. I have seen AP accomplish so much in just a few short months, and for that I am grateful to have been able to support such an influential organization."
Nola Tolsma
"As the fellowship assistant at AP, I have had the opportunity to work with and for marginalized communities around the world. AP is a model of a successful operation working to support organizations doing much needed work in their communities. Rather than coming in with an agenda and a budget, AP asks what is needed and works with the locals instead of over their heads. This is one of the many thins I admire about Iain and the team – they are not afraid to be humble and do the dirty work to help the job get done. My work here included helping with the Fellowship hiring process for this summer. I helped post job listings, review applications, interview, set up training, etc. I also helped with writing the Annual report and updating some parts of the website. Don't be misled, though: while we do work hard, this group is like a family and we have a blast working together (and eat lots and lots and lots of chocolates). I feel that I learned more this semester than I possibly could have imagined, and I really understand how much of a jack of all trades you need to be to run a nonprofit. I am so so grateful to AP for the opportunity to learn and grow as a person, student and future NGO employee. AP is doing something right, and I am honored to have been a part of it this semester."
"What can I say about my time at AP? I was so lucky to have the opportunity to work here for almost nine months. As the social media intern (for the first three months, with a promotion to Social Media Coordinator), I was the voice behind AP's community updates. But my job was so much more than that. If I had seen things like "create promotional graphics," "lead crowdfunding campaigns," and "edit and troubleshoot HTML code for the website" on the job application, I don't think I would have bothered applying! But after my time at AP, I can proudly say that I would apply to an identical position with confidence. That's what I grew to adore about AP's small office: nobody was expected to know everything, and everybody would eventually learn something. After being with AP for less than a month, I was teaching my fellow intern Catalina how to add her bio to the website. After being at AP for about three months, I was learning new editing software; another four months later, I was teaching it to AP's director Iain and the 2017 Peace Fellows. And somewhere around my third month with AP, I could identify a Peace Fellow from 2012 by one grainy photo, dive into their Flickr album, and find a better quality version of the same photo. I guess that's a side effect of interning with AP when there are no Fellows out in the field! I will forever be grateful to AP for all that they have done for me. Closing an almost two-year gap on my resume; opening my eyes to what life is like outside of the USA; teaching me so many new skills; making me hone and update my existing skills; and introducing me to so many wonderful coworkers: Karen, Catalina, Nola, Angelique, Bri, Talia, and Natalie (not to mention this year's Peace Fellows). These last nine months have been truly wonderful, and I will always look back upon my time at AP fondly."
Angelique Palomar
"I became the Jane of all Trades because of AP. From being an electrician to coordinating events, it was like getting to try a new piece of chocolate from a See's Candy box! As a fundraising assistant, I was in-charge of maintaining the donor database and drafting emails to AP's massive network. All while getting the hang of Global Giving, Network for Good and Constant Contact, I took on the role of Communications and Media Outreach Assistant. Every day was different, filled with a variety of work from designing graphics, to asking my friends and family in helping with a Global Giving campaign appeal. I even learned basic HTML coding! The biggest project I managed was quilt outreach. I coordinated events with solidarity groups from various universities. I've gained invaluable skills, knowledge and lasting friendships from my time at AP. Here I am thinking I would be contributing to marginalized communities, little did I know how much this experience would return to me in ten-folds. I am incredibly proud to be a part of a truly impactful organization. Cheers!"
Catalina La Mers-Noble
"The Advocacy Project is small but mighty. In the time of my 10-week internship, I shared the office with two amazing women, Kate and Karen, who not only were colleagues but also became friends. With them I stepped into the strange world of DC, where most weeks I was schlepping around a massive quilt and a bucket of candy, trying to convince the federal DC population to donate to our organization. My time at AP expanded me as a person, and I don't just mean through DC's happy hours. I learned how to edit websites (I also learned how to calm down after thinking I deleted the website), Excel spreadsheets, donation platforms, and how to kindly harass people through email. "The Advocacy Project is a wonderful organization doing much needed work in a world that is in great need of more compassion. It was a privilege to work along side such admirable people."
Amanda Reis
"'Social Media Assistant' is my official job title. What this means is that I was in charge of AP's social media accounts, responsible for updating followers on organizational projects and expanding our network. If I'm being honest, my daily routine consisted of virtually stalking the Peace Fellows (who I now feel like I know better than I know myself), and frequently shouting into the void that is Twitter. There were times when I seriously considered writing, "Hello? Is anyone AT ALL listening?"(I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out our #1 fan and follower, my mom. Many thanks for all the notifications, they gave my life some meaning). A word cloud of my internship would depict the word "hashtag" in size 84 font. Also soap, but that's an entirely different story. I truly could not have wished for a better experience. "I am tremendously grateful for my internship at the Advocacy Project, especially to have worked closely with people so passionate and so dedicated. I have learned a great deal over the course of the past ten weeks (specifically, perfecting the art of 140 characters #socialmediaproblems), and have acquired skills that I can apply throughout my life. It has been an incredible experience, one I will certainly miss and will never forget."
Laura Stateler
"In the first week of my internship, Karen printed me out some business cards with the title of "Administrative Assistant" centered nicely below my name. Although this is a nice and very professional sounding job title, I think my business cards should be reprinted to read, "Princess Laura". Every morning I begin my day with a nice cup of tea, I eat lunch outside in a garden filled with flowers, and I even get Tuesdays off work. Now, this may sound quite luxurious, but like every Disney princess I faced turmoil. I was locked in a dungeon for 10 weeks. Eighteen years worth of paperwork, a toilet, and I were all that inhabited this dungeon. It may have lacked a fire-breathing dragon, but my time in this dungeon consisted of developing a new filing system for the Advocacy Project. Cinderella had a Fairy Godmother, Rapunzel had her luscious locks to save her, and Princess Laura had filing folders and labels to the rescue. With hard work and a reliance on the Spotify "Confidence Boost" playlist, I am happy to report that I escaped the dungeon…and did it without the help of any Prince. Princess Laura and the rest of the AP "creature faces" went on to live happily ever after. "Reminiscing on my internship at the Advocacy Project, I cannot help but smile. Smile about the people and the work that this organization does. I am so grateful that this was my first office experience because I learned SO much about human right issues and the inner-workings of NGOs."
Kay Scanlan
"I didn't have any IT experience before coming to the AP. On my first day, fellows were already asking me for help and I remember nodding slowly, warily saying, "I'm sure I can take care of that," panicking. What did I sign up for? Now I dream in code. I have memorized {p style="text-align: justify;"} {span style="color: #000000;"} {span style="font-size: small;"}. I live every day in fear of crashing the website, but luck has been on my side. Everyone says the website looks great, but most of the time I just hit different buttons until it works. We have had so many laughs inside our small but air conditioned office and we have lunch outside everyday in our little garden. I love that we never really know what to expect when we come into work, for instance, we have discovered that there is a coffin in the basement and a toilet in the filing closet. Despite the online learning curve, I have truly enjoyed my summer at the AP. "Interning at the AP has taught me many functional skills from learning how to create and manage a WordPress website to making a podcast. More than that, it has encouraged me to grow as a world citizen. I am more aware of other cultures and issues that underrepresented communities face than I was at the beginning of this summer, and I have so much more respect for people who dedicate themselves to doing non-profit work."
Rita Lo
"My main responsibility at AP is raising some money for the summer. I work with fellows on creating their fundraising appeals, work with Amanda to promote them on social media, and bombard my Facebook friends on AP campaigns. I also organize AP's donor database and money raised in the past by chasing Iain and giving him a to-do list since he is the only one who knows about the funds that have come through since 1998. With things organized, I created many colorful pie charts which are to be found on the AP website.It is a very rewarding experience to intern at The Advocacy Project. I learned a lot about the everyday challenges facing small nonprofits and particularly advocates working in the field of conflict resolution, such as management, organization, communications, and fundraising. The best part, of course, is the friendly office culture and Iain's countless bizarre stories!"
Rachael Hughen
"One of my primary responsibilities this summer was photo editing. I quickly became acquainted with light, color, composition, and pressing the "auto adjust" button on the photo editor and taking credit for it. I also edited fellow's videos from the field, using complex video software by pressing all the buttons and panicking until it turned out moderately well. My favorite and most stressful job was monitoring the security situation in all of the countries our peace fellows are working in. For someone who is usually 30 minutes late to work, I am still not sure why I was entrusted with the responsibility of this task. Either way, it was interesting and fun to try and translate headlines in broken English from Ugandan news apps. I am most well-known for refusing to write subject lines in my emails, leaving to run midday and returning unbearably sweaty (sincere apology to those who had to sit close to me), and getting into strange situations on the metro. All in all, this is the best job I've ever had. I have always wanted to work for a human rights based NGO, but did not think I would get the chance so early in my college career. Working at The Advocacy Project was a great reaffirmation that I want to work in the fields of international affairs, conflict resolution, and human rights for the rest of my life. It is a small staff and office, but everyone I have worked with here is so dedicated to the projects, causes, and human impact of our work that you would never know it was run by only nine people. I have loved being able to communicate with the Peace Fellows in the field, assist them, and see the direct and positive impact on communities abroad."
Brianna Goetzek
"As the administrative assistant during the summer, I helped keep track of all the 2017 AP Fellows as they worked with partner organizations around the world. I got to learn alongside the Fellows at the May training, and quickly became immersed in the digital side of AP's work. Aside from monitoring logistics and security in each country where we had a Fellow posted, I also updated and added to the online training materials available to the Fellows. I researched myriad topics like crowdfunding, peacebuilding, and videography to help ensure that our Fellows had all the tools they needed to support our partner organizations. Over the course of the summer, I was excited to become something of a website guru as I worked on updating the AP website and finding solutions for our partners' websites. I learned how to use plugins, HTML and CSS coding, and all the little buttons that make WordPress work like a charm I had no idea that I could learn so much in just a few short months! AP gave me the chance to work with our partners on initiatives that amplify the voices of people who have powerful stories to tell. Even beyond the opportunity to build new skills and learn about the world of nonprofit work, AP gave me new friends and mentors for whom I am incredibly grateful. I'll miss the office full of sunlight, quilts, and stories!"
Hannah Chi
"As the Programs Assistant, my role was to support the efforts of AP's peace fellows abroad by providing research, creating learning modules, and writing training materials. Most specifically, I worked with our peace fellow in Nepal to curb the issue of child marriage and advocate for menstrual health management. Since I had access to a wealth of knowledge from NGO's in D.C., I spent a large part of my summer running frantically around the city trying to make it to my next meeting with a women's rights expert. These experts were way smarter and more important than me, so it didn't help that I always showed up a sweaty mess– (unlike Rachel, who only glistened even more radiantly after a lunch-time run.) Since AP is just a one-room office, I would also take phones calls with women's rights experts at the Starbucks down the street. This may not have been my brightest idea. One time, I remember passionately preaching about the need for menstrual health management in a quiet, yet completely full Starbucks… once I realized that I was attracting a lot of stares after saying the words "period" and "blood" and "uterus" over and over again… I had to move my conversation to a cafe table outside… where of course, I was welcomed with one of DC's lovely thunderstorms. Though I'm sure I looked ridiculous, I know that there isn't a single person at AP who wouldn't preach about girl's health rights, huddled under a green Starbucks umbrella knowing that your laptop will surely suffer water damage. Because that's who we are at AP– we put others in front of us, and we put the agenda of human rights at the forefront. As for fun facts about me? I am most known for eating all of Allegra's muffins (who knew vegan muffins would be so delicious?), never using my advocacy.net email address, losing my "trousers" on our canoeing trip, and being incredibly passionate about women's rights. "Reflecting back on my internship with AP, I think of the people. I had the pleasure of working with a dynamic team of interns who are all exceptionally bright, motivated, and passionate. I learned so much from each and every one of them, and they always gave me a good laugh. In addition, having the opportunity to support the efforts of AP's inspirational peace fellows and having Iain and Karen guide us through the internship was an incredibly unique experience. At a small nonprofit like AP, it is truly the people that make the organization what it is. The staff, intern team, and peace fellows fill AP with so much passion, love, and dedication, and it is the reason why The Advocacy Project makes such a tangible difference in promoting human rights around the world."
Allegra Brandon
"I'm the kind of person where if there's a food platter with 10 hors d'oeuvres, I'm going to sample all of them cause I like to try everything. Likewise, I've been sinking my teeth in a whole variety of tasks here at AP, from photo editing and archiving to website building, all the way over to writing HTML, and back to handling videos and podcasts. Although I've tasted most of the samples on the platter, I still have fundraising and maybe even social media to sample before I finish my work for the summer. It's been tasty."I have never worked a desk job in an office before, but working at AP has been an easy shift and great exposure to the inner workings of a non-profit and human rights issues. For the past couple years, I have known that I will dedicate my life to human rights, and I couldn't be happier to start off my career here. The office is small, both in staff and space, which I have loved since it fosters teamwork and communication. That being said, our summer 2016 team has gotten very close, both in the office and during activities like canoeing, and we have lots of fun together. It's been a great experience so far!"