Paid internships are important for helping youth grow and prepare themselves for the real world with proper guidance. This type of internship allows for both trusted adults and youth to develop separate skill sets while simultaneously nurturing relationships between the organizations involved, trusted adults, and the youth participants.
- Developing skill sets for trusted adults: combating adultism, collaborating with youth, and mentoring/coaching
- Developing skill sets for youth: time and money management, organization, and critical thinking
Here are national and international youth sexual health programs that include conferences, mentorship, collaboration, and most importantly environments for education in an array of forms.
- Advocates for Youth – programs: Advocates for Youth is the only organization that works both in the United States and in developing countries with a sole focus on adolescent reproductive and sexual health. Follow the link to find out more about their current programs and how to get involved. They host a youth-led conference focused on various forms of activism. Youth can participate in groups such as reproductive rights, HIV criminalization, and education reform. In these groups, they are taught how to host/conduct protests, do community engagement, write/create bills, host rallies, etc. Also great access to information, as well as scholarship, internship, and ambassadorship opportunities.
- United States Conference on HIV/AIDS and Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit: Annual conferences focused on HIV-related topics ranging from education to pleasure and everything in between. Hourly workshops and daily check-ins with advisors. Stipend, hotel, and flight included. Hosted in different locations each year in March/April (Biomedical) and September/October (USCHA).
- Youth Across Borders: Youth aged 18 to 29 can apply to become ambassadors and then apply for a chance to be a volunteer at a retreat in Honduras. There, youth ambassadors can interact with locals heavily impacted by HIV and participate in various week-long activities focused on sexual health, specifically HIV.
- Dream Youth Clinic’s RJ summer: Created by East Bay youth themselves, RJ’s summer “curriculum” is collaborative peer-to-peer education. Giving Black and Brown femme youth knowledge and strength to fight for the reproductive justice movement.