The Sankofa Center’s corporate headquarters is based in one of the most dynamic areas of California. Located in Sunnyvale, in the heart of the Silicon Valley, home to Yahoo, Google, and other modern marvels, and minutes from San Francisco, our charity thrives off the talent and energy of the Bay Area. Interns and Volunteers, whether local or international, will find our volunteer/internship programs a thrilling opportunity for immersion, enhancement of skills and experience; and an important way to contribute to Sankofa’s charitable efforts abroad.
- Business Operations Interns-Cohorts of Interns run Sankofa’s base in Sunnyvale, California as the hub of our activities and impact abroad. Our Business Operations Interns are trained by predecessors to manage all aspects of office logistics, recruiting, training and management of volunteers and interns, shipping logistics of the product line, fundraising, and marketing. Business Operations Interns are point persons who work directly with the Executive Director to implement office operations.
- Marketing/PR/Event Planning-Marketing/PR/and Event Planning Interns fuel the organization’s activities in the San Francisco Bay Area to keep our impact in Africa going. These Interns work directly with Graphic Design Interns to create marketing promotions for Volunteer/Internship advertisements and social media. They source retail partners for the Fair Trade Product line, write press releases and blogs, contact potential sponsors and press, and showcase products at local fundraising events and trade shows. Interns also organize our annual “Friends of The Sankofa Center” event and network with other organizations/agencies for collaboration.
- Graphic Design- Graphic Design Interns work with Marketing and PR interns to create industry standard print, web, and media graphics for the organization. Interns possessing an adequate level of technical skill learn new artistic presentation and esthetics based on the organization’s brand identity. Skills such as Photoshop, Illustration, and In-design are preferred.
- Web Development-Interns with an advanced background in web developing and networking create ongoing updates to the organization’s web presence and ecommerce platforms. Our team researches and implements the latest mobile, web, and networking technologies to optimize our website.
- Photography & Multimedia- Photography & Multimedia interns at our California base primarily work with our graphic designers to create marketing materials for our various projects; as well as, spearhead local photo shoots in the marketing of our product line and events.
- Fashion Merchandising/Fair Trade Product Promotion-Interns that have a “passion for fashion” and Fair Trade assist our California base with the marketing of the organization’s Fair Trade Product line. These interns search for on-trend content and update the organization’s style blogs in relation to our product line. Interns may assist in presenting the fundraising line of products at local Farmer’s Markets, trade shows in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and assist PR, Marketing, and Photography Interns with merchandising. Interns are also taught to search for retail partners who may want to carry our line in their stores and assist with placing orders.
- Fundraising- Interns interested in developing fundraising expertise can do so in a variety of ways with The Sankofa Center. Notably, Interns help recruit “Friends of The Sankofa Center”, both individuals and retailers, who raise awareness about Sankofa’s HIV/AIDS prevention efforts while raising funds through the sale of the organization’s Fair Trade gift line. Other ways include recruitment of sponsors, assisting with Sankofa’s annual “Friends of The Sankofa” event, and spearheading independent projects.
- Research-Research Interns use credible web sources to find current content to write blogs related to HIV/AIDS and interconnected issues, Fair Trade, International Volunteerism, and other topics of interest relevant to Sankofa’s programming. Research interns are also trained to source retail partners that may carry the fundraising product line, create lists of schools to market our Volunteer/Intern programs, and research corporate and foundation sponsors to partner with our organization.
Residents and visitors in the San Francisco Bay Area may volunteer or intern with The Sankofa Center at our corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, California throughout the year. Whether as an enriching personal experience to make a difference in the world, to satisfy educational or employment criteria, enhance your skills for a competitive edge in the marketplace, or support OPT- we welcome you to apply.
- Dates: Available Year –Around for Local Residents ( Inquire for program lengths)
- Program Fee: No Fee for local residents /visitors Local Volunteering/Internship Includes: * Development of skills & experience * Resume & CV enhancement * Employment & Career Advancement Reference * “Certificate of Completion”- certificate stating the details of your completed internship
The Sankofa Center hosts a vibrant internship program for international students who wish to satisfy their internship and conventions mandated by their schools, or who wish to volunteer their time. Students have the option of completing their entire internship in California or placed in Ghana, West Africa for a portion of their internship. Our California base is the hub of our business, marketing, and promotional activities that provide exposure of our organization’s aims, mission, and strategic growth practices abroad. Locally, interns benefit the local community by growing our partnering list of HIV resources in the S.F. Bay Area. Internship will include learning and implementing:
- Networking with local, national, and international businesses for sponsorship & partnership
- Creating and implementing presentations for local supporters in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Building the organization’s presence through Public Relation campaigns, Field presentations at events, trade shows, farmers markets,& public image creation through social media and blogging
- Working with our team to plan, create, and implement marketing campaigns
- Assisting with the planning of our annual “Friends of The Sankofa Center” Gala event
Program Lengths: 2 Month Minimum – 12 Month Maximum Stay *Interns participating less than 3 months (90 days) from countries participating in ESTA may be able to participate without a visa to the U.S. * Interns participating for more than 3 months ( 90 days) must secure a J-Visa sponsor for participation. To find a list of organizations that sponsor the J-Visa please visit, https://j1visa.state.gov We will provide all interns with support letters to assist with the Visa & Sponsor Process
Program Dates: ( subject to change upon availability ) January 9th – March 5th March 9th- May 5th May 9th- July 5th July 9th- September 5th September 9th- November 5th November 9th- January 5th
Program/Housing Fee: ( Fee charged to all incoming interns from international locations, includes housing fee)
- $1,000 Per Month ( or partial month) + $750 Refundable Deposit
- $750 refundable program deposit is due 2 weeks after acceptance to secure your space. This fee will be refunded to intern 1 day before the end of their placement. However, if intern is denied their visa then this deposit will be refunded.
- ½ of Program Fee for selected internship length is due 60 days prior to program start date
- ½ of Remaining program fee for selected internship length is due 30 days prior to program start date.
Program/Housing Fee Covers:
- Pick-up/Drop-off at SFO International airport upon arrival/departure
- Dorm-style bedroom living with other interns & program Coordinator
- Bathroom, living room, and full kitchen access, it’s your home away from home
- Utilities: including trash, water, electricity, and wi-fi internet ( excessively high utility bills caused by blatant misuse of resources will be split between interns: such as leaving all lights/appliances on non-stop).
- Access to on-site apartment amenities (swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and clubhouse if available)
- 1 monthly Bus/Light Rail Pass covering transportation to/from office & local area transport, daily
- Logistics of internship, brochures, field marketing materials & business presentation logistics
- Support services
- Participation in trade shows, fairs, markets or PR events
- “Certificate of Completion”- certificate stating the details of your completed internship
Video Testimonial -International Intern Ashley Martins,In French (English Captions) AUG/ SEPT 2014
Clémence Mouelle , ESGCI-Paris Bachelor of Communication and Public Relations, winter 2014 French Public Relations Intern In California“Doing this internship in California was an amazing professional and personal experience; I had the chance to improve my skills in communication and public relations, but also to develop other skills like management and HR thanks to Ronnie who made me take advantage of his experience. He is very professional and helpful. Also, I learned a different way to work with others, to combine ideas to make the team go ahead. I learned a lot, everyone of us was bringing something, it was really rewarding. I am very proud of all the work we did and that we will continue to do. I know it is a great asset in my resume. Now, I look forward going to Ghana to be part of the outreach team doing the campaigns and complete my experience in the organization.”