High School Intern

In by Alexe Taylor

Website Courageous Sailing

Courageous Sailing is a nonprofit community sailing and youth development organization committed to providing people of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to learn, sail, and enjoy the waterfront. We work at two locations in Boston: the Charlestown Navy Yard on Boston Harbor, and the Historic Jamaica Pond boathouse in Jamaica Plain. Our mission is to transform lives through sailing programs that inspire learning, personal growth and leadership.

In the Courageous Sailing Youth Program, sailing is the platform for youth aged 8-18 to develop leadership skills, gain confidence, explore their local waterways, and delve into hands-on science.

Why Courageous? 

Working at Courageous is an opportunity to join a close-knit and diverse community committed to fostering a positive educational environment for staff and participants on and off the water.

Courageous Staff receive paid training and professional development as well as recreational access to our fleet of boats which range from dinghies to mid-size keelboats and cruising boats. 

By joining our team you will make a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of our participants and will be a critical part of fulfilling our mission to get people from all walks of life out on the water. 

Dates/Time: This is a Part Time position running 21 weeks between Oct. 21 and April 30, from 4PM to 7 PM two days per week. 

Position Overview

Courageous Sailing is looking for interns who will participate in workforce and job skills development programming before assisting in various projects across our small, dynamic nonprofit including Instruction and teaching, Powerboat and sailboat operation, STEM Education and marine ecology, Boat maintenance and engineering, social media management, nonprofit development and fundraising, and other areas of small business operations.  

By participating in this program, interns will gain an understanding of fundamental job preparedness and participation, receive support in navigating college and career pathways, and will have the opportunity to pursue their US Powerboating Safe Powerboat Handling certification as well as their US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification. Successful completion of this internship will qualify interns for more specialized or senior positions within the organization. This internship will run at our location in the Charlestown Navy Yard and interns will report to the Youth Program Director. 

Responsibilities 

General 

  • Participate in twice-weekly 3 hour training sessions where interns will learn the basic skills needed to work within the organization at Courageous. 
    • Each week interns will learn and practice the different skills needed to work in various departments across the organization, as well as more general job skills training. Training sessions will include: 
      • Employee and Supervisor expectations and communication
      • Intro to Sailing and Powerboating 
      • Routine boat maintenance and tool usage. 
      • Organizational social media management 
      • Marine Science research and education 
      • Google Sheets basics and fundamentals of data entry and analysis. 
  • After completing the core training curriculum, interns will select the program area they are most interested in and complete one long-term work project under the supervision of a Courageous Staff member working in that department. 
  • Interns are expected to attend the program at least once per week throughout its duration.  

Responsibilities:

Professionalism:

  • Arrive on time for programming. 
  • Participate at least once per week throughout the program duration. 
  • Attend all days of mandatory training and/or complete online training. 
  • Be proactive and communicative. Provide clear, effective and timely communication with supervisors and staff. Ask questions if the scope or intention of work is unclear, express concerns when they come up, give feedback regularly to peers and supervisors, and help facilitate positive change.

Safety and Risk Management: 

  • Comply with Courageous safety standards and policies on and off the water and teach participants how to do the same. 
  • Model safe, respectful, and responsible behavior to youth and peers at all times. 
  • Exercise sound judgment and decision-making. Treat safety as the highest priority. 
  • Leave Courageous better than you found it. Treat Courageous property with respect. Maintain the cleanliness and functionality of workspace and tools.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: 

  • Cultivate a kind and inclusive community where everyone at Courageous can feel like they belong. 
Qualifications

At Courageous Sailing, our highest priority is finding the best candidate for the job. Research has shown that people of color and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t believe they meet every one of the qualifications described in a job description. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our described qualifications or you have a less traditional background. We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

Required 
  • Aged 14-18 and currently enrolled in and maintaining attendance in High School
  • Current resident of the City of Boston  
  • Able to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, role modeling inclusive behavior and building positive group culture.
  • Able to communicate clearly, directly, and calmly at all times. 
  • Comfortable giving and receiving feedback to and from peers, participants, and supervisors
  • Comfortable working outdoors
  • Positive and enthusiastic attitude
  • Willing to authorize a federal background check
  • Hold, or are willing to obtain before start date, current First Aid and CPR certification
  • Three professional or academic references

Preferred 

  • This job is a good fit for anyone interested in learning more about the ocean, boats, and how small businesses actually work! 
Compensation

The pay rate for this position is $15/hour with a maximum of 12 hours per week available. Food will be provided. 

To apply, go to https://courageoussailing.org/employment-application/ Direct questions to yprfontdesk@courageoussailing.org

To apply for this job please visit courageoussailing.org.