Community Assessment Research Assistant- Internship Opportunity
This position is an unpaid internship.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago's Research & Evaluation (R&E) team seeks a dedicated Research Assistant to support our community assessment work. The R&E team is responsible for driving cross-functional evaluation and impact measurement throughout the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, in addition to knowledge transfer and dissemination via research efforts. This team spearheads association-wide evaluation and assessment to optimize the quality of programs and services provided at Y locations across Chicagoland, and at sites in Wisconsin and Michigan.
The R&E team leads and supports a variety of research initiatives aimed at the Y's essential services, which include, but are not limited to housing, food security, early learning, violence prevention, health equity, and economic empowerment. Another one of the R&E team's responsibilities is to understand the strengths, needs, and wants of the communities we serve and hope to serve. The Department's leading goal is to raise the Y as a vital community asset providing high-quality, innovative programs and services while advancing equity and holistically healthy communities. Community assessment is a pivotal component of achieving this goal, and a primary focus for this position.
Our staff is the Y's greatest asset. Our teams provide valuable skills, knowledge, and passion that is essential to the contribution and positive impact in our communities, which is why we offer Y interns numerous perks and benefits, including:
The Community Assessment Research Assistant will support a community assessment in one of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago's service areas. Tasks may include (but are not limited to):
Preferred Qualifications
The community assessment will take place in one of the YMCA service areas. As part of the R&E team, this role will work closely with multiple stakeholders including external stakeholders, Y leadership, program directors, and other staff. There may
be opportunities to support other aspects of the R&E team's work through this position. This role will require someone who is detail-focused, is a strategic thinker, and has experience in community assessment processes.
This position is an unpaid opportunity with a flexible start and end date dependent upon the availability of the applicant. The number of hours per week for the project is also flexible, likely between the range of 10-20 hours. This position will be hybrid, with the opportunity to attend in-person meetings at the YMCA office and with some required visits to the select community. If you need accommodations to be fully remote, we will consider that.
The R&E team is seeking an individual with interest and experience with the above skills. We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single criterion - we value individuals who demonstrate dedication to equity and hold the foundations to supporting evaluation and research efforts.
Child Abuse Prevention - Support the YMCA's commitment to child abuse prevention by: