Servant Leader Intern (SLI) – Freedom Schools® at the YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester
If you’re a college student who wants a summer that actually means something, this role is for you. As a Servant Leader Intern (SLI), you’ll spend six weeks leading, teaching, dancing, chanting, mentoring, and building joy with a class of up to 10 K–5 scholars. You’ll take the nationally renowned Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC) and bring it alive through call-and-response, cheers, movement, and creative remixes.
This isn’t for the shy. This isn’t for the quiet. This is for the bold—the ones who can take a Kendrick Lamar hook and flip it into a literacy chant that has 7-year-olds spelling out justice before snack time.
About the YWCA & Freedom Schools®
For nearly 100 years, the YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester has been pushing boundaries, breaking barriers, and fighting for racial justice and gender equity. We don’t just run programs—we ignite movements.
In partnership with the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), we are proud to bring the Freedom Schools® program to Westchester for the third summer. Freedom School isn’t a summer camp. It’s not summer school. It’s a six-week cultural and educational uprising that uses reading, music, movement, and civic engagement to empower kids to see themselves as scholars, leaders, and change-makers.
About Freedom Schools®
Founded during the Civil Rights Movement, Freedom Schools were designed to teach young people not only how to read but how to lead. Today, the CDF Freedom Schools® program continues that legacy nationwide. Scholars (K–12) experience a joyful, justice-rooted curriculum that blends literacy, civics and social action, culture and movement, and community.
The Role: Servant Leader Intern (SLI)
Reporting to the Site Coordinator, the SLI executes the daily Freedom School schedule of activities. SLIs are college, graduate, teaching-track students, or active teaching professionals who commit to six weeks of high-energy leadership. You’ll guide scholars through reading, activities, and community-building while modeling joy, confidence, and civic engagement.
Why Movement & Interaction Matters
Research shows that in traditional classrooms, students—especially youth of color—are asked to sit still for 8–10 hours a day. Freedom Schools flips that script. Studies confirm that youth engagement skyrockets when learning involves dialogue, movement, and culturally responsive methods—all core to Freedom School. If you can get loud, get creative, and get kids moving while learning, you’re in the right place.
What You’ll Do
• Lead your scholars (max 10) through the daily schedule—reading, activities, and community-building
• Memorize and perform cheers, chants, and affirmations (daily singing/dancing is required)
• Model leadership, civic engagement, and joy in every interaction
• Build authentic relationships with scholars and families
• Work as part of an intergenerational team of peers, site leaders, and national trainers
• Help scholars connect what they learn to action in their communities
Training & Commitment
Freedom Schools require serious preparation.
• Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute (Knoxville, TN): June 2–7, 2026 Internship offer is contingent upon successful completion of National Training
• Local Training & Classroom Prep: June 29 – July 2, 10am–3pm
• Program Run Dates: July 6 – August 14, 2026
Attendance at ALL training courses is non-negotiable. This is not just a job; it’s an academic fellowship/internship.
Requirements: Who We’re Looking For
• Sophomore level or higher, in good standing, with two recommendations
• Current elementary or middle school teachers seeking summer opportunities
• Passionate about kids, justice, literacy, and movement
• Comfortable being loud, expressive, and unapologetically yourself
• Creative enough to remix a song into a motivational chant
• Ready to work 7:45 AM – 4 PM daily, with energy that lasts past lunch
• Interested in education, social justice, youth development, or being part of something bigger
Stipend
$5,000 – $6,000
First-year SLIs receive $5,000. Returning SLIs and active public school teachers receive $6,000. The stipend covers the entire internship experience, from pre-training through the 6-week program. You also join a national network of Freedom School leaders, mentors, and alumni who go on to change classrooms, communities, and movements.
Location & Schedule
Location: White Plains, NY
Schedule: Monday–Friday during the 6-week summer session.
Hours: Full-time rotating shifts — 7:30 AM–4:00 PM or 10:00 AM–6:15 PM.
Why Apply?
Because you won’t just walk away with a summer job—you’ll walk away with a movement. You’ll be trained by Ella Baker Trainers, join hundreds of SLIs across the country, and gain skills in teaching, leadership, youth empowerment, and community engagement that last a lifetime.
This is work that matters. This is fun that transforms. And this is your invitation to be part of something bigger.
Physical Demands
Unless reasonable accommodations are made, staff must be able to sit at a desk and work on a computer for prolonged periods and lift up to 15 pounds.
Environmental Demands
Exposure to childhood and adult illnesses; occasional exposure to various weather conditions; work in heated/air-conditioned and ventilated facilities; function in a moderately noisy environment that can be very noisy at times.