Call for Talented Students: USC Shoah Foundation Accepting Applications for William P. Lauder Junior Internship Program

USC Shoah Foundation is accepting applications for the highly competitive William P. Lauder Junior Internship Program that begins November 13.

Since 2014, the program has provided a dynamic and unique learning opportunity for hundreds of students to engage with testimonies from survivors and witnesses of genocide. 

The program is looking for 40 grade 7-11 students nationwide who are representative of diverse backgrounds and academic skills. 

During the program, participants will meet with professional staff and learn about the Institute's work and related fields. Leveraging their academic and social skills to evaluate testimony-based educational resources, the interns will provide feedback on IWitness content in development, collaborate with other students to develop public speaking and leadership skills, and share their scholarship through research and digital projects.

“Through these activities, William P. Lauder Junior Interns will think about what it means to be a responsible participant in civil society as they develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to believe they have a role in creating positive change in their own lives and communities,” said USC Shoah Foundation Interim Director of Education Lesly Culp. 

Over 350 students have participated in the program since its inception.

As in past programs, four returning Junior Intern Emissaries will serve as student leaders of the cohort and provide mentor support throughout the year. The emissaries’ experience of the program from preceding years informs their confidence to assist program instructors and share the benefits they have gained from the program with students and educators.

Safia Bethune, a 12th grader from Rancho Palos Verdes, California, participated in the program as an emissary for the 2021-2022 school year and attested to its impact. 

“The program has given me a deep understanding of identity and prejudice, as well as the importance of stories and personal testimony when it comes to fostering empathy and expanding perspectives,” she said.

The 2022-2023 Academic Year Internship Program will occur on ten Sundays between November and April and be a virtual experience with meetings being held on Zoom. Local students from Southern California will attend the first and last session in-person at the Institute. 

For questions about the William P. Lauder Junior Intern Program, contact us at iwitness@usc.edu. 

Click here to learn more about the program and apply: To learn more https://iwitness.usc.edu/sites/juniorintern

Application Deadline: October 23, 2022 by 5pm PST