Summer 2026 - Intern, Race, Equity, & Inclusion

About the team:

The Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI) intern will provide valuable support to the REI team by assisting with meeting documentation, conducting research, and offering insights during team discussions. This role is ideal for someone looking to gain foundational experience in DEI work, and learn about the criminal legal and immigration systems, while developing practical skills in communication, organization, people skills, facilitation, and critical thinking. The intern will also assist the REI team with day-to-day tasks and special projects as needed, such as REI Community Conversations (REICC) or REI Staff Committee (REISC).

The REI intern will learn:

• What it means to advance equity in a national nonprofit organization.

• How to collaborate across departments, stakeholders, and programs to advance equity.

About the role:

1. Support with implementation of the REI Dashboard and REI goals

• Liaise with Vera staff on initiative and department teams to collect data and annual goals.
• Work with the REI team to implement various equity tools across the organization, including document editing and research.

2. Meeting and administrative support

• Join all internal meetings and provide detailed notes.
• Schedule REI Staff Committee meetings and affinity group collaboration meetings.
• Bring up questions for thought partnership and collaboration.
• Provide logistical support during meetings.
• Support the REI team to implement action items.
• Aid in the creation of presentation decks and agendas for meetings and “REI Community Conversations”

3. Continue to advance equity knowledge

• Research equitable solutions that promote a better environment both within the organization, and externally via national initiatives.
• Research current events and understand how they interact/intersect with Vera’s programmatic work and REI work.

4. Other duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

Preferred:

• 0-1 years of administrative, support, or operations experience

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• Passion for racial justice and actively strives to model equity values.
• Solid foundational understanding and/or curiosity of structural and interpersonal equity and inequity.
• Ability to take initiative, and proactively organize, prioritize, and follow through on assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (i.e., Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Word, OneDrive, Outlook)
• Experience with Canva or other visual presentation applications
• Experience with Asana and Smartsheet preferred

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Industry City, Brooklyn office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $17.00 - $25.00. Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff - both personally and professionally - is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Summer 2026 - Intern, Race, Equity, & Inclusion
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.