Community Liaison & Outreach InternAt — Neutral Ground

Community Liaison & Outreach Intern
Community Partnerships & Outreach — Orange County, CA

Internship at a Glance
Organization: Neutral Ground
Position Type: Internship — Unpaid, Academic Credit Available
Program Areas: Community Partnership Coordination, Outreach & Referral Support, and Meeting/Event Representation (supervised)
Focus Areas: Community relationship-building, partner coordination, and outreach logistics
Duration: 10 sessions over one semester (compressed schedule)
Hours: Arranged with your site supervisor to meet your availability and, if applicable, your academic program's requirements
Location: Orange County, CA — in-person, community-based
Ideal For: Human Services, Social Work, Communications, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Sociology, or related majors seeking an internship or practicum placement

About Neutral Ground
Neutral Ground works to create a healthier and safer Orange County, centered on the communities most affected by gang violence. Through restorative practice, youth development, academic support, and meaningful relationships, we address the root causes of gang violence, poverty, academic failure, and teen pregnancy.

About the Internship
This internship places you alongside our community partnership work, helping build and maintain relationships with schools, community organizations, faith leaders, and other local partners. You'll help coordinate outreach, attend community meetings and events alongside staff, and support referral and partnership logistics — always under the guidance of your site supervisor.

The placement is structured as a compressed, session-based experience (10 sessions over a semester) with weekly supervision, a written learning agreement, and midpoint and final evaluations — designed to satisfy Human Services, Social Work, Communications, or related fieldwork/internship requirements, where applicable.

What You'll Do

• Support the Community Liaison and Program team in maintaining relationships with schools, community organizations, faith leaders, and local partners.
• Attend community meetings, neighborhood association meetings, and partner check-ins alongside staff, and help track follow-up items.
• Help coordinate referrals and connect community members with Neutral Ground's programs and services, under supervision.
• Assist with outreach logistics for community events, workshops, and tabling opportunities.
• Help maintain a partner and contact database, tracking relationships and outreach history.
• Support staff in preparing materials for community meetings and partner presentations.
• Represent Neutral Ground at community events and, with supervision, help introduce our programs to attendees and partners.
• Help gather community feedback and input to inform program planning.
• Participate in weekly individual supervision and team meetings.
• Complete a final capstone project (a community partnership map or outreach strategy recap) connecting your work to Neutral Ground's mission.

Who We're Looking For

• Currently enrolled in a Human Services, Social Work, Communications, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Sociology, or related undergraduate or graduate program (or equivalent experience), seeking an internship or practicum placement.
• Genuine interest in community engagement, partnership-building, or nonprofit outreach work.
• Comfortable engaging with community members, families, and partners from a range of backgrounds.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with sound judgment and professional boundaries.
• Organized and detail-oriented, able to track multiple relationships and follow-ups.
• Reliable and coachable, with the ability to commit to the full placement schedule.
• Willing to complete required clearances before engaging with program participants or partners, including Livescan (fingerprint/background clearance), TB clearance, Mandated Reporter Training, and any district certification/paperwork required for your assigned site(s), plus site orientation.
• Own transportation required, as work will include attending off-site meetings and events.

Key Skills

• Relationship-building and coordination with community partners and organizations
• Active listening and cultural humility with diverse community members
• Meeting support — note-taking, follow-up tracking, and logistics coordination
• Referral coordination and basic contact tracking
• Public speaking and representing an organization at community events
• Organization and attention to detail in maintaining partner records
• Discretion and professional boundaries when working with community members
• Reliability and self-management within a structured, supervised placement schedule

What You'll Gain

• Direct, supervised experience in community engagement and nonprofit partnership-building.
• An individualized learning agreement with weekly supervision and midpoint and final evaluations.
• A capstone project (a partnership map or outreach strategy) connecting your work to real community impact, to bring to future employers or graduate programs.
• An expanded professional network across schools, community organizations, and local partners.

Compensation & Academic Credit
This is an unpaid internship that can be structured to fulfill academic fieldwork, practicum, or internship credit. We're glad to coordinate with your school's field liaison or internship coordinator on learning agreements, hours, and evaluations.

How to Apply
Submit your resume and a brief cover letter describing your interest in community engagement and partnership work through Symplicity. Applicants who advance will be invited to an interview with our program team.