Volunteer

The internship and volunteer experience provides an opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills into hands-on practice. Additionally, the experience allows the intern/volunteer the opportunity to practice their discipline-specific competencies and prepare for employment in various community settings.

Requirements for Interns:

• Complete the minimum hours required by your Department/College and agreed upon with Sin Fronteras.
• Develop a number of internship objectives that identify measurable and realistic outcomes for the internship experience and complete a journal or report that documents your experience.
• Practice a variety of competencies relevant to your discipline.
• Attend seminars/meetings during which the above issues will be discussed.
• Submit to the Probation clearance process if you plan to attend workshops in the Probation Camp setting.

Requirements for Volunteers:

• Complete the minimum hours agreed upon with Sin Fronteras.
• Submit to the Probation clearance process if you plan to attend workshops in the Probation Camp setting.

Goal of the internship:

It is expected that the intern will participate in a range of educational experiences that are relevant to her/his discipline such as assessments, program planning, implementation and evaluation, advocacy, community mobilizing, social marketing, and group facilitation. Specific learning objectives for each intern will be developed jointly between the intern, the faculty coordinator and the Sin Fronteras preceptor.

Placement:

Sin Fronteras offer three basic placement settings for both volunteers and interns. The first is at the Challenger Memorial Youth Center, a Probation Camp in Lancaster, California. The second is in our office located in Koreatown. The third is an agreed-upon community setting that considers convenience to the intern/volunteer and Sin Fronteras youth.

Communication:

The intern/volunteer is responsible for contacting the Sin Fronteras preceptor and faculty coordinator (for interns) with any questions or concerns during their commitment experience. The intern/volunteer, faculty coordinator (if applicable), and the Sin Fronteras preceptor will have continued communication throughout in person or via phone or email. Additional information and guidance will be provided during the semester related to expectations, assignments, challenges, concerns, and successes.

Definitions:

Intern:

An intern is a student who has completed all the required departmental/program courses for her/his major and is currently enrolled in an Internship or Independent Study course approved by her/his Department/Program.

Faculty Coordinator:

The faculty member in the intern’s Department/Program who is responsible for coordinating and managing the internship or independent study experience.

Volunteer:

A person who performs a service, renders aid, or assumes an obligation voluntarily/of one’s own free will.

Preceptor:

The Sin Fronteras staff person who will supervise and assist the intern/volunteer at the placement site.

Legal Considerations:

Sin Fronteras is not liable for injuries or damages to interns or volunteers as this is not an employee/employer relationship. Uncompensated interns and volunteers are not covered through a worker’s compensation program, and are therefore responsible for obtaining their own insurance. We strongly recommend that the intern/volunteer discuss any relevant issues with the preceptor prior to starting the internship/volunteer experience.

Since the population we serve primarily consists of children and youth, we require that a background check be completed by the Probation Department. Most prior convictions, particularly those over five (5) years, should not prevent an applicant from being cleared. However, any violent offenses against children or other vulnerable persons (elderly, disabled, etc.) will prevent your placement in our program.

Additionally, children and youth are very conscious of our behavior and actions. Bear in mind that we must lead by example by being accountable, honest, and respectful at all times. This includes professional decorum (i.e, no profanity or lascivious vocabulary), adhering to Probation’s and Public Health’s, our Public Agency partners, dress code and policies (see Appendix), and abstaining from giving cash or other gratuities to individual minors. If you’d like to offer a snack or gift items to the youth, please provide for all of them.

It is strongly recommended that you do not give out your personal information to the youth, including but not limited to your home address and phone number, or identifying information such as your Social Security Number or Driver’s License number. You may ask the youth to contact you via the Sin Fronteras office. Youth may also contact you via your personal email or personal cell phone number/other number only if you feel comfortable.

It is the intern’s/volunteer’s responsibility to notify the Sin Fronteras preceptor of any problems, issues, or concerns that arise as soon as possible. Communication can be made in writing via email, hard copy letter or memo, voice mail, or verbally in person.

Sin Fronteras
3530 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 800/IVPP
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel: (213)351-7862
Email: info@sinfronterasusa.org
Contact person: Susan Cruz

All content is © 2008 Sin Fronteras unless otherwise noted.