ILR High Road New York
Make the Road

ILR High Road New York is a statewide program that aims to teach ILR students practical methods for civic engagement and leadership through economic justice, evidence-based policy, and strategic development that creates opportunity for community members to share in prosperity.  The Summer 2026 New York City (NYC) High Road Fellowship Program will run from June 1st to July 31st, 2026. Students intern in person with various NYC partner organizations and will participate in weekly cohort workshops focused on critical reflection and peer-to-peer collaboration and networking and learning opportunities with guest speakers will be offered at ILR's NYC office on Lexington Avenue. All interns will be paid and need-based subsidized housing will be available.

Make the Road New York (MRNY) is a membership organization of 28,000 members that builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice. We integrate four core methodologies: community organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and the provision of legal and survival services. This holistic model enables us to meet immediate needs, cultivate leadership among low-income people, design sophisticated and innovative policy solutions grounded in real-life experiences, and use deep base-building and community organizing to win policy transformations that impact millions. MRNY was formed in 2007 through the merger of the Latin American Integration Center, founded in 1992, and Make the Road by Walking, founded in 1997. 

With 200+ staff, MRNY operates five welcoming community centers in immigrant and working­class neighborhoods of Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Long Island, and Westchester County. We reach 30,000 people annually with our survival services, helping individuals access healthcare, resolve immigration legal issues, reclaim stolen wages, improve their English, pursue higher education, and more. 

Our members and the people we serve are youth and adults of all genders, though most are women. A large majority are Latinx and we also work with a significant proportion of Black and African-American community members. We organize with a vibrant community of translatinxs in Queens and with a multi-racial, multi-generational group of trans and queer community residents in Bushwick. Many of the families we serve have mixed immigration statuses. Most of our members and participants are monolingual Spanish speakers. Many adults have limited formal schooling and some lack literacy skills even in their native language, while many of our youth members are the first in their families to attend college. 

As our communities face unprecedented threats this year, we have jumped into action to keep families together and protect our people. Our experience and community trust have made MRNY a leader in meeting this moment. 

We are looking for two student interns to work with our new program, Guardianes del Barrio, to prepare our barrios, or neighborhoods, for an increase in federal presence and to build relationships and networks that can be activated in situations of duress, allowing people to self­organize and respond. Interns will be trained to support and participate in activities, including but not limited to: 

•    Working closely with the Capitanes del Barrio, or block captains, to communicate with their neighbors, share information on their constitutional rights, and activate in rapid response moments to keep each other safe
•    Providing in person and virtual Know Your Rights Trainings
•    Supporting staff with family preparedness workshops and legal guardianship clinics to help prevent financial and familial hardship for immigrant families and youth
•    Phone banking and door knocking to inform of MRNY's services, share resources, and disseminate information
•    Providing administrative and logistical support for this program overall, as well as for events including our annual Translatina March that occurs in July each year in Queens and draws hundreds of people.

Training and some political education will be provided to the interns to ensure their success. However, we are looking for two students who are: 

•    Dedicated to social justice and aligned with MRNY's mission to achieve dignity and justice for immigrant and working class communities
•    Bilingual Spanish speakers
•    Tech savvy and proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Google Apps (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet, etc), and Zoom
•    Friendly, outgoing, and patient as this work will require working with both staff and community members
•    Comfortable working one-on-one, in groups, and in front of groups - some public speaking required
•    Willing to work some nights and weekends
•    Willing to travel between MRNY offices and around NYC

Make the Road is located at 301 Grove Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237