Youth Action Team Internship

Scroll to the bottom of this page to apply for the
2025-2026 YATI Application cycle! 

The Youth Action Team Internship empowers female-identifying Catholic high school juniors and seniors to act for social change in their local communities. Through faith-based community organizing workshops, this internship builds interns’ confidence in their identities, nurtures unique leadership gifts, and teaches interns to strategically build movements for social change. Through intern-centered formation, workshops, and diverse spiritual practices, we cultivate a deep sense of agency and solidarity, ensuring that each intern leaves the program knowing they are powerful and capable of creating positive social change.

INTERNSHIP BENEFITS

OUR PROCESS

The Youth Action Team Internship is a two-part process spanning over an academic year.

Part One: Becoming a Community Organizer

September to December
Interns receive weekly intern-centered workshops designed to help become faith-based community organizers!

Sample Schedule
Weeks 1-3: Identity Development
Week 4: Storytelling
Weeks 5-8: Listening and Communication Skills
Weeks 9-12: Listening Campaign
Weeks 13-14: Collective Discernment

Part Two: Building a Movement for Social Change

January to May
Interns design and launch a social movement to address a social justice issue they collectively identified during the fall. Through planning, storytelling, and direct action, they mobilize their communities, raise awareness, and advocate for tangible change.

Past Movements

2024-2025: Immigration Justice Campaign

YATI leader reads her public narrative at the Way of Sorrow event at Seattle University.

Rooted in their personal experiences and a commitment to justice, the interns launched a campaign advocating for immigrant rights and dignity. They organized a popular education event featuring a panel of immigrant leaders, issued clear calls to action for systemic change, and shared powerful personal testimonies during the Way of Sorrow event. Their efforts invited their community to deepen its commitment to immigrant justice in faith and practice.

2023-2024: Mental Health Campaign

YATI Conflict to Ceasefire community event

The interns built a mental health campaign asking for the implementation of near-to-peer support, parental support programs, and social emotional learning curriculum in Catholic schools to address the mental health crisis for Gen Z. The campaign materials were presented to the Archdiocese of Seattle in May 2024 for their consideration for the following academic year.

2022-2023: Addressing Ableism and Racism in Catholic Schools

After hearing from over 100 Seattle community members, the interns identified racism and ableism as major issues affecting their peers. Through the “At the Table” social action, they shared personal stories and called on Catholic schools to adopt more inclusive practices. As a result, schools took steps such as hiring a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, forming DEI committees, adjusting schedules for later start times, and reforming curricula and grading to promote equity.

2021-2022: Support for the Philippine Human Rights Act

In partnership with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines – Seattle Chapter, the interns collaborated to plan and implement a townhall meeting with Representative Adam Smith. The townhall allowed Filipinos to share their concerns about militarization in the Philippines and demand Rep. Smith cut funding for military aid to the Philippines to stop extrajudicial killings of Filipinos.

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE INTERNSHIP?

Apply today for the 2025-2026 internship cohort!  

The internship is open to female-identifying rising juniors and seniors from Catholic high schools. Female-identifying individuals, regardless of faith affiliation/background, are invited to apply.

To apply, please fill in all the fields below. The application is due on June 9th at 11:59pm. All interested applicants will be offered the opportunity to interview with YATI Co-Facilitators, Gabi Jeakle and Sarah Pericich-Lopez. Once interviews are completed, acceptance letters will be sent to the 2025-2026 cohort of interns in mid-July.

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For questions about the Youth Action Team Internship, or the application process,please email Sarah Pericich-Lopez at spericichlopez@ipjc.org.