About NYC Kids RISE:

NYC Kids RISE is a nonprofit organization working with the City of New York and the NYC Department of Education to manage the Save for College Program (the Program). Through the Program, eligible students enrolled in an NYC public school (including participating charter schools), starting in kindergarten, automatically receive a free NYC Scholarship Account with an initial allocation of $100 by NYC Kids RISE on their behalf, invested in a NY 529 Direct Plan, and opportunities to receive additional rewards over time. Their families can open and connect their own college savings account on their child’s behalf, and communities can contribute to groups of these NYC Scholarship Accounts as both a targeted and universal platform for community-driven asset-building in every neighborhood. This approach draws from a variety of best practices and disciplines across the fields of asset building, child savings accounts, financial empowerment, education, community wealth building, urban poverty, neighborhood effects and social capital research, collective impact, and more. Read more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program and listen to stories from partners who helped build the platform during its pilot phase from 2017 to 2022.  You can also view recent articles in Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and the NYCHA Journal; and read more about NYC Kids RISE theory of change in a recent report by the Urban Institute. 

After a successful pilot phase in the communities of School District 30 in Queens, NYC Kids RISE expanded citywide during the 2021-2022 school year. This school year, there are approximately 145,000 students participating in the Program across more than 1,000 elementary schools that have an NYC Scholarship Account for their educational futures.

Position Summary:

NYC Kids RISE seeks a highly organized and detail-oriented Research & Evaluation Intern to support various summer projects. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Data Management and Analytics and working closely with one of our Data Analysts, the Research & Evaluation Intern will gain exposure to working with a proprietary, vendor-provided database to support data integrity and internal reporting needs. They will also provide data analytics and research development support to help measure the Program’s impact and goals. The ideal candidate will have experience with data management, including data entry, cleaning, and analysis, scripting experience, as well as a deep desire to advance NYC Kids RISE’s mission. This is a Temporary position that averages for 8 weeks/40 hours a week starting early June, and there is flexibility on the end and start dates.

Responsibilities will include but not be limited to: 

• Support the management of NYC Kids RISE’s record keeping database, including performing daily data quality checks as well as recurring data exports and imports
  • Create queries in a proprietary query builder user interface
  • Perform QA testing
  • Document back-end processes and procedures
  • Attend weekly meetings with software vendor for resolution of issues
• Validate school information and conduct mapping exercises to validate locations with various geographic boundaries
• Support the data needs of internal stakeholders by generating requested metrics and reports 
• Conduct an independent research project, that might involve scripting, under the guidance of R&E Leadership and synthesize findings in a written report and presentation
• Ensure secure handling of very sensitive data, including compliance with FERPA and other cybersecurity regulations
• Support the Research and Evaluation team in using and analyzing collected data to manage performance of the Save for College Program and measure its impact in NYC neighborhoods 

Qualifications: 

• Experience: 1-2 years of relevant professional or educational experience, particularly in the areas of data analysis and management, statistics, research, or program evaluation. Exposure to or previous experience working with regulated data, or in organizations in the fields of government, financial institutions, asset building and financial capability, community development, education and/or community organizing are a plus.
• Technical: Knowledge of database technology basics and fluency in specific database technologies such as SQL, MySQL, and Postgres. 
• Analytical: 
  • Ability to manipulate and analyze collected data to drive decision making in Excel.
  • Experience with scripting in R and geocoding processes.
  • Knowledge of ArcGIS is a plus.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills, high levels of emotional intelligence and tendency to identify and amplify strengths in teammates; detail-oriented professional with demonstrated written, verbal, and presentational communication skills for various types of audiences. 
• Project Management: Highly organized with proven ability to work cross-functionally, including ability to track, manage and execute work streams toward completion.
• Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to consider an issue, identify and anticipate needs and perspectives, propose solutions, elevate when necessary, and incorporate feedback effectively. Excellent research and presentation skills. 
• Collaborative Spirit: Enjoys working as part of a team, but able to work independently; ability to have direct but empathetic conversations with leaders and staff at all levels of the organization; high degree of comfort with change and a fast-paced environment.

NYC Kids RISE currently maintains a hybrid work environment where staff work both from home and in the office, as determined by the staff member's preferences as well as the needs of our organization and the specific responsibilities of individual roles and teams. Our offices are based in Long Island City (Queens, NY). 

To apply, a cover letter and resume are required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please list the name of the position, “Research & Evaluation Intern” in the cover letter and apply here. This full-time internship can start on June 1st, 2024 and end on August 30, 2024. Compensation is set at $25/hour.

NYC Kids Rise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of basis of gender, religion, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, marital status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, unemployed status, or any other characteristic protected by law.