Nesiya Community Internships

All participants who receive financial support from Nesiya are obligated to fulfill a Nesiya Community Internship in an education or non-profit agency. These volunteer experiences are completed in the participant’s home community after participating in the Nesiya summer program.

In order to complete an application for any financial support from Nesiya (need and/or merit-based), you must complete and submit the Nesiya Community Internship Proposal Form.

The Community Internship Proposal Form invites applicants to begin thinking about what kind of volunteer experience they would like to fulfill and why, and also to share some of their own ideas about the challenges and opportunities of giving to others.

Please contact Nesiya with any questions or if you would like to brainstorm specific volunteer service ideas for your Nesiya Community Internship Proposal.

FAQ

• Who should submit a Nesiya Community Internship proposal form?

Everyone who applies for need and/or merit-based financial support from Nesiya is required to fill out the Nesiya Community Internship Proposal Form. This includes applicants for merit-based Nesiya Community Internship Awards, Nesiya merit-based incentive awards to alumni or applicants to other programs (ie. Genesis, Bronfman, Bima, Etgar, Panim, etc.), and Regional Fellowship applicants. This also includes all those applying for additional need-based support.

• When and how will my Community Internship be finalized?

Community Internship plans will only be finalized after:
• an applicant has been accepted to the Nesiya summer program,
• the applicant submits an additional form attesting to the readiness of a staff person in a local agency to accept and mentor a volunteer service experience, with a defined number of hours; and,
• the volunteer project has been approved by Nesiya. Please note that proposals for volunteer service can be changed, by an applicant or by Nesiya, after acceptance to the program or following the summer.

• How many volunteer hours will I be required to complete?

(Please note: The terms of specific Regional Nesiya Fellowship Awards may differ from the following terms)

The number of hours required for a Community Internship is determined by the amount of funding a participant receives from Nesiya. The first $1,500 of financial support from Nesiya carries specific Nesiya fellowship requirements. Any additional support from Nesiya above $1,500 is considered a grant.

The calculation of specific fellowship requirements is as follows:
•The first $1,000 of any Nesiya financial award obligates the participant to fulfill 60 hours of an approved community internship (volunteer) experience.
• Nesiya financial awards less than $1,000 are pro-rated accordingly. (For example, if an applicant receives $500, he/she must fulfill 30 hours of volunteer service; if an applicant receives $700, he/she is obligated to fulfill 42 hours of volunteer service.)
•If an applicant receives between $1,000 and $1,500 from Nesiya, the participant is required to fulfill a 60 hour community internship experience and repay a maximum of $500 through approved fellowship activities. For every additional $10 awarded (above $1,000), the participant must fulfill one Nesiya Fellowship Credit, up to a maximum of 50 credits. Please see a list of approved Nesiya fellowship activities and equivalent credits in the Fellowship Terms and Descriptions.

• How long will I have to complete my Nesiya Community Internship requirements?

Nesiya Community Internships are usually completed during the academic year immediately following participation in Nesiya’s summer Israel program. In some cases, volunteer experiences can be scheduled over a two-year period. Students currently in 12th grade are expected to propose projects which they will be able to pursue during college.

• Can I complete my Nesiya Community Internship through my involvement in a school club? Or can I design my own independent project?

School clubs, and independent projects that are not connected to the work of an existing agency, will usually not qualify as an acceptable Nesiya Community Internship. The hallmarks of an acceptable project are that it takes place as part of the effort of an existing non-profit agency whose work is supervised in an ongoing way by professional and/or volunteer staff, and that it responds to a defined and ongoing need.