Become a TECEC Volunteer or Intern

TECEC offers many opportunities for volunteers and educational internships.  Whether through formal, university-based internships or through informal volunteer positions, TECEC is always interested in helping to train the leaders of tomorrow!

We offer students and community members a wide range of experiences that will enhance their professional development and growth.  If you are interested in finding out more about volunteer and internship opportunities at TECEC, contact Don Titcombe at dtitcombe@tecec.org or 512.476.7939 for more details.

Please review some of comments made by former TECEC volunteers and interns about their experiences with us:

I loved my semester working with TECEC, my only concern is that I won’t find another work environment I enjoy so much!  The entire staff at TECEC really works with the interns to make sure the experience is as educational as it can be.  I had countless opportunities to improve my skills across a broad spectrum- from nonprofit management, to event planning, to research and policy analysis.  The environment was very supportive and open to any questions I had.  It can be difficult coming out of an academic environment to truly quantify the skills you have and the TECEC staff really helped me see what skills and talents I can offer to potential employers, as well as in what direction I’d like to start my career.  Interning here was a wonderful experience and I’m so sad that it’s over. -- Jessica Horning

The summer I spent interning at TECEC was the most enjoyable work experience I have had. I was given many opportunities to take initiative in developing the projects that I worked on, and was successful doing so thanks to frequent communication and feedback from the TECEC team. As I learned more about TECEC's work, I was able to add my own ideas to the mix and thereby take an active role in shaping the work of the organization. The TECEC staff was eager to listen and collaborate, and I was encouraged to make the most of my time by working with TECEC's partners and getting to know the field and issues in a broader way. My time with TECEC was so rewarding because I was given the support and resources to make the position my own while making a meaningful contribution to the organization's success. I would absolutely recommend a position with TECEC to anyone who is dedicated to working on behalf of children and who values a positive, supportive and exciting work environment.   --Emily Pyeatt

While many organizations and businesses often only use interns to cover areas where they have need, TECEC truly invests in its interns and makes every effort to create projects and match interns with existing projects that will boost them professionally.  For example, when I came to TECEC I had limited knowledge about the legislative process and knew that this could impede on my ability to contribute to TECEC’s public policy work area.  The TECEC staff held a mini-legislative training session, complete with diagrams and handouts, in order for me to feel more proficient with public policy.  Not only does TECEC take a great deal of care and consideration into its interns’ professional development, but they also care a great deal about their interns personally.  Once, when I was particularly torn about what to do after college graduation, a TECEC staff member helped me to make pro and con lists for different options I was considering in order to ease my decision-making process.  This, and countless other examples like this, show how much the staff at TECEC really care about their interns .--Stephanie Guidry

I interned with TECEC between January and May of 2008 as part of an educational requirement for a Masters of Social Work degree.  I cannot imagine what a more fulfilling internship would have looked liked.  The challenges and opportunities for interns at TECEC are amazing.  On any given day, an intern might be meeting with legislative aides, reviewing a policy brief, interacting with state agency representatives, mastering advocacy technology, analyzing data, or meeting with coalition members.  Those are just some of the opportunities available at TECEC.
 
What really makes the intern experience at TECEC wonderful, however, is the tremendous amount of quality leadership present in the organization.  TECEC gave me the perfect amount of support and guidance throughout my time there.  The leadership there gave me the tools to improve in challenging areas and to refine skills in my areas of competence.  My time at TECEC was the most solid and dynamic learning experience of my graduate education .—Former Social Work Intern