SMS Interns

SMS interns are volunteer interns sent to us by Seniors Make Sense, a federal program designed to help seniors gain new skills in order to break into a new career. They're paid minimum wage for the time they spend here helping us and learning.

A list of stuff that staff should know about SMS interns:

• Their application process is the same as that for a regular volunteer intern (i.e. they need to go to the internships webpage, read over the instructions, and apply, then we'll get back to them for an interview).
• Their terms are generally 20 hours/week for at least 3 months. Their terms can go as long as 18 months if all parties are happy with the placement.
• They require a bit more paperwork than some other volunteer interns. This includes about 4 pages of initial paperwork and quarterly evaluations that need to be filled out and explained to the SMS intern.
• SMS volunteers generally need a bit of a special job description. They're here 20 hours/week for a long time, and they have unique skills, so they often require a little special consideration and flexibility on the part of their Free Geek supervisor.
• If their job descriptions expand beyond the default intern job descriptions listed on the internships webpage, be sure to list the additions/changes on the Volunteer Intern Schedule