The ACLU seeks an Undergraduate Intern in the Advocacy – South Dakota Chapter of the ACLU’s National office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This internship is hybrid.

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated undergraduate students or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.

The Team:

The ACLU of South Dakota advocacy department defends civil liberties through lobbying, community engagement, and public education across the state, with a focus on Indigenous justice, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, and criminal legal reform. The team works to influence policy and empower constituents to act against systemic inequality.

What You’ll Do:

Reporting to the Advocacy Manager, the Advocacy Intern position is a unique opportunity for aspiring community organizers and advocates to advance civil liberties and protect voting rights during the 2026 Midterm Election in South Dakota. The successful candidate is comfortable working within communities across the state and shares a voracious dedication to the values upheld by the work of the ACLU SD. Reporting to the Advocacy Manager, the Advocacy Intern will be instrumental in the development and execution of the ACLU’s election safeguarding and civic engagement work.

Your Day to Day

• Assist with the ACLU’s Election Observer program through volunteer recruitment, communication, and organization
• Plan and lead community events to educate and mobilize citizen engagement
• Participate in coalition meetings and phone calls to gather and share information with partners, and to help inform ACLU programming
• Demonstrate a commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
• Demonstrate a commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

What You’ll Bring:

• Demonstrated interest in advocacy, community organizing, and/or public policy
• Ability to prioritize work under tight deadlines
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Actively developing or currently possess a strong sense professionalism, including ability to retain confidential information and exercise discretion
• Ability to think creatively to create compelling outreach tactics
• Strong interpersonal skills including an ability to resolve conflicts in a manner that respect relationships with colleagues and community partners
• Public speaking experience preferred, but not required
• Volunteer management experience preferred, but not required
• Familiarity with the South Dakota legislative process
• Proficiency using diverse technology platforms, including but not limited to; Zoom, Microsoft Office, Outlook

Future ACLU-ers Will:

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflict

Internship Logistics:

• Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship is hybrid from the Sioux Falls, South Dakota office.
• Time Commitment: This internship is part-time (10, 15, or 20 hours/week)
• Internship Duration: Part-time internships span 12 consecutive weeks. This internship has a start date of: September 8th or September 21st.
• Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work and do not receive compensation from other sources. Students with external funding may receive a partial stipend to bring their total funding up to the level of the ACLU’s stipend amount for that term. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit. Below are the stipend rates:
  • $20/hour for undergraduate students or equivalent experience

This internship must be tied to the intern’s formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.

Why the ACLU:

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodations for the interview process.

In order to be considered for this position, all candidates must formally submit an application. The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.