Real Life Volunteers

The Real Life program is a peer-to-peer mentoring initiative that supports refugee and immigrant youth in the Salt Lake area by providing academic tutoring and practical life skills lessons. Through hands-on activities and meaningful connections, the program empowers students to succeed in school and beyond.

Real Life interns should be passionate about education and supporting youth from diverse cultural backgrounds. The ideal intern will be a strong leader, ready to inspire volunteers and students. Past experience as a Real Life volunteer preferred but not required.

To serve as a Real Life Intern, you must: Have a high school diploma or equivalent. Be able to pass a background check. Reside in the Salt Lake area or have reliable transportation to program sites.

Attend all trainings, meetings, and weekly office hours. Be on time and prepared for each Real Life day at your site. Lead lessons, assist with tutoring, and ensure activities are safe and inclusive. Mentor and manage volunteers, taking attendance and verifying hours. Communicate regularly with site staff and Director(s) about any issues. Maintain professional boundaries, including no personal phone use during program and no social media connections with students.

Before Real Life programming starts, interns receive training in classroom management, teaching strategies, volunteer management, and lesson planning. In addition, interns receive ongoing training and support from the Real Life Directors.

Interns commit about 5 hours per week from November to May—4 hours at their assigned site (typically 2 days a week) and 1 hour of mandatory office hours at Youthlinc. Interns are selected in August–September, trained in October, and begin programming in November.

The Real Life program operates at various sites in the Salt Lake area in partnership with Promise South Salt Lake, Asian Association of Utah, and Umoja Generation. These sites include: - Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center - Evergreen Jr. High School - Olympus High School - William Penn Elementary School - James E Moss Elementary - Lincoln Elementary - Olene Walker Elementary - Woodrow Wilson Elementary - Umoja Generation.

Yes, Real Life interns are paid $14/hour plus an annual raise of $0.50 each year for returning interns.

Interns have the opportunity to learn from life experiences different than their own as Real Life serves a diverse range of students with refugee and immigrant backgrounds. This program offers a unique opportunity for interns to take ownership of their Real Life sites and function as a mentor and role model to both the students and the volunteers. Interns will learn leadership skills, teaching strategies, classroom management, volunteer management, and lesson facilitation skills.

"Get out of your shell and get to know the youth at your site. They will respond to you better when they feel seen and heard." "Take care of yourself, especially when hearing about difficult student experiences. Remember that just being there makes a change in their lives." "Communication is key! Always communicate with your coordinator, volunteers, and other interns."