The Hart Family Internship is a new opportunity for two college students to earn money working eight weeks over the summer with The Periwinkle Foundation. These students will receive valuable work experience and an opportunity to make a significant impact in the community. Each of the interns hired will be paid $5,000.

Program Overview

For 43 years The Periwinkle Foundation has been on the forefront of programming for children with cancer and other life- threatening illnesses. Our signature program, Camp Periwinkle, takes place each summer and gives over 185 children the chance to make memories that will last a lifetime. Whether on treatment or off, patients and their siblings spend a week packed with adventure; from ropes courses and horseback riding to cooking and arts & crafts, no camp experience is spared!

In an effort to make the week of Camp Periwinkle the most magical week of these children’s lives, The Periwinkle Foundation hosts special activities throughout the week of camp which require additional volunteer and community resources. The following are areas for which we are in need of additional support:

• Opening Day Carnival – the opening day celebration, setting the tone for a week of fun
• InstaGlam – a fun-filled day with make-up, gowns and more
• Spa Day – a day of beauty and pampering as our lovely ladies get ready for the BIG dance
• Friday Fun Day – camp wide activities for a relaxed and fun final day of camp
• Camp Clothing Assistance – providing camp appropriate clothing for a third of our campers, ensuring there is no barrier to participation in this life-changing week
• Adopt A Cabin – an opportunity for the community to get involved in the fun by collecting and donating costumes for each cabin to wear to the dances

Internship Overview

The Hart Family Internship for The Periwinkle Foundation will be two positions for Summer Programs Coordinators who will work with the Community Programs Director, Community Engagement Manager and the Camp Periwinkle team to identify activities and volunteer opportunities for the Opening Day Carnival, InstaGlam, Spa Day, and Friday Fun Day. The interns will be responsible for planning programs that take place during the two events and working with vendors and volunteers to successfully execute each. The interns will also work with Periwinkle’s Family Coordinator/Social Worker (volunteer) to organize and identify needs for clothing assistance including the purchase of materials, recruiting and organization of volunteers to sort and prepare clothing for each child. Finally, the intern will work with the Family Coordinator/Social Worker to identify donors to adopt each of the camp cabins for dress up costumes and fun supplies for each of the themed dances at camp. The intern wills be encouraged to use creativity and ingenuity to make this year’s activities unique and successful.

Internship Job Description

The Periwinkle Foundation is seeking 2 compassionate, organized and self-motivated individuals looking to gain experience in volunteer management, family service, program management, and event planning. The interns will work very closely with the Community Programs Director, Community Engagement Manager, Program Director and Coordinator, and with the Family Coordinator/Social Worker (volunteer) for guidance. The interns will work collaboratively and report as the lead coordinators for these events during weekly staff meetings.

Specific Responsibilities Will Include:

• Volunteer Coordinating Identify opportunities for volunteers the interns will work with the Community Engagement Manager to identify meaningful volunteer opportunities throughout the week of Camp Periwinkle.
• Community and Donor Coordination Solicit donors for Adopt A Cabin and organize logistics of delivery of all 18 cabin boxes. Coordinate volunteers to screen donations and organize for delivery to camp. Create stewardship plan to acknowledge donors.
• Program Management Develop and implement new plans for Opening Day Carnival, Glamour Shots, Spa Day and Friday Fun Day and serve as the lead coordinator for the Work with Camp Periwinkle Social Worker to identify clothing assistance needs for each child.
• Budgetary Controls Complete purchases within budget for programming supplies and clothing assistance Keep detailed record of purchases and stay up to date on current budget.

Qualifications

• Must be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student who has completed at least one year of college and has not graduated
• Must be organized, self-motivated, compassionate and excellent communication skills are required
• An interest in children and family services is highly desired
• Computer and internet skills will be required
• Ability to interact in a professional environment with staff, volunteers and patient families
• Reliable transportation
• Relatives of The Periwinkle Foundation Board and Staff are ineligible to be hired

Skill Development

• Communication Skills Communication will be crucial to the success of our interns. They will have exposure to all methods of communication: verbal and nonverbal. The students will also learn about effectively communicating through social media and collateral materials while recruiting volunteers and working with donors, Board Members, corporate executives and organization supporters.
• Management/Administrative Skills As the lead coordinators, our interns will be responsible for helping manage volunteers and donors who will be participating in special events at Camp. Learning time management and planning skills will be critical to the outcome of the events. They will be trained in the use of the organization’s software and equipment and will follow all administrative and operational procedures.
• Professional Skills As our interns work, both independently and in collaboration with staff and volunteer personnel, they will learn a variety of professional skills which will be critical to the role. We will empower our interns to work with leadership and through teamwork, improve communication skills and relationship building/networking, clear decision making and time management, and strategic planning and organization.
• Other Skills and Competencies Our interns will gain exposure working with children and families of a sensitive population. It is important that our interns are able to interact with the people we serve, and see the benefits of their work first hand. We will train our interns on policies and procedures of working with children who are challenged by life-threatening illnesses in a hospital and camp setting.

Schedule

• Eight (8) consecutive weeks between June 8, 2026 and July 31, 2026
• Monday through Friday, 9:00a – 4:00p (1 hour lunch break is included)
• July 18th – July 25 will be required overnights at Camp for All in Burton, Texas

How to Apply

Send a cover letter & resume to:

Whitley Levy, Community Engagement & Development Manager
The Periwinkle Foundation
3400 Bissonnet, Suite 185
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 807-0291 Fax
wlevy@periwinklefoundation.org

All applications must be received by April 15, 2026 for eligibility. If you have any questions, please contact Whitley Levy at wlevy@periwinklefoundation.org or (713) 807-0191.