Intern Experiences
Every Tuesday (and some Thursday) mornings at 10:00, I have the pleasure of logging onto zoom to talk about sex…uality education. Surrounded by incredibly knowledgeable, creative, kind, beautiful souls, learning and unlearning the ways that oppressive systems overtly and insidiously grasp and shape sexuality and our lives, has been a much needed duo that has allowed me to reflect, relearn and shape myself into the person I am becoming and will continue to strive to be. This work can be exhausting and triggering, but it is never without care and support, and so it can also be joyous because it is freeing.
Masakhane Center has been an essential humanizing space in my life, grounding in me a genuine confidence and self worth, and teaching me how to grow into a compassionate, non judgemental, pleasure- and liberation-focused sexuality educator to/for/with young people.
Some of the projects I have worked on include:
An Adultism & Adultification training with the wonderful Madeleine, where we gave thought to how sexist, gender-based, racist, and ableist oppressive systems work to create harms against young people, and together began a process of unlearning the authoritative role over young people that adults in our society are typically taught to have.
The “Dreaming Consent” Zine, where I faced the hard truth about the ways oppressive societies are places where real consent cannot fully exist, but also wanted to begin thinking about the ways we can support each other in consensual, love-based ways, both related to sexuality and beyond.
As a lover of writing, I enthusiastically enjoyed the privilege to add to the First Time Sex and Body Wellness curricula, adding lots of details and tidbits, and also creating some activities relating to anti-fatness in sexuality-related media, debunking manipulative marketing in the hygiene industry, and more.
One of the invaluable experiences I have been a part of at Masakhane is being a co-facilitator during workshops with young people. Some of my favorite topics (so far!) were bodies, puberty, supportive relationships, and menstrual wellness. Masakhane has helped me have an outlet to share information, host activities, and empower young people, which has been so amazingly fulfilling.I am so grateful to everyone I have collaborated with, especially Stephanie, who has given me so much reassurance, advice, and support throughout this transformative experience. - Jaelyn Heredia, October 2024
This last year interning at the Masakhane Center felt like discovering a beautiful, thriving garden, with ample space for me to plant and water the seeds of my ongoing role as a sexuality educator. In the spring, my workshop partner, Shiloh, and I led a mock workshop on genital representation, then lead workshops at Science Park High School on supportive, unsupportive, and abusive relationships. It felt meaningful to facilitate workshops that I know I could’ve gained benefit from when I was in high school. Our participants are incredibly knowledgeable beyond where I remember my peers and I were at their age. I always left impressed by our participants and excited for the future of all of them.
This fall semester, Stephanie, Jaelyn and I have been revising curriculum to provide updated material that continues to support collective liberation through shared knowledge. My focus has been on the Porn & Erotica curriculum. I’ve learned lots on the technical process of revising curriculum, but what’s stood out to me the most has been the emotional process of working on material that highlights oppressive systems that have caused harm in our own, personal lives.
I’ve had lots to contribute to this curriculum, but it’s been paired with having to learn how to take care of myself throughout an emotionally exhaustive process of confronting past harm. I’ve been grateful to be navigating this complexity in the safe container of the Masakhane Center. Stephanie, my co-interns, and the Masakhane Center have given me a rare setting to learn what actual care in an educational/organizational/work environment can look like.
In this internship, I’m constantly learning more ways that I can better show up for myself. Moving forward, I’ll be working on the First Time Sex curriculum where I’ll be adding information on having sex with someone with body parts, sexuality, or gender expressions you haven’t had sex with before! - Momo Ramstedt October 2024
It was the best learning and engaging experience I've ever had. I wouldn't trade the people, experience, memories, or environment for anything." - Francis
“Masakhane welcomed me with open arms to learn, unlearn, and actively reflect. Being in community with others to discuss important topics made the experience even more enhanced and special for me. From training to creating my own projects, Stephanie affirmed me and gave me the space to give myself grace. My overall experience is something that will follow me forever. This organization is what young people need to thrive, pour into themselves, and into their communities.” - Na’Kiya Thompson
“My experience has been nothing but positive. Masakhane creates such a safe place that I always felt comfortable with everyone I worked with. There was so much room for personal growth and creative freedom that I felt positively impacted me as an individual. There are so many things I learned from this internship that I will always carry with me as well as some lifelong friends. :)” - Emily Guerrero
“If you are passionate about or curious about sexual health, Masakhane is the perfect place to find a challenging, enlightening, and unifying space that will push your abilities and knowledge.” - Pallavi Goel
“Masakhane has been such a wonderful experience for me. I've become more confident with who I am as a person and as an educator. I feel like many questions I've had about myself were answered here through all the different sexuality topics we delved into, and I definitely feel more empowered with the knowledge I got from this internship. I've met so many amazing people from all different backgrounds and I have learned so much from them. I'll always be so grateful for this experience at Masakhane!” - Sabriya Saif
“Interning at Masakhane Center offers opportunities to build connections, learn from highly knowledgeable folks, and enhances personal and professional development!” - Riddhi Patel
“I would say working with Masakhane was probably the most validating, affirming, and necessary experiences I have had thus far. The way we were encouraged to rethink education as a more collaborative process rather than simply lecturing and instructing participants has helped me to understand why certain educational structures don't work for everyone. I also feel like a more confident activist and will continue to advocate and talk about the importance of Masakhane's mission for sex positive and inclusive sex education for all <3” - Shiloh Gordillo