Opportunity: Research Assistants for Youth and Media at the Berkman Center

Sep 12, 2022

Join the Youth and Media team! The Berkman Center’s Youth and Media team is looking for smart, dedicated, part-time Research Assistants to help with its research and educational initiatives around topics such as health and well-being, online privacy, digital skills, and emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and the metaverse).

About Youth and Media:

YaM is a diverse, passionate, collaborative, and fast-paced group that brings together young people, leading researchers, developers from the Berkman Klein Center, and mentors from the Center’s broader global network to engage creatively with the core challenges and opportunities that youth face online. More information about YaM can be found on our websites (http://youthandmedia.org and https://cyber.harvard.edu/research/youthandmedia).

About you:

Successful applicants will be hard-working, dedicated, creative thinkers, and have an interest in researching the relationship between young people and technology. We are looking to hire people who are detail-oriented, self-driven, and have excellent verbal and written abilities. Please note that to be eligible for this position you must be an enrolled student at Harvard Law School or another Harvard School.

Role #1 – Working with Youth – may include:

Reaching out to schools, after schools, and community programs to see if they would be interested in having youth participate in our most recent round of youth consultations (e.g., interviews, focus groups, or more informal conversations).
Setting up youth consultations.
Leading youth consultations.
Distilling key themes from conversation transcripts.
Hosting workshops and other events with and for youth.

Role #2 – Academic Writing – may include:

Conducting literature reviews.
Co-writing academic journal articles.
Copyediting drafts as well as editing for flow and style.

Role #3 – Website and Communication – may include:

Updating YaM’s website and online presence.
Facilitating our social media channels.
Helping draft news pieces and other announcements.

Role #4 – Discussion Groups – may include:

Organizing bi-weekly / monthly meetings with Berkman Klein community members interested in youth topics.
Helping to define discussion topics and co-facilitate the conversation.

Benefits/Other Information:

This position is currently (primarily) remote.
As noted previously, to be eligible for this position, you must currently be enrolled at Harvard Law School or another Harvard School.
The time commitment would not exceed 14 hours per week. Often, individuals work from about 6 to 14 hours per week.
Compensation is the standard rate for Harvard students in RA positions ($20.50/hour).
We do not have the ability to provide authorization to work in the U.S.
No other benefits are provided.
The ideal start date will be early October.

To Apply:

Please send your current CV or resume and a cover letter summarizing your interest, experience, and possible role(s) – applicants may express interest in up to two roles, but may ultimately only/primarily be hired for one – of interest to YaM Director Sandra Cortesi (scortesi@cyber.harvard.edu) with “Application for Youth and Media RA” in the subject line. Students who applied in 2021 are encouraged to re-apply.