Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience since 1972. Cultural Survival envisions a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance.

Student Opportunities: volunteering, internships

Contact: Candy Williams, HR Manager, candy.williams@culturalsurvival.org

Planned Parenthood League of MA (PPLM) provides a wide array of accessible and nonjudgmental sexual and reproductive health services as well as educational offerings. PPLM's education programs include classes for parents/caregivers on being the primary sexuality educator of their child, as well as workshops for the public on various sexual health topics and how to access PPLM's services. Also, PPLM's educational programming for young people includes the Get Real Teen Council, a peer led sexuality education stipended program for high school students. The vision of the GRTC is to provide accurate, unbiased, and useful sexuality education; to end ignorance, promote acceptance, and improve communication between teens and the important people in their lives. GRTC empowers teens to educate their peers, families, and communities about human sexuality and healthy decision making!

Student Opportunities: Volunteering, internships 

Contact: Jen LeBlanc, Get Real Educator,  jennifer.leblanc@pplm.org

North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ Youth, providing a safe and brave space for youth to live as their true authentic selves. Proudly serving LGBTQ+ youth and allies from kindergarten through age 23, it provides programming and support around social emotional learning/education, risk reduction, advocacy and empowerment as well as  social support and healthy peer interactions during our drop-in times. Come check us out at our main site, The NAGLY Center in the heart of downtown Salem MA. We cover 42 communities across the greater North Shore, so check out our satellite sites, NAGLY North in Newburyport and NAGLY Lynn. All services and programs are free, no sign up or registration required. 

Student Opportunities: Ages 14+ life skills, mentoring, and education based opportunities, peer leading and other advocacy and leadership opportunities, internship and mentorships. 

Contact: Tony Leone, Program Director,  tony@nagly.org

Reproductive Equity Now works to make access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care a reality for all people in New England. Advancing reproductive equity and justice and eliminating barriers to abortion care are central to the organization's mission. 

Student Opportunities: Become an abortion access advocate; advocacy.  

Contact: Leah Cohen, Communications Officer, lcohen@reproequitynow.org

Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA)  is made up of Massachusetts students, parents, educators, school and college staff, and education advocates with a shared vision: that all students, regardless of income, race, gender, identity, religion, birthplace, or abilities, have access to high-quality, equitable, and democratically controlled public education that addresses the educational needs of the whole student and where every student thrives to reach their full potential.

Student Opportunities: Advocacy, events 

Contact: Jen Mau, Community Organizer jennifer@massedjustice.org

Pathways for Change is one of the leading rape crisis centers in Massachusetts and has served as an example of promising practices nationally. Serving Central Massachusetts, we provide support services to any person impacted by sexual violence, as well as education that helps end sexual violence. We start by believing.

Student Opportunities: internships 

Contact: Rosa Fernandez, Director of Education and Outreach Rfernandez@pathwaysforchange.help

Raising Multicultural Kids is an educational based non-profit organization focused on preparing youth for the future workforce. Our mission is to provide individuals with an inclusive mindset, which celebrates differences, seeks out new people and experiences, and values the opportunity to work collaboratively. Raising Multicultural Kids serves the needs of youth, families, educators, and the greater community by providing programming and training that gives people the skills to thrive in a diverse workforce and global economy. 

Student Opportunities: Volunteering 

Contact: Kelly Lamb Co-Founder and President rmkeaston@gmail.com

The Food Project’s mission is to create a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. Each year, The Food Project hires 140 teens, grows 200,000 lbs. of food, and donates more than 180,000 servings of fresh produce to hunger relief organizations across eastern Massachusetts.

Student Opportunities: Volunteering, Internships, Youth Work, Community Engagement, Youth and Adult Leadership, Cross Generational Relationship Building

Contact: Caiana Luse Moise, Greater Boston Dirt Crew Youth Development Manager, cluse@thefoodproject.org

Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) is a community-based nonprofit organization founded in 1993 to support refugees, asylees, and immigrants. RIAC provides comprehensive services, including refugee resettlement, casework, ESL classes, youth enrichment, a Mental Health Clinic, domestic violence advocacy, and community outreach. With nearly 30 years of leadership in the Boston area, RIAC empowers diverse communities through cultural, educational, and socio-economic development programs, fostering integration and self-sufficiency.

Student Opportunities: volunteering and internships 

Contact: Ayan Warfa, Community Engagement Manager awarfa@riacboston.org

For over 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union has worked every day in the courts, in the legislature, and in communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and laws of the United States. The ACLU Massachusetts fights for civil liberties and civil rights – from reproductive freedom, to voting rights, to racial justice, and beyond – at the state and local level.

Student Opportunities: Volunteering, book clubs, student clubs. 

Contact: Molly Roth, Volunteer Coordinator  mroth@aclum.org

Mental Health Collaborative’s mission is building resilient communities through mental health education & awareness. We decrease stigma, increase knowledge, and give people the skills they need to flourish. Our vision is informed by communities where people flourish, live the lives they imagine for themselves and engage in the promotion of mental well-being. We are dedicated to ending stigma and improving mental health literacy across communities by moving away from a crisis based response toward a model of prevention through education and awareness.

Student Opportunities: Become an ambassador, events, advocacy 

Contact: Marissa Carty, Program Development & Marketing Manager, marissa@mentalhealthcollaborative.org

Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence envisions a world where every one of us, in every zip code, lives free from the threat of gun violence. The Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence brings together impacted communities, advocates, public health experts and policy-makers to prevent gun violence in all its forms. Because we recognize that gun violence is a public health emergency exacerbated by economic disparity and systemic racism, we address those root causes through education, policy analysis, trauma informed advocacy, and by amplifying the voices of impacted individuals and communities.

Student Opportunities: advocacy, events, education 

Contact: Jovanna Rodriguez, Community Organizer, jovanna@mapreventgunviolence.org

Amid the multiple crises we face—from the pandemic, to the deterioration of our democracy, to the climate disasters that are forcing people to flee their homes—Sierra Club Massachusetts’ Chapter has shown up every single day, working to build a stronger, more coordinated and deeply resilient climate justice and environmental protection movement. 

Student Opportunities: Volunteer, training, advocacy

Contact: Vick Mohanka, Director vick.mohanka@sierraclub.org

Health Resources in Action is a non-profit organization working to improve and reimagine public health. We connect, consult, and collaborate to solve complex challenges of access and equity in our health and social systems. Together with our partners, clients, and collaborators, we create actionable solutions so that all people can thrive.

Student Opportunities: STEM Programing for Boston based youth, https://www.leahproject.org/

Contact: Angelica Fontes, Senior Manager, Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Capacity Building afontes@hria.org

OUT MetroWest builds communities where LGBTQ+ youth thrive. We provide safe, fun, and supportive programs for LGBTQ+ youth pre-k through age 29. All of our programs are offered completely free of charge. Structured programs include a range of creative, active, and educational activities centering the needs of trans and queer youth.

Student Opportunities: Volunteering

Contact: Cristina Dudziak cristina.dudziak@outmetrowest.org

Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP) is a Boston-based nonprofit founded in 2012 with a mission to educate and empower women of African descent regarding common, yet rarely discussed, diseases of the reproductive system that disproportionately affect them. We approach these diseases and associated issues through a cultural and social justice lens–as we believe that poor knowledge of reproductive health is primarily related to health, racial, and socioeconomic disparities. RSP takes a unique intersectional point of view to rethink, reframe, and reclaim the discourse regarding the reproductive health and rights of Black women and girls. 

Student Opportunities: ‘Zine’ Making to Empower Girls with Reproductive Health Knowledge for Social Change

This volunteer opportunity from Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP) is a remote 8-to-10-week zinemaking project for girls between 14 to 19 years old. Zines are self-published magazines that disseminate information overlooked in mainstream magazines. This project will bring together teens to collaborate on building a digital zine concerning reproductive health. This project is recommended for those interested in health and environmental science. Knowledge of Canva or other design platforms is a plus but not necessary. One-hour Zoom meetings will take place weekly. The result will be a digital zine that engages teens in topics related to reproductive and overall health.

Contact: Cierra Brown, Program Coordinator cbrown@rsphealth.org

Worcester Community Fridges (Woo Fridge) is a mutual aid effort that provides Worcester neighbors with safe and free access to food. We organize a network of free food fridges throughout the city. We believe that having daily access to fresh food is a right, not a privilege, and that food insecurity is the result of harmful food policies and ineffective food systems. Our mission is to empower neighbors to share food and build long-term relationships to ensure a future where everyone in our community is cared for and safe.

Student Opportunities: Self-organizing to clean, create artwork, share information, or collect food donations

Contact: worcestercommunityfridges@gmail.com