Voice Up Purpose & Leadership Development Internship 100% Remote

VOICE UP ASSISTANT DIRECTOR INTERNSHIP

Applied Purpose Science Research Lab

Exploring Purpose at the Intersection of Research Governance, Ethical Stewardship, and Leadership

Voice Up's early-stage model has engaged students and emerging professionals from more than 80 universities and learning environments worldwide, contributing nearly 3,000 hours of logged purpose-driven work.

The Applied Purpose Science Research Lab helps people discover their purpose and make sure that discovery happens in safe, supportive ways. The Assistant Director Internship invites students and emerging leaders to help us answer an important question: How can we make sure that helping people find their purpose is done ethically and protects their dignity? Instead of just reading about theories, Assistant Directors work directly on real challenges—making sure our programs protect people, support ethical practices, and help organizations grow in the right way.

This internship is designed as a leadership development pathway—people who show strong alignment with our values and do excellent work can move into leadership positions at Voice Up.

This program runs on:

The Fuller Method® of reflective mentoring and purpose discovery

The B Curriculum for clarity, self-discovery, and meaning-making

Voice Up's Five Core Principles

The Lab's Six Non-Negotiable Principles

Applied, real-world research governance and ethical stewardship challenges

Students leave not only with skills—but with clarity of purpose, leadership capacity, and a blueprint for stewarding developmental integrity over time.

LEARNING GOALS

Students completing this internship will:

1. Understand the Lab as Purpose-Oriented Research Center

Learn how the Applied Purpose Science Research Lab protects people's dignity, makes sure our programs are ethical, and helps the organization stay true to its mission. Understand why we take time to make careful decisions and don't rush things when people's futures are at stake.

2. Connect Research Work to Your Personal Values

Discover how your own life story, beliefs about what's right, and sense of purpose connect to the Lab's mission of protecting people from being pushed into the wrong career paths or having their work go unrecognized.

3. Develop Critical Leadership Skills

Build skills in ethical thinking, bringing research findings together, participating in organizational decisions, managing knowledge, learning from multiple programs, and leading in ways that put people's dignity first.

4. Create Purpose-Based Research & Leadership Projects

Design practical projects like ethical review systems, tools to check if our programs are working right, training materials for facilitators, ways to learn from different programs, or guidelines for partnering with other organizations.

5. Build a Path to Leadership Roles at Voice Up

Get direct mentorship and experience with every part of the Applied Purpose Science work, with opportunities to move into permanent positions like Lab Director, Research Coordinator, Ethics Officer, Council Member, or other Voice Up leadership roles.

8-12 WEEK INTERNSHIP STRUCTURE

The internship is structured in progressive phases that build mastery while honoring developmental timing:

WEEKS 1-2: Getting Started with Purpose Science & Lab Work

Read the Lab's founding documents to understand our mission and values

Learn the Six Core Principles we never compromise on and how they guide our work

Understand The Naming Gap—why people struggle to put their purpose into words

Sit in on leadership meetings to see how decisions get made

WEEKS 3-4: Research Coordination & Learning from Our Programs

Help our Research & Learning team bring together findings from different programs

Track how people are growing and developing through our programs

Learn to spot when our recognition systems aren't working the way they should

Start building systems to organize and share what we're learning

WEEKS 5-6: Making Sure We Do the Right Thing

Watch for problems like pushing people into wrong careers or not giving credit for their work

Help with ethics reviews and make sure we're protecting people's information properly

Create tools to prevent us from caring too much about looking good instead of doing good

Practice thinking through tough ethical decisions

WEEKS 7-8: Building Partnerships & Connecting Everything

Help create partnerships with other organizations while keeping our values strong

Connect our research, our programs, and our recognition systems so they all work together

Learn how to protect our mission when working with funders who might want us to focus on numbers instead of people

Create a complete partnership plan or set of guidelines

WEEKS 9-12 (Optional): Taking on Leadership & Making It Real

Lead your own Lab projects with support from your mentor

Share your research findings or recommendations with Lab leadership

Help plan what the Lab should research over the next few years

Explore opportunities to stay on with Voice Up in a permanent leadership role

DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

Assistant Directors engage in research governance and organizational stewardship activities including:

Charter Compliance Monitoring: Ensuring all Lab-aligned work adheres to Non-Negotiable Principles

Decision Documentation: Supporting Stewardship Council processes and maintaining governance records

Cross-Site Learning Synthesis: Identifying patterns across Universities of Practice and recognition initiatives

Methodological Review: Assessing research approaches for developmental integrity and ethical alignment

Extraction Risk Assessment: Monitoring for identity foreclosure, premature sorting, and invisible labor

Partnership Protocol Development: Creating frameworks that protect Lab values in institutional collaborations

Facilitator Training Support: Contributing to certification standards and training material development

Knowledge Infrastructure Design: Building systems ensuring the Lab serves as memory and conscience of the ecosystem

THREE PARTICIPATION PATHWAYS

Students can participate in one of three ways:

1️ Academic Credit Pathway

Partner with your university to receive academic credit for practicum, thesis, capstone, or independent study in research methodology, organizational development, ethics, or leadership. Voice Up provides all necessary documentation, learning outcomes, and faculty liaison support.

2️ Volunteer Service Pathway

Contribute your hours toward graduation requirements, professional development, or leadership experience. All hours are documented and recognized through official Voice Up certificates and reference letters.

3️ Voice Up University Pathway (Subscription-Based)

Join our professional development platform for advanced training, certification opportunities, and potential stipend support. Voice Up University members gain access to exclusive workshops, mentorship networks, and leadership development resources with pathways to permanent roles.

ALIGNMENT WITH PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

This internship aligns with core competencies for:

NIH Research Training Goals (research ethics, responsible conduct of research, cross-disciplinary collaboration, developmental science, community-engaged research, equity in research participation)

NSF Broader Impacts Criteria (advancing discovery while promoting teaching and learning, broadening participation of underrepresented groups, enhancing research infrastructure, benefiting society, integration of research and education)

Research Governance & Administration (organizational stewardship, decision-making frameworks, strategic planning)

Ethical Review & Compliance (IRB preparation, data governance, participant protection)

Applied Psychology & Developmental Science (identity formation, recognition systems, purpose science)

Organizational Development & Leadership (change management, values-based governance, strategic partnership)

Knowledge Management & Learning Infrastructure (documentation systems, cross-site synthesis, institutional memory)

THE VOICE UP FIVE CORE PRINCIPLES

Every Voice Up internship is guided by five foundational principles:

1. Collaboration – All Are Welcome

We help you set a goal to talk to new people every week and share the lessons you learn. The journey towards purpose begins with others that allow you to be the true you. There is power in consistency in a collaborative community.

2. Humility – We All Have Much to Learn

We can learn and become better with each conversation. We embrace the reality that everyone—from students to senior researchers—brings valuable lived experience to the work of stewarding purpose and protecting developmental integrity.

3. Precision – All the Details Matter

The steps we overlook may be the ones that make us great. In research governance and ethical stewardship, precision protects people. Accuracy in recognition prevents identity foreclosure. Careful documentation ensures continuity over time.

4. Patience – We All Need Forgiveness

We all make mistakes. The key is to learn from each and become better. The Lab explicitly prioritizes slow decisions around identity-shaping practices and resists urgency pressure. Choice always outweighs momentum.

5. Empathy – We Must Understand Your Why

Every week the impact of your idea continues to grow and inspires others towards action. We help you think about, decide, and share why your cause is the right cause for you at this moment. Understanding the 'why' behind every governance decision, research choice, and ethical framework ensures the Lab remains human-centered.

JOB DETAILS

Position Title: Assistant Director, Applied Purpose Science Research Lab

Organization: Voice Up Publishing Inc.

Location: 100% Remote (Global)

Time Commitment: 15-20 hours per week

Duration: 12-16 weeks (with potential for extension or transition to permanent leadership role)

Start Date: Flexible (rolling admissions)

Compensation: Academic Credit OR Volunteer Service OR Voice Up University Pathway (with potential stipend support for exceptional candidates)

Ideal Candidates: This opportunity is open to all who have a serious commitment and drive to connect to purpose. We welcome undergraduate students, graduate students, recent graduates, career changers, and professionals from any discipline who demonstrate deep alignment with Lab principles and ethical stewardship values.

Leadership Pathway: Transition opportunities to Lab Director, Research Coordinator, Ethics & Integrity Officer, Stewardship Council Member, or Voice Up organizational leadership

CONTACT & APPLICATION

Email:

© 2026 Voice Up Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Voice Up connects people to purpose through safe spaces, collaborative communities, and recognition that honors development with dignity

Voice Up and The Purpose Games

Purpose, Belonging, and Practice for a Healthier Future

Page 1: Why Voice Up Exists

Voice Up was created in response to a growing reality felt across schools, families, workplaces, and communities: many people are capable, motivated, and caring—yet feel disconnected from meaning, belonging, and direction. This disconnection shows up as disengagement, burnout, loneliness, and uncertainty about how one’s life and abilities truly matter.

Voice Up is a purpose-centered learning and engagement organization designed to help people reconnect to who they are, what they care about, and how they can contribute—in ways that are practical, ethical, and grounded in real life. Rather than treating purpose as an abstract ideal or a motivational slogan, Voice Up treats purpose as something that can be practiced, developed, and strengthened over time.

At the heart of Voice Up is a simple but powerful belief:

Purpose already exists within people. It does not need to be assigned or imposed—it needs space, structure, and care to emerge.

Voice Up creates those conditions by combining reflection, community participation, mentoring, and applied challenges. The work is intentionally non-clinical and non-diagnostic. It does not ask people to perform, compete, disclose, or be “fixed.” Instead, it invites participation—at one’s own pace—within environments designed for safety, dignity, and growth.