About Us

Since 1997, Teens in Public Service (TIPS) has been striving to support community-oriented leaders by providing paid internship opportunities at non-profit organizations in the Greater Seattle area. These internships offer teens practical work experience, an understanding of ethical leadership, and a venue to put their values into action; and, our nonprofits gain additional staff during the summer months, at no cost to their organizations. Internship service areas range from youth development to medical/hospital, to environmentalism, and you may be familiar with some of our core partners, such as Atlantic Street Center, Seattle Humane Society, and Hunger Intervention Program. Hear from some of our 2021 interns as they reflect on their summer experience with TIPS here.

A recent publication in The Seattle Times covers the barriers presented by unpaid internships – while the experience is important, committing time and energy without a paycheck in return is inequitable and marginalizes a large portion of students. Since its start, TIPS has been intentional about providing the opportunity to gain real work experience while also ensuring interns receive appropriate compensation for the work being poured into the community. Learn more about the TIPS impact in a Seattle Times article featuring recent TIPS alum, Ryan Phi, here.