Coronado FOCUS internship deadline for CHS students is Tuesday

Coronado High School students have until Tuesday, Sept. 1, to apply for a nonprofit internship that gives them a seat at the table for real funding decisions.

Friends of Children United Society, known as FOCUS, is accepting applications for the third year of its internship program, the Coronado Eagle & Journal reported Thursday, Aug. 27. Selected students will meet monthly during lunch and operate like a nonprofit board of directors.

The work goes beyond classroom learning. Interns create and manage a fundraiser, solicit project requests from CHS clubs that serve children, evaluate those proposals and decide which ones align with the FOCUS mission. They also volunteer with FOCUS agency partners across San Diego County, where they learn about challenges facing young people in the region.

The program is built to develop leadership and decision-making skills while giving students direct experience with how a nonprofit board functions.

FOCUS is a Coronado-based, all-volunteer 501(c)(3) with about 225 members. The organization has spent 44 years supporting groups that serve children who are homeless, in foster care, abused, disadvantaged or disabled. It reported $367,437 in total revenue for the fiscal year ending December 2025, with $284,050 in net income from fundraising events, according to Cause IQ's summary of its Form 990.

The Port of San Diego recognized FOCUS with an Anchors of Excellence Award in December 2025. FOCUS President Peggy Duncan said in December 2025, when the Port honored the organization, that the "entire team at FOCUS is grateful to the Port of San Diego for honoring our work in support of vulnerable children in San Diego County," according to Coronado Times coverage of the award.

Duncan leads the internship program. Students with questions can reach her at [email protected].

To apply, visit focus-sdkids.org and click the Internship Program application link before Tuesday, Sept. 1.