Archive for the ‘internship program’ Category

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences.

Placement: Enterprise Community Partners

School: Kenyon College

For over thirty years as a forerunner in the Housing First Initiative, Enterprise Community Partners has raised and invested over $11 billion toward building communities all across America, and has built and restored more than 280,000 homes to date (14,000 of which are in Ohio).

Along with providing residents affordable and sustainable housing and mental health, recovery, and employment services, they offer numerous financial and supportive services to an array of clients. With the mission to excel in community development and assist citizens from all walks of life, Enterprise strives to help make life easier-especially during the country’s economic hardships-one step at a time.

June 7, 2011 was my first day at Enterprise. As my father drove me to work, I became a tad nervous about what to expect in terms of my duties for the summer, and also pondered the infamous first-day-on-the-job question: “Will they like me?” I took comfort in looking back at my final interview with Enterprise, remembered just how welcoming and laidback the staff was (including my interviewer who would later serve as my supervisor), and kept in mind that being myself has never failed me.

I was dropped off, got buzzed into the building by the administrative assistant Angelina, and went up to the third floor…only to face an unlit hallway as the elevator doors quietly opened. I chuckled and immediately text-messaged my friend, “Dude, this place is so sketchy!” Little did I know that the entire building was Green Building Certified (LEED), thus had motion sensitive lights, wall systems that maximize daylight, a recycling program, and a state-of-the-art geothermal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system!

The lights suddenly flickered on as I walked down the corridor, and after opening the door to Enterprise, I was welcomed by my supervisor and Enterprise’s Program Director Beth Graham and met the majority of the staff a second time after being interviewed several months back. I got settled into my work station in Beth’s office and began to learn even more about the organization, which (in no time) led me to arrive at the conclusion that Enterprise truly is an under-acknowledged powerhouse in the national effort to end homelessness.

Put in simplest terms, I am tremendously honored to be working for such a powerful and innovative establishment, and am also humbled to have the immense opportunity of being surrounded by a diverse wealth of knowledge, expertise, and experience. It’s a pleasure to share that the remainder of the week turned out to be just as enriching and exciting as the first day and I will gladly take you through this interning adventure with me in weekly blog updates!

Connect with Enterprise via the following:
Website: http://www.enterprisecommunity.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EnterpriseCommunityPartners
Twitter: http://twitter.com/EnterpriseNow
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseCommunity

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences.

Placement: The Cleveland Orchestra

School: Baldwin-Wallace College

As I throw myself head first into the nonprofit arts sector for a summer internship at the Cleveland Orchestra, I find myself flooded with questions. Initially, the questions are manageable, easily conquered: Where do I park? Should I wear a tie? How many times will I get lost until I find my way to the education office?

The further I delve into the organization, though, the more daunting the questions become. These questions can even impose on the validity of our existence as a sector. For those of us who are committed to the advancement of nonprofits, they are questions that make our hearts skip a beat: Can we, the arts and culture sector, find enough funds to continue operations? Is our programming relevant to the needs of our community? Are we making a difference?

Economic failures have taken a huge toll on our entire country - the corporate world, nonprofits, and everything in between. We’ve been watching our pennies, both as a nation and as individuals. It’s no surprise that community action organizations, health organizations, arts and culture institutions, and educational facilities are taking a hit.

I’ve realized that now is the time in which the nonprofit’s role is most crucial. Economic downturn widens the gap between corporate America and government services, leaving a heavy load on the shoulder of the nonprofit.

It’s been just two weeks since I began my internship and I’ve seen that gap first-hand. Public schools in the Cleveland area are in desperate need of resources. Facilities are being closed, forcing the remaining schools to operate with nearly overwhelming numbers of students. Qualified, impassioned teachers are being let go. Art and music classes are no longer the standard, but a rare luxury for children.

The Cleveland Orchestra, and a host of other similarly dedicated organizations, is doing great work to provide children with creative and academically stimulating programs. Children not only get a glimpse into a sometimes overlooked world of music and art, but are encouraged to think outside the box in whatever homework assignment, task, or future job they might encounter. The programs are not just about music; they are about building competent, creative, and passionate community members.

With all these inspiring things happening around me, the answers to my questions are emerging: YES, we are relevant to the community; YES, we are making a difference, and YES, the next generation of nonprofit leaders is committed to maintaining that impact.

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences.

Placement: International Partners in Mission

School: Senior, University of Notre Dame

I think that I have heard the word “partnership” more in the past week and a half than I ever have in my entire life. Just to be clear, this type of “partnership” that I am referring to is defined as “a cooperative relationship between people or groups who agree to share responsibility for achieving some specific goal.” This partnership is also special because all partners involved mutually benefit from the relationship. International Partners in Mission (IPM), whose core principle is to create partnerships across the borders of faith and culture, truly brings the idea of working partnership to life.

However, as I have come to realize in my first few weeks as a Cleveland Foundation Summer Intern, partnership is a necessary component in any successful organization and comes in many forms and dimensions.

I am currently in the midst of what I like to call a “multi-layer” partnership. The common goal? Creating a better world. Allow me to explain.

Level One: I am currently working with the Cleveland Foundation, who has entered into a partnership with me as an intern. I benefit from learning about the nonprofit world (among a multitude of other things), and the foundation benefits from my work done in the community (hopefully among other things as well!).

Level Two: The Cleveland Foundation and IPM are also partners, and I, in turn, have become a partner with IPM. This partnership creates multiple benefits for all, resulting in productivity and added life to the city of Cleveland and the countries that IPM works in.

Level Three: IPM is a unique organization in that it works with “project partners” from all over the globe. Every partner that IPM supports, whether it be in Kenya, El Salvador, or India, promotes peace, hope and justice for women, children, and youth. An example of one of these partners would be a night school in El Salvador that gives children the opportunity to go to school while still allowing them to help support their families and the local economy. You can see the how fast the “tree of partnership” can start to grow!

Level Four: IPM’s project partners touch the lives of many, many people, not only those that receive the benefits of employment, education, and refuge, but IPM’s donors and other stakeholders as well. IPM also conducts an immersion program which sends students and adults of all ages from all over the country to project sites. This interaction also creates a unique partnership that relies on mutual respect and understanding, bringing together Cleveland, other parts of the U.S., and people from around the world.

In today’s global community, partnership has become essential. IPM and the Cleveland Foundation are proof that Cleveland understands this very well, and is truly becoming an important member in a global partnership.

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences.

School: Recent graduate, John Carroll University

I am a Cleveland native and recent graduate of John Carroll University with a Bachelor’s degree in English. A few weeks ago, I started my summer internship with the Cleveland Foundation working at The Literacy Cooperative. Although The Literacy Cooperative was my first choice for placement during the 11-week internship, I never could have imagined what a great fit it truly is.

Coming into this experience, I had no idea what to expect from my host site. I obviously had an idea of what literacy was: being able to read and write well enough to function in society. However, I have since learned that it is so much more.

Literacy includes speaking in English, computing, and problem solving. In today’s society, this means that it is more important than ever for individuals to be literate at every age. I also learned that seven out of 10 Clevelanders do not possess the minimum literacy skills now needed to operate in our society.

I am so grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to helping The Literacy Cooperative this summer with their many early-childhood and adult literacy programs. My lifelong love of reading and learning makes me even more passionate about The Literacy Cooperative’s vision “That all children and adults in Greater Cleveland will reach their highest literacy potential for employment, self-sufficiency, and lifelong learning.” Good luck to all my fellow interns, I look forward to hearing about your experiences!

For more information on The Literacy Cooperative, visit http://www.literacycooperative.org

The 2011 Cleveland Foundation Summer class is a unique bunch.  We have students from local colleges such as Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Institute of Art and Baldwin Wallace College. But we also have students from Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, Miami University, and the University of Notre Dame.

The majors of interns also speak to the cross disciplinary approach to problem solving that is required for this global and hyper-local world we live in. Along side urban planners and nonprofit management majors, we have business, art history, religious studies and environmental science majors. In terms of class standing, we have undergrads, recent graduates and graduate students.

We viewed it as our responsibility to support and believe in the 2011 intern class as they employ their talents to help the 16 host site organizations conduct important projects. It is our hope that this experience will help them gain a deeper understanding of and increase their interest in nonprofit and public sector work. This follows the program’s two key objectives: exposing young people to local nonprofit and public sector work and increasing organizations’ ability to conduct important short-term projects.

The 2011 class will also share their insights, stories and updates on this blog. Check out the thoughts from last year’s interns.

Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship Class of 2011

Imani Allen, a senior at Cleveland State University, will be placed at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry. Imani will work with the director of human resources to develop an emergency plan that includes information technology, administration, communications, direct service programs and an emergency succession plan.

Nicholas Borchers, a graduate student from Case Western Reserve University/Weatherhead School of Management, will be placed at Business Volunteers Unlimited. Nicholas will be responsible for identifying volunteer opportunities for both individuals and groups, coordinating registration and posting volunteer opportunities.

David Campbell, a senior at Cleveland State University, will be placed at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). David will work with the Sales Director to increase the number of employees in the Commuter Advantage program.

Adrienne Fischer, a senior at John Carroll University, will be placed at The Literacy Cooperative. Adrienne will be responsible for assessing, enhancing and managing The Literacy Cooperative’s stakeholder databases.

Andrew Gotlieb, a graduate student from Cleveland State University, will be placed at The Cleveland Municipal Housing Court. Andrew will work with Court staff to develop a program to identify and address the problems and solutions related to the housing foreclosure crisis.

Colleen Halpin, a graduate student from Case Western Reserve University, will be placed at the International Women’s Air & Space Museum. Colleen will be responsible for reviewing the museum’s extensive collection of Amelia Earhart photographs and create an inventory that can be accessed by staff, researchers and the general public. She will also be responsible for researching collections of other women pilots.

Ahmad Hamad, a junior at Kenyon College, will be placed at Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. Ahmad will be responsible for assisting Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. and the Housing First Initiative build the community’s support for tackling chronic and long-term homelessness among families and young people.

Cory Isler, a junior at Baldwin-Wallace College, will be placed at The Cleveland Orchestra. Cory will be responsible for event planning and coordination of a one-day conference for the PNC Grow Up Great Program, research and writing curricular materials for education concerts, and market research and patron database updates for education concerts.

Vicente Jimenez, a senior at Hiram College, will be placed at the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management District. Vicente will be responsible for developing an educational and marketing plan to promote the district’s new Special Waste Convenience Center.

Hannah Keelor, a junior at The Cleveland Institute of Art, will be placed at Broadway School of Music & the Arts. Hannah will be responsible for coordinating two projects with a marketing/public relations focus for Cleveland Neighborhood Arts.

Joanne Neugebauer, a senior at Ohio Wesleyan University, will be placed at University Hospitals Health System. Joanne will be responsible for developing content for internal and external healthy & sustainable food website. She will also help with the execution of the new CWRU/UHHHS expanded farmer’s market.

Deborah O’Neal, a sophomore at Miami University, will be placed at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. Deborah will develop/implement a program for the Journalism Club to collect content for website/social media outlets; help with final details for 5k race including collecting ads from sponsors and assisting with event programming.

Stephanie Pedicini, a junior at the University of Notre Dame, will be placed at International Partners in Mission. Stephanie will be responsible for strategic planning and communications, conducting research for Environmental Scan, facilitating surveys, providing updates to website and developing a plan for social media.

Bryce Sylvester, a graduate student from Cleveland State University, Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs, will be placed at LakewoodAlive. Bryce’s primary responsibility will be to create a landlord education program. Other responsibilities/duties will include assisting in the implementation of the Housing Outreach Program.

Eric Vega, a recent graduate from Cleveland State University, Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs, will be placed at Ohio City, Inc. Eric will be responsible for coordinating meetings and researching programs for the Ohio City Dialogue (a collaboration of over 90 nonprofits and community organizations based in Ohio City); assist in the planning and implementation of workgroup action items and assist in planning of Ohio City Dialogue Quarterly Workshops.

Amber Zemek, a graduate student from Cleveland State University, will be placed at The Gathering Place. Amber will contribute to the follow-up activities from the 2011 Race for the Place; working with the Director of Community Relations/Marketing on the execution of social media strategy and help to identify potential outreach opportunities on the west side of Cleveland.

Millennials, also called Generation Y or Generation Next, are people born after 1980. I came across this article that made me think about the young talent that I have worked with in the Cleveland Foundation’s Summer Internship Program.   The article talked about how Millennials are often regarded as lazy, entitled and fickle (see Lindsay Lohan and the cast of Jersey Shore).  This has not been my experience.  Like the author of the article, the Millennials I have worked with are optimistic, self-confident, and are hungry for responsibility.

The article also outlined characteristics common among Millennials.  They have a natural ability to multitask, they are idealistic, tech savvy and don’t have an “old fashioned” sense of privacy.  They openly share private and intimate details about their lives on Facebook and Twitter.  These same generational traits also make them great employees.  For example, the article talked about the free marketing that results when a Millennial tweets about something he achieved at work to his 1,5000 friends.  How to manage and exploit these traits for maximum effect is the management challenge. 

As I reflect on the 2010 class of the Cleveland Foundation’s summer internship, we learned a few things about how to manage Millennials. To get the best out of Millennials, managers need to give clear goals, provide the necessary resources and latitude to achieve these goals and most importantly – give regular them feedback. 

If given the right opportunity with right support from management, Millennials can do incredible things. 

The Cleveland Foundation’s Summer Internship Program is now accepting applications from area nonprofits or governmental agencies until November 29, 2010.  College students, recent graduates, and graduate students work full-time for an 11-week session during the summer (June 6 through August 19, 2011). The Cleveland Foundation provides funding to cover the intern’s stipend.
More information can be found here.

Two of the objectives of the Cleveland Foundation’s Summer Internship Program are:

• to provide a meaningful career-related work experience and
• to stimulate interest in the nonprofit sector. 

On August 19, we said our goodbyes to the intern class of 2010.  The interns talked about how much they learned about the nonprofit sector, Cleveland and themselves.  We also learned from them.

 Lessons learned

Overall, the interns felt that their projects were challenging and meaningful.  They were pushed out of their comfort zones.  One intern had to lead a youth landscaping crew – his first time in a leadership position.  Another intern had to develop and implement a social media strategy, while another had to create a video and handbook on community garden.

The interns also talked about how their interest in the nonprofit sector has increased.  Not only were interns introduced to work of diverse organizations such as Near West Theatre, Cleveland Public Art and BioEnterprise, they also had interacted with nonprofit and governmental “rock stars” Mayor Frank Jackson, Randell McShepard from RPM and India Pierce Lee from the Cleveland Foundation.

The interns also provided feedback as to what the Cleveland Foundation can do to improve the internship program.  One intern said we need “more rock and roll music, live animals, and candy.”  On a serious note, the interns asked for help in developing their soft skills.  They asked for trainings/workshops on how to network and how to “manage up” to make their relationship with their supervisors stronger. 

We learned that the supervisor and intern relationship is strong and effective when:

-         The supervisor has a sense of the intern’s interests, strengths and weaknesses

-         The supervisor exposes the intern to the many facets of the organization from clients to staff to board

-         The supervisor and intern are flexible to changing conditions and situations

-         There is clear and regular communication between the intern and supervisor

-         The intern asks for additional tasks or projects to build her skills

-         The intern is not afraid to speak up or voice her opinion (diplomatically) if things are moving off track

-         The intern has a clear sense of her interests, strengths, and weaknesses

As this intern class learned, so did we. 

We wish the 2010 class the best as they proceed down their academic and career paths and we thank them for helping build the capacity of the 16 area nonprofits in which they were placed.  

Are you a Cleveland area nonprofit with an important short term project and have the capacity to nurture young leadership? We start accepting applications for host sites in October 2011.

Are you a Cleveland resident or a student of a Northeast Ohio College looking for a meaningful, paid internship?  We start accepting applications January 2011 and conduct interviews in the March 2011.

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences. Modesto Acosta, a junior at Oberlin College, is placed at Near West Theatre.

Every day, people search for that one thing that inspires them. They look for that something that excites them every morning when they wake up or titillates their imagination as they push through another hard day’s work. I too, have been looking for my inspiration, and this summer I have come one step closer to knowing what it is.

Interning with Near West Theatre, through the Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship Program, I have experienced inspiration first hand. For those who do not know, the Near West Theatre (NWT) is a community theatre that offers professional productions at affordable prices. NWT utilizes each production as a tool for educating the cast, crew, and audiences on issues prevalent to the community at large. NWT’s mission is to achieve diversity through creation, as well as experience.

While they bolster some of the best educational productions around, the one thing that makes Near West Theatre an experience worth having is the sense of community built between the staff, crew, and cast. At this point, having been involved for a little over nine weeks, I find myself not wanting to leave. Everyday, I wake up knowingly excited about working at the Near West Theatre. Not one task has felt menial and no one person has been unapproachable. The people of Near West Theatre inspire me and encourage me to continue through my hardships.

I have been blessed to be placed in a community where people are receptive to new ideas. I have benefitted experientially and psychologically from this internship. For the first time in a long time, I find myself eager to be in Cleveland, to be involved with a program that changes lives on a daily basis. 

Many of my tasks this summer pertain to programming and education. I helped construct memorial quilt panels that were inspired by the NAMES Foundation AIDS Quilt project. Not only did the Near West Theatre support this program, they instituted time and resources to develop the project. The compassion and support that Near West gives to every participant has established new standards in my interpretation of the business world, and has helped me decide that I will work within the arts and business administrations. 

“We may be young, but we’re not powerless. We play by their rules long enough and it becomes our game.” ~ Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game

My ability has been challenged, my talents have been confronted, and my heart… well, my heart has decided. I am a believer in what Cleveland has to offer, and I am happy to have Near West Theatre as a part of my life.  I am no longer in a place where society’s standards define me, but a place where I define my society.

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences. Monica Laco, a graduate of  Xavier University, is placed at Recovery Resources.

The Cleveland Foundation summer internship program is about going outside your comfort zone. Every week, in both our jobs and the weekly development seminars, we are challenged to think differently, dream big and jump in to new experiences, even if we’re not quite sure where we want life to take us.

As a social media and marketing intern for Recovery Resources this summer, I have had to take many journeys outside my comfort zone. I am the type of person who likes to finish one project before moving on to the next, and one of the lessons I am learning here is that it’s not about getting one or two projects finished, it’s about getting seven or eight started.

My main project now is creating a blog to draw interest in the work Recovery Resources does. Recovery Resources has been helping people triumph over mental illness, alcoholism, drug and other addictions for more than 55 years. They touch 13,000 lives annually through more than 25 programs addressing a variety of mental health and substance abuse issues. As a marketing intern, I’m finding it challenging to promote our vast array of services without overwhelming or confusing people.

I’ve also been working with the website and social media. Recovery Resources’ website is in the process of going through a total redesign and will relaunch within the next month or two. Recovery Resources is also now on LinkedIn and Twitter (follow us at @RecResCleveland)!

I am excited to continue my work here after my internship ends, as Recovery Resources has offered me a part-time job continuing my initiatives from the summer. What a privilege to step outside my comfort zone and join the fast-paced, challenging, and most of all, passionate, nonprofit sector of Cleveland.

Thank you, Cleveland Foundation.

 Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences. Adam Yasinow, a recent graduate of Washington University in St.Louis, was placed at BioEnterprise.

As someone who has been a member of two different summer internship programs, I have learned that there is only one factor that determines the “worthwhileness” of an internship—your relationship with your supervisor.

Lucky interns are placed with a stellar supervisor while the unlucky report to supervisors who doom the entire experience before day one.  I have not seen a single happy intern who despises his supervisor, and similarly I have yet to meet a disgruntled intern who reveres his supervisor.

A great supervisor is one who realizes that the internship program is not about the host company, but rather about the development of the intern. There is only so much one college student or young graduate can do in two months to advance the mission and vision of an organization. He or she does not have the time or the skill set to make a significant impact. It is for this reason that most interns are considered the low man on the totem pole – more often than not he or she is given little responsibility and relegated to menial tasks like data entry and copying.

That being said, a supervisor can drastically impact the career path of an intern. A great supervisor views the relationship with an intern as a two-way street. He or she rewards the intern’s hard work, dedication, and competency by providing two developmental rewards: timely feedback and exposure to new opportunities.

By receiving constant feedback, an intern is able to learn the rules of engagement of the working world and deliver professional-quality work. Exposure to new opportunities prevents monotony (a major cause of intern dissatisfaction) and illuminates an intern’s next career step. 

This summer I have been honored to work at BioEnterprise under Susan Luria. She has gone above and beyond the call of a great supervisor and made my internship a blast. She has assigned me exciting consulting work (meeting with CEOs, compiling market reports, reviewing business plans) and shaped me into a valuable member of the BioEnterprise team by providing me with constant feedback.  Moreover, Susan has taken me on two incredible field trips. The first was to a North Coast Angel Fund meeting so that I could gain a better understanding of venture capital funding and the second was to MetroHealth Hospital to become acquainted with MRI and CT equipment for the imaging initiative I am working on.  Since day one Susan has been dedicated to making this internship about me.

I want to take a moment to thank the Cleveland Foundation staff for placing me in such a wonderful and prestigious organization with a supervisor who is dedicated to developing her intern. This entire program has been about advancing the careers of Cleveland’s future leaders.  

I am saddened that the summer is winding down and this program is coming to an end. To my fellow interns, I wish you all the best. For those of you going back to school or leaving town, please come back soon – Cleveland will not be the same without you, and it could sure use your enthusiasm and leadership.