The Center for Civic Engagement's
TheCenterForCivicEngagement's EducationScholarsand NonprofitLeadershipFellows
Through these internship experiences and a shared curriculum, interns explore complex social issues, build community capacity and develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and communication. All opportunities are in the Greater Charlotte and Lake Norman Region and provide students with a stipend and housing.
Please enjoy reading student responses to one or more of the following questions:
Reflect on the specific issues addressed by your organization, the strategies they use for creating change, and the extent to which you believe these strategies are effective. What new skills did you learn working with your partner organization?
Describe what you ha
I interned with GenOne, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to get talented first generation students to and through college I’ve honed my creative, critical thinking, and communication skills as an intern at GenOne. I came up with ways to effectively communicate information that will be understood by my intended audience. I had to get up in the front of the classroom and teach curriculum, lead activities, ask thought provoking questions, and answer hard questions. I was put in a position where I needed to be engaging and earn the students’ respect, and I did both.
If you want a place where you can explore your creativity, develop time management skills and discipline, and work with the best students ever, GenOne might be the place for you.
This summer has been an amazing journey: the projects I was able to work on this summer, the time I spent with my cohort, exploring Charlotte and trying new food. Everything! It has been amazing! If I had to go back in time and was given the choice between this and another opportunity, I would choose being an Education Scholar again in a heartbeat, despite the hardships These hardships, alongside my times of joy, are what allowed me to grow as a person and become a better human being.
Nasir Jean-Paul '24 GenOne
This active coexistence and strategic form of learning that intentionally brings together family, cultural tradition, and language is not only beautiful but necessary for the future of education and the future of a world that values a full spectrum of human connection and community.
I had the wonderful opportunity to intern with the Charlotte Bilingual Preschool (CltBP). CltBP is unique for its effective and culturally informed dual language model, delivering a high quality, multicultural early childhood education for Spanish speaking children.
My favorite days were spent in the classroom with the teachers and children. As a Spanish language learner for five years , I was in awe of the language skills of children who have been alive less time than I’ve been enrolled in Spanish courses. In the moments when I didn’t know a word in Spanish with a four year old, they were always patient, curious and kind. Many kids switched between the two languages seamlessly, their little brains already housing so much of the world and so much potential to communicate, appreciate, and understand both the present and future. Dual language education emphasizes communication in all forms, and this philosophy empowers children from various language backgrounds to share their experiences, appreciate their familial or cultural traditions, and grow from one another simultaneously.
Charlotte Bilingual Preschool
Courtney Fortunato '24
Another part of my role at Arts+ included assisting at summer camps. At these summer camps, I was able to observe the true impact of Arts+. For example, at a film and photography camp for middle school and high school students, I witnessed Charlotte youth producing and editing their own films with incredible technology, which is something I would have loved to do in middle school or high school. Making those dreams a reality is what is incredible about this organization Overall, this experience taught me more about the nonprofit world and how many people it takes to make these organizations successful, and their social impact greater.
I interned at Arts+ I spent a lot of time reaching out to schools and preschools to ask if they would be interested in any of our school based music or visual arts programs. I updated our mailing lists with all of the schools and preschools in the greater Charlotte area. I did research looking into new program offerings that Arts+ could jump start in their new space to bring in more revenue. I then did market research to find out what prices were competitive for these offerings in Charlotte and how much it would cost Arts+ to put on a comparable event.
LucyHelene'25 Arts+
I interned at McClintock Partners in Education (McPIE). They are a nonprofit organization founded by a partnership between Christ Lutheran Church and McClintock Middle School. McPIE offers various summer school opportunities to the marginalized populations of McClintock Middle School. My personal experience at McPIE has been amazing. The kids at McPIE, especially the rising 6th graders, are truly there to learn which is the best feeling as an educator All the interns and teachers that I had the opportunity to work with were wonderful, and I had the best time teaching the kids with them.
Throughout my internship, I felt that I made a significant impact and was motivated with my work each day
I have grown as a person during my time at McPIE Working with kids has taught me patience and compassion I learned how to orate better too I absorbed how to captivate minds and draw focus to myself My time at this internship has also changed how I view working with children. I learned to be open minded with kids, their upbringing, and their home environment. I now understand that speaking with kids from a position of trust instead of authority is impactful. I learned that this new generation is exposed to more information on the web and may need additional guidance more than instruction on what they see, and I am grateful that I was in a position to provide that guidance Overall, this internship has truly shown me how the landscape is changing for the younger generations and what needs to be done in terms of educational policy.
Mike Mung '25
McClintock Partners in Education
I interned at Women's Impact Fund (WIF) which emphasizes women ' s leadership in philanthropy through collective giving, education, and engagement. When I arrived, I immediately thought “these women are different.” In every meeting I have attended at WIF the conversation inevitably focuses on one main question: How do we best help the organizations who need it the most?
At its core, WIF membership is the perfect harmony of being dedicated community members and informed philanthropists. I personally would describe it as pure responsibility. I learned that being responsible doesn’t mean not taking risks or sticking to the same plan year after year Rather, we are responsible for being informed, learning from the past and listening to the people around us. It also means understanding that making real impact requires a community; not full of like minded people, but full of diverse minds who are all dedicated to the same goal.
Women's Impact Fund
Lauren Collver '25
There’s a sense of competition at WIF, not in terms of competing with other organizations and needing credit for being the “best,” but rather in terms of competing with the self WIF members have always understood that if you constantly work to improve from who you were in the past, you will be constantly evolving right alongside the community and serving as directly and effectively as possible.
Miles Charles '25 Next Stage Consulting
Throughout this work, and my interactions with Next Stage team members, three core values stuck out to me. The first is trust, not only trust within the team or trust that we will do our duties at our best, but there is trust between us and the people we serve. The second is integrity. Despite challenges, every day the Next Stage team attacks the day head on, with a smile and the drive to do as much as they can. The last is love. Similar to trust, Next Stage team members love their clients, their co workers, the people they meet, and their work. It is this love that allows them to have the integrity they do and have the utmost trust in their co workers and clients. This project and summer has allowed me to meet hundreds of community leaders and organizations and has expanded my network and pushed my understanding of community based programming.
I interned with Next Stage Consulting which works at the intersection of social good and business. I was able to take on a variety of responsibilities. Through my work, I have been exposed to client engagement, strategic planning and thinking, out of the box thinking, marketing, and client/community outreach. Primarily, I worked on community outreach and worked to digitally map historic and underserved communities in Charlotte with the hopes of creating an accessible digital space.
Although there were a multitude of challenges that came with the internship, there was also a surplus of satisfying moments. One of these is my newfound knowledge of court processes and education. As a student on the pre law track, it has been amazing to be immersed in the judicial processes An additional satisfying moment has been being able to conduct meaningful work and to make a positive impact on the clients. Being able to be a support for individuals in crisis and ensure that they receive the resources they need to thrive has been so uplifting. One last satisfying moment has been feeling confident in my role and being a known representative of Safe Alliance. Having my face and name connected to such a fantastic organization is a true blessing. Ultimately, the time spent with the staff members and fellow interns, and the hands on experience that I gained has made my summer worthwhile.
JalyssaHobbs'25 Safe Alliance
I interned at Safe Alliance in their Victim Assistance Court Program. The pursuit of Safe Alliance VACP is to help domestic violence victims file for 50B Domestic Violence Protective Orders, 50C No Contact Orders, or 50D Orders. The services also extend to include counseling resources, safety planning, support groups, and court accompaniments for the clients’ hearings. My two main responsibilities within the Victim Assistance Court Program were to accompany clients to court and to conduct outreach throughout the Mecklenburg County Courthouse Accompanying clients to court entailed providing emotional support, documents of evidence, and explanations of the court process.
After meeting business owners, community leaders, and entrepreneurs in the Huntersville, Davidson, and Cornelius areas and sharing our mission, I’ve realized how many people have personal experiences with cancer. Whether it’s a parent, child, sibling, relative, or aunt, an impressive amount of people have stories to tell. Personal stories and experiences contribute to philanthropic efforts, which eventually find their way to nonprofits like ours. The exchange of mutual stories between families and children battling cancer fosters trust and relationships, which then promotes empathy and compassion rather than pity. I’ve found that since the work we do fundamentally lacks data, personal stories are our biggest asset in furthering our mission.
Lia Dougherty '25 Cool Kids Clubhouse
I interned with Cool Kids which is a nonprofit in Huntersville committed to serving the academic, social, and emotional needs of kids diagnosed with cancer. My time with Cool Kids this summer has given me a newfound respect for stories as well as a new faith in human nature.
I interned at Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte. They provide critical repairs for veterans, the disabled, and homeowners that come from low income brackets. Connection to the community is a big part of what we do at Rebuilding Together. When we engage with our clients we want to make a lasting difference in their lives. The repairs that we provide help families remain there for longer periods So by improving the living spaces of these families, we are changing their livelihoods. Rebuilding Together strives to help rejuvenate and revitalize communities in Charlotte.
I primarily learned how a nonprofit works and the business like side of a nonprofit. Starting my internship at Rebuilding Together, I knew little about nonprofits. I also learned about the networking aspect of nonprofits When talking to different organizations, it always seemed that they knew each other and how one another impacted the community. This showed me that instead of competition between nonprofits, they aim to work together because the primary goal is the people you serve, not status. I will carry that lesson throughout my personal and professional career.
Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte
ChristopherAnosike'25
Ultimately, their stories are windows into a reality that is truer than my own. The residents are the ones experiencing the program and can identify problems that data cannot capture alone.
For me, this summer has not been about increasing numbers of engagement or likes. I have found the most important parts of my time are those where conversation has opened another window into a way of seeing the world that my brain was not capable of seeing before.
I did this by interviewing and conversing with residents, and, with consent, sharing their stories with program graduates, potential residents, individual donors, volunteers, and the public.
Hope Haven Inc.
As a social media intern, part of my role was collecting stories of residents.
And that is something to be in awe of.
I spent my summer at Hope Haven Inc , a Therapeutic Community for individuals and families in early recovery from substance use disorders.
EmmaBegley-Collier'25
I assisted and supported workgroup leads, as well as helped to streamline the grant making process through development of a common application for funders. I also assisted in developing a roadmap for successful integration of community advising and community organizing into grant making.
United Way of Central Carolinas
I interned at United Way of Central Carolinas as the Funder Collaborative Summer Fellow. United Way works to create lasting change for those most in need through strategic community philanthropy.
Bia Lee '25
Selma Winter '24 International House
I worked closely with the Program Director to develop proposals and programs for international groups hosted by International House during the summer and fall of 2022. I also maintained current information files on Charlotte and its resources, assisted in developing a promotional packet, designed programs and itineraries, and managed data.
I interned at International House as the Citizen Diplomacy Program Assistant. International House's Citizen Diplomacy Program (CDP) is a part of the U.S. Department of State's diplomacy initiative to bring future leaders from other countries to experience American civil society and culture and learn about American best practices in private, nonprofit, and governmental sectors.
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William F. and Betty G. Mulliss Foundation Davidson Class of ‘68 Davidson Class of ‘89
