Vocation, Capacity, Community Part One

When I talk about vocation with students, I often describe it as the overlap between what you want and are equipped to do and what your communities need. After all, active citizenship, the guiding model of our office, is about prioritizing community in your values and life choices. It is through this lens of vocation that I am so excited about our funded local internships.

Through the generous support of the Parents Fund, the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) has been able to offer five internships since summer 2016 which address the capacity needs of local community organizations while providing amazing growth opportunities for the student interns. You can read about the experiences of all five interns, but here are a few highlights: Ashleigh Arrington sharpened her media skills by creating video trainings for Literacy for Life volunteers. Nick Adjami took responsibility for the Power of Produce Club at the Williamsburg Farmers Market, crafting creative ways for kids to learn about fruits and vegetables. Kassandra Smith applied her Environmental Science knowledge to develop curriculum for Waller Mill Park which educates visitors about healthy water systems.

This spring we are offering four more internships, providing a way for students to explore how they want to meet community needs with their talents. Selected interns will serve 100 hours and receive a $1,000 grant for their work. Students must apply by January 30, 2017.

 Our spring internships are:

We were pleasantly overwhelmed by internship opportunities from the local community and are hopeful we can expand the program in the future. For now, students interested other community internships can email me so we can discuss the many other opportunities we weren’t able to fund this spring (like working with Heritage Humane Society, marketing projects with Literacy for Life or Family Focus, fundraising with Colonial Heritage Foundation, research with Community Housing Partners, or developing a summer meals program with Salvation Army to name a few).

Where do your talents and interests meet the needs of community?