Katherine Olives
Students at City College have an opportunity to create social impact through many activities on campus, but were excited to announce that well continue our partnership with Communitas America to train students for careers in the social impact realm. This year, weve paired it with our Apprenticeship Program, a career-readiness program out of our MakerLab that allows CCNY students the opportunity to develop their skills by working on projects within our MakerLab. We like to think of it as an apprenticeship that builds on what students learn in the classroom to prepare them for industry careers. This summer, some of our apprentices will take what theyve learned at the Zahn Center and work as interns at NYC-based social enterprises. Through this summer program, our students will not only gain invaluable career experience by working at social impact organizations and social enterprises in the NYC area, but theyll understand the foundations of building a career in the social impact sector through a series of skill-building workshops.
The program will kick off with a two-day intensive training seminar. Participating students will learn about the field of social innovation, and explore what it takes to build a career around their personal sense of purpose. Theyll also learn valuable skills to be successful in a social impact-driven career, like impact measurement and growth hacking. The seminar will feature interviews and discussion with leaders in the space, and will be facilitated by Jana LaSorte, an educator and expert strategist in community engagement and program development.
This program was developed in partnership with Communitas America, a social impact firm that supports changemakers creating innovative solutions to solve social problems in underserved communities. Communitas America encourages changemakers and social entrepreneurs to further their missions. They are specifically focused on New York City, especially as its population represents much of the world. New Yorkers hail from hundreds of different countries, speaking many different languages; in the same vein, CCNY students represent almost every country in the globe and speak 150 different languages. For us, this means New Yorkers bring a variety of different experiences and are exposed to many more challenges, often having a duty to solve problems within their own communities here in the city and abroad. Communitas America is currently working with various social ventures and nonprofits in the NYC area within underserved communities to develop our Impact Ecosystems. They envision a city where no matter what zip code youre coming from, you can have the resources you need to be a changemaker where youre from. A community of changemakers can transform any community through collaboration and innovative work. With this program, we hope to give CCNY students a pathway towards a rewarding, purpose-driven career in social impact.
Once the internship matching process wraps up, well share a little bit more about where students are working and what theyll focus on throughout the summer. In the meantime, follow us on social media at @ZahnCenterNYC for updates on the 2-day immersive program!