We had 27 YouthBoard and YouthCharge participants join the YouthRoots team as interns this summer! From curriculum review to donor acknowledgment, their insight and experience continuously helps staff improve our programs and organization. Read about their experience in this year’s (virtual) summer internship! 

• “My internship with YouthRoots has been the first experience I have participated in which mimics a real job… Taking my involvement with YouthRoots a step further was super beneficial to me because I got to learn about ways to make philanthropy and community service a full-time job! I found that there is a large community of people who feel passionately about helping their own communities in the same way that I do—speaking with them and working with them showed me the amount of interesting, progressive people who could be my future colleagues.” – Sophia

• “I enjoyed being able to see the other side of this program and the amount of work that goes [into] running the YouthCharge program… It’s a valuable opportunity and allows you to learn a lot about the work that goes behind the program you’re involved in.” – Nandhana

• “Before joining, I had no idea what happened behind the scenes of a non-profit. After helping with some of the tasks, I understand what people running organizations think about every day. My biggest takeaway of the summer internship was figuring out what I think I would like or dislike about working at a non-profit. Now that I have some idea of the work, I would definitely consider working at a non-profit later on.” – Maria

• “The YouthRoots summer internship has been such an amazing experience for me. After a full school year of participating in YouthCharge and the 15 Forever YouthBoard, I was given the opportunity to learn more about YouthRoots as a nonprofit organization and help improve their current curriculum for their programs. I really enjoyed getting to know the members of the other boards and working together with them to brainstorm different ways we can improve the structure of the YouthCharge program for better outcomes. Everyone was very passionate about the work they were able to accomplish and were eager to improve the YouthRoots experience for future participants.” – Mandy

• “[This] was a position that empowered my independent goals and gave me the tools I needed to succeed. I gained a better understanding of the entirety of the sector and am glad I took up this opportunity. I enjoyed the independence and the feeling that each week my work meant something. My biggest takeaway from the summer internship was the power in the individual and how I am in charge of my own future. No one was going to do this work for me, and I felt empowered every week to do my work.” – Kristabelle

• “I will definitely be using what I learned this summer in the future, to make change in my community. This may not be what anyone would expect to be doing for an organization that is about community change, however, the biggest changes can start from a single spreadsheet. Without all this work, none of the community change would be possible.” – Eknara

• “I think my favorite part was connecting with other interns and having really interesting discussions about our experiences and how they can apply to YouthRoots programs. Additionally, I would say that my biggest takeaway from the summer internship is understanding how much goes on behind the scenes in a philanthropic organization/nonprofit, as well as how important alumni, donors, and just other people in general are to the functioning of such an organization. As we progressed throughout the internship, it was fascinating to see how various groups of people contributed to the functioning of YouthRoots and the role they play in YouthRoots’ success.” – Bhavya