The Community Foundation serving SW Colorado designed a comprehensive paid summer internship opportunity for 11 local high school students that benefited 10 Durango nonprofits this June. The CAUSE youth internship program is funded by a philanthropic couple interested in creating a meaningful workplace experience for high school youth, while at the same time benefiting local nonprofits. This is the third year the Community Foundation has coordinated this impactful grant.
The nonprofits included 4 The Children, Big Brothers Big Sisters of SW Colorado, Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County, Community Foundation serving SW Colorado, Durango Arts Center, Durango Food Bank, La Plata Family Centers Coalition, and Sexual Assault Services Organization. Additional grantees include the Business Improvement District and the Durango Chamber of Commerce. They received a complete marketing/social media campaign for their SW Colorado Gives outreach, as well as a $2,500 operational grant to cover marketing expenses. Each nonprofit business provided an engaging and professional experience for the students to gain valuable workplace skills during the one-month internship.
The Impact:
“The feedback received from the students has been overwhelmingly positive. We are delighted to report that 100% of their confidence went up for marketing skills, financial skills, ability to work in a professional environment, and in future careers. 95% of the students agreed that the CAUSE Internship had a profound and positive impact on their personal and professional development. A significant 100% of the students felt that they contributed substantial value to their respective nonprofit organizations. 100% of the students found the overall CAUSE Internship experience to be helpful and expressed their strong recommendation of the program to fellow students. 100% of the students rated their experience with the CAUSE Internship as positive!” – Sally Ridley Bredfeldt
Video below was created by our CAUSE intern Charlie and is geared towards future interns.
