Wean Foundation supports students in nonprofit internships

Eleven Youngstown State University students are participating in the 2019 Nonprofit Leadership Summer Honors Internship Program thanks to a $65,000 grant from the Raymond John Wean Foundation.

Students are working at an array of nonprofits, ranging from the City Club of the Mahoning Valley to the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, under the biennial, full-time, 12-week paid internship program designed to provide YSU students with career-related work experience in a nonprofit or public sector organization. The program runs from May 20 to Aug. 9. On a weekly rotation, each organization hosts a professional development seminar for all students.

The participants:

• The City Club of the Mahoning Valley hired Christiana Savo, a senior studying Communication Studies and Nonprofit Leadership, for the Membership and Marketing Intern position.
• Help Network of Northeast Ohio hired Laura Drake, a senior studying Pre-Law, for the Marketing Intern position.
• Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley, Inc. hired Jacob Guy, a senior studying Business Administration, for the Program Intern position.
• Mahoning County Land Bank hired Jasmine Bailey, a senior studying Political Science, for the Community Revitalization Intern position.
• Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology hired Katherine Landry, a senior studying Music Performance Voice and Nonprofit Leadership, for the Program Intern position.
• Trumbull County Commissioners hired Shakeila Allen, a senior studying Political Science, for the Grants Management Intern position.
• Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership hired Isaac Carrino, a senior studying History, for the Land Bank Housing Intern position.
• Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries hired Amanda Paynter, a senior studying Human Resource Management and Nonprofit Leadership, for the Operations Administration Intern position.
• Youngstown Area Jewish Federation hired Jason McQuown, a senior studying Accounting and Finance, for the Accounting Intern position.
• Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation hired Albert Chizmar, a senior studying Political Science and General Psychology, for the Neighborhood Revitalization Intern position.

All selected students have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation provided funding for the initiative. All organizations selected to participate as employers have a mission and/or programs that align with at least one of the Foundation strategic priorities - Community Revitalization, Economic Opportunity, Educational Opportunity and Public Sector Leadership. More information is available at www.rjweanfdn.org.

The Nonprofit Leadership Summer Honors Internship Program was also implemented in the summers of 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 by the YSU Center for Nonprofit Leadership, also funded by The Raymond John Wean Foundation.

“This program aims to provide meaningful, career-related experience which in turn fosters and develops leadership skills to serve in the public and nonprofit employment sectors upon graduation,” said Laura Dewberry, director of the YSU Center for Nonprofit Leadership. “This program also benefits the selected host organizations by building capacity over a 12-week period in the summer of 2019 as the students work on projects that help increase the impact made in the organizations’ community work; thus, helping to achieve organizational excellence,”

The Center for Nonprofit Leadership offers a certificate and a minor in Nonprofit Leadership, which can be combined with any major on campus.

For more information on the Internship Program or the Center, contact Dewberry at 330-941-1870 or LJDewberry@ysu.edu.