Maintaining a tradition that is now four years old, this summer’s PennCORD interns were charged with the task of promoting civic engagement among Philadelphia area youth.  Instead of working within the confines of the classroom, the interns tackled a different assignment.  Inkiera Johnson (Constitution High School), Erica Mendez (CAPA), Kareem Terry (Overbrook) and Zoey Toy (J.R. Masterman) have been working hard throughout the summer to plan and market PennCORD’s first ever Civic Opportunities Fair for Students.  

The goal of the Civic Opportunities Fair is simple: to connect Philadelphia-area businesses and organizations that are in need of interns or volunteers with high school students who are looking to positively impact and effect change in their communities.  PennCORD’s Civic Opportunities Fair will have the look and feel of a job fair, matching interested students with prospective employers, both of whom will greatly benefit from their mutual commitment to service.

In order to make October’s event possible, Inkiera, Kareem, Erica and Zoey have spent the first four weeks of their summer internship collecting contact information for over one-hundred and fifty local businesses and organizations.  During this process, each intern researched only those businesses or organizations whose mission aligned with the Civic Opportunities Fair’s goal of worthwhile civic engagement and community development. 

During their internship, Inkiera, Kareem, Erica and Zoey had the opportunity to work with the National Constitution Center staff.  Each intern grew throughout the summer by taking advantage of weekly professional development seminars, hosted by museum professionals who shared their inside knowledge and experience relevant to the interns’ project.  The interns learned a range of skills, from the basics of marketing to public speaking, and concluded with a resume building workshop.

The PennCORD interns’ support network extended beyond the Constitution Center staff to a group of students from Overbrook High School’s championship-winning mock trial team. Brandon Pouncey and Emem Ikpe, both recent graduates (class of 2009), were joined by rising senior Rameeka Manning to serve as an Outreach Team.  These three students proved invaluable in marketing the event especially in the latter weeks of the summer.

Though the summer interns and the Outreach Team are heading back to their respective schools this month, they will continue their work as ambassadors to their peers.  They have been asked to promote PennCORD’s Civic Opportunities Fair in both their schools and neighborhoods. 

Needless to say, this year’s interns have succeeded at a monumental task.  Our interns are looking forward to one last day of work, hosting the fall Civic Opportunities Fair for Students.  To learn more about the event, click here.