A Sustainable Way for Students to Make Summer Social Impact

by Kerri Fernsworth Feazell · 2010-04-20 09:47:00 UTC
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I have a career fair booth at my alma mater next week and my goal is to convince students that instead of earning money this summer, they should work for me--for free! C'mon now, would you rather scoop ice cream for overweight kids or help a child who doesn't have enough to eat?

My best summers as a student were spent doing something to help other people. Still, I never quite achieved the level of save-the-world-ness that I hoped I could in one summer.

If I could go back in time I would look for an opportunity that models sustainability, preparation, partnerships, and community-driven initiatives while embracing social enterprise at every turn.

Nourish International is one great example, and I think you'll like these guys too. What I like most about Nourish is their approach to year-round engagement preparing for summer service; they are about "empowering community leaders who have sustainable, scalable solutions." They are not about making a big splash every summer with little practical preparation.

During the school year, students participating in Nourish chapters run small business ventures with the goal to raise awareness for their chapter as well as generate funds to invest in development projects abroad--the same ones they participate in during the summer. The summer projects are innovative social enterprises, driven by the interests of the community. Some of my favorite past projects include: teaching business skills to local entrepreneurs in Guatemala and developing chicken business enterprises in Tanzania. Sold? The next application deadline is April 21.

Northwest University has a pretty amazing program too: Global Engagement Summer Institute (GESI). I get all nerd giddy when I see the words "international service learning" and "sustainable asset-based development." If this is the one for you, their priority application deadline is April 15.

ThinkImpact is another one worth mentioning (even though their application deadline has passed). Since I'm an advocate for planning ahead, consider applying next January for their program that aims to connect college students with communities in rural Africa for social enterprise projects. So much better than babysitting all summer!

I have to admit, my current internship opportunities are not quite as cool as these (yet), but I will promise my interns that they won't spent their summer filing paperwork and I will actually give you something meaningful to do. We can bust our butts trying to save the world this summer, see how far we get, and save some of our umph to keep it going in the fall.

Photo credit: stevendepolo

Kerri Fernsworth Feazell is co-founder of Project LACE and has extensive experience in grant writing, online fundraising, and corporate-nonprofit partnerships.
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