Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

Hello to everyone!

My first week at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center I learned that my previous work in urban conversation was no match for what I’d be learning here.  That is where we got to the title of my post,  “Audubon DUCKLING”.  Eventually I will become an Audubon Swan, but only if I can figure out the  difference between Golden Rod and Poison Ivy! : ) I’m just kidding, on the other hand I actually have been learning a lot about the importance of bringing the wildlife into urban populations–and feel it may connect well with the work in food security I anticipate I’ll be doing somewhere in the next three years.

(here is the picture of the Grange Insurance  Audubon Center)

This week, we get our first set of campers and I’ve learned that I learn best when I am teaching, so my goal is to absorb like a sponge and hopefully get the most out of all my internship experiences. Our theme of ’Amazing Flyers’ should get the kids excited and ready to learn about bird species native to central Ohio.  I feel I have been placed well, my staff is amazing and I really have been accepted as a member of the team, not the copy machine running, stapling wizard that we all picture when we think “internship”.  That is why I am proud to participate in my FELLOWSHIP and excited for all the new endeavours it will bring. Untill next time, I’ll be somewhere in a forest becoming and educator!

~Shelley

My name is Matthew Adair and I’ll be working with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Columbus as a 2011 Fellow for The Columbus Foundation. I am extremely grateful to have received this opportunity to further my career aspirations in the nonprofit and/or public service sectors. I anticipate a summer of learning and dedication.

Today was my first day working with Michelle, my supervisor, at the Habitat office. Michelle is the program director of Habitat in Columbus and she completed all of the groundwork for my position. We discussed the basics of the organization and got into some detail about my task for the summer. Formally, I will be the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) Coordinator. The NRI, as far as I know from the first day on the job, is a pilot program passed down from Habitat International to be tested in Columbus. Habitat/I will be going in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood of Columbus to completed asset-based assessments of the community’s physical and human capital. This includes door-to-door work to gather details regarding homeownership and rentals. Reports of parcels in the neighborhood will include anything from aesthetic conditions to environmental risks.

The NRI is a new program that needs to be communicated clearly to the Milo-Grogan community. Habitat has a reputation for moving into neighborhoods and slapping up new homes. This initiative, however, is not about home construction. The NRI will be a comprehensive report on the status of the Milo-Grogan neighborhood, its positive aspects, and its areas in need of improvement. Habitat will be conducting community meetings to serve as a forum for residents to express their concerns and opinions about Habitat’s presence. The organization needs to be a true partner in the betterment of the neighborhood, not an external force mandating change.

My goals for the summer? Be a sponge. As I told Michelle today, any meeting I can tag along to would be a great opportunity for me to be a fly on the wall. Even outside of my assigned task for the summer fellowship, I want to learn all I can about government/community/nonprofit partnerships. I want to learn the language of housing policy and understand the real issues facing low-income urban neighborhoods. I cannot imagine a better organization to have been placed with for the summer.

The Columbus Foundation’s Summer Fellowship program, now in its second year, will place 11 Fellows with Franklin County nonprofit organizations for a period of 10 weeks. The class of 2011, will be engaged in influential projects to support the work of central Ohio nonprofit organizations that strengthen our community! Fellowships will begin June 13, 2011 through August 19, 2011 and each Fellow will receive a stipend for the summer.

• Download the Summer Fellowship application now. (Please note: Submit your application by March, 1 to summerfellowships@columbusfoundation.org.
• Check out the host nonprofits and learn more about the opportunities available at each site.
• For more details check the Foundation’s Fellows page.
• Read the press announcement.

Applications will be reviewed by the Foundation’s Student Selection Committee and finalists will be interviewed by the nonprofits as the final step in the selection process. Interviews will take place in April 2011.

Education is a topic that always seems to be on the ballot, but never really receives the attention it deserves. Other movements, such as gay rights, abortion, economic crises, or environmental issues always seem to overpower it, and it fades into the background. As I continue to go back and forth and all types of sideways searching for a career, I have landed back at the topic of education. It really is an unlimited area of study. Every subject and career needs taught; someone is always a teacher at least once.
Not only is everyone a teacher, but he/she is also a student. Society focuses so much on educating children, which is important and I support that of course. But I also think there needs to be more focus on adult education. There is a huge technological gap among other things, and that needs to be addressed. In working with the Backyard Conservation Course, I have become more aware of how adults need to be educated on the importance of the environment and their role in the ecosystem they live in. Parents are frequently less educated on these issues while their children learn about them in school daily. Where should old paint or medicine be disposed of? Why should I use a reusable bag? These are questions that while could be easily looked up on the Internet or in the phone book often are not. I think a more accessible and better-advertised approach needs to be geared toward adults who grew up just dumping paint in the backyard creek or flushing meds down the toilet. If more people want to do what is ecologically better and know why they are doing it, it will not just be an environmental movement, for movements come and go, but it will be a way of living.

Fast and Fabulous!  Those are the two words that have most frequently been said to me by the Fellows and by the nonprofit organizations that have participated in The Columbus Foundation’s Summer Fellowship Program.  And I can’t think of two better words myself.  It seems as if the time flew by for the program and I think we had a fabulous inaugural group of Fellows.  Initiating a program like this is not easy the first time around.  Lots of questions regarding everything from whether each fellow and nonprofit are the correct match?…….What do we do about sick time?……What if the payroll schedule doesn’t fit?……..and…. What happens if the Fellow and nonprofit can’t work together?  Thankfully these were not issue for us.  The good thing is that some of our Fellows have done such a great job the nonprofits want to figure out how to keep them on!  There is no better compliment to a program like this, or to the Fellows that represent it in the nonprofit community than the desire to create a permanent relationship.  We are already looking at next year and we are hoping that the next class of Fellows will measure up to the excellent class of 2010!.  Well done!!!

–Sandi Smith

Celebrating at the Summer Fellowship Finale Reception:

At the start of my time at Consider Biking, I was looking forward to a great experience that would better prepare me for the professional world and introduce me to the non-profit sector. I knew that I would not be able to find a better summer job or internship and that I was extremely lucky to be presented with this professional opportunity. It has without a doubt lived up to my expectations. I barely knew anything about nonprofits before and now I am familiar with most of the processes and details surrounding them. I have met contacts from various nonprofits and other organizations and for the first time feel like a part of the Columbus community. Overall, the fellowship has improved my knowledge of the working world, non-profits, and my professional goals. I expected all of this.

What I did not expect, however, was that it would overwhelmingly affect other aspects of my life. While I previously biked about a mile to class every day and rode leisurely every once in awhile, I was never a dedicated cyclist. My experience at Consider Biking completely changed that. It started as I began to take my bike on the bus to work and then bike 5 miles home every day. At first I did so because I felt obligated – after all, I was working on a campaign to convince people to bike to work. Then I realized how much money I was saving on gas by not using my car to commute. Eventually, every time I had to drive to work, I noticed how much I had grown to dislike driving, with the traffic jams and idle sitting. Now I try to use my bike for as many commutes and errands as possible. I would guess that I have reduced my car usage by at least 75 percent this summer! Furthermore, my honors research project will now be on creating a bike share program in Columbus, something I never would have thought to do before. Hopefully I can take everything I have learned and show others the tremendous benefits of biking, both for themselves and for the environment.

Clearly, this fellowship has influenced me in many ways, and I am very grateful to Consider Biking, the Columbus Foundation, and everyone else involved for giving me this experience. This was a great summer.

-Stacy, Consider Biking

Today is my last day at the Phoenix Theatre for Children as a summer fellow.  Wait.  What?  It’s hard to believe that ten weeks have flown by so quickly.  Throughout my time with CATCO-Phoenix and the Columbus Foundation, I have learned so much about the organization itself, non-profits in general, and my own future career goals. 

From the beginning, CATCO-Phoenix made sure that I felt at home and like a part of their team.  And now, ten weeks later, I know that I will miss this place and these people when 4:30 today rolls around and my fellowship is complete.  However, I know that this will not be the last time I will see them.  I am already looking forward to seeing The Last Smoker of America, which will be a world-premiere show right here in Columbus from September 29- October 24.  (Yes, this is a shameless plug- tickets are on sale now.  Checkout www.lastsmokerinamerica.com for more info!)  This is a project that I have heard discussions about since I began my fellowship, and I am looking forward to seeing it come to fruition.

This fellowship has reminded me of why I became a theatre major and why I am passionate about the art.  Seeing children week after week come through the doors to have their lives touched by PTC is something I will never take for granted. 

In closing, I will leave you with something I wrote in my last reflection that still rings true today:  

I am so grateful for this entire experience.  I feel that I’ve made great connections and relationships, and will leave the Phoenix with a positive impact.  Compared to the alternative choices I could have made this summer, I definitely believe I chose well and I have really enjoyed this experience.  With just (a few hours)remaining, I am going to be sure to make the best of (them) and give back to the experience that has meant so much to me.

Auf Wiedersehen- which doesn’t mean just “good-bye,” but “until we see each other again”- and all the best to all of you!

Julia- CATCO-Phoenix

I’ll echo everyone else when I say I can’t believe it’s the end! My 10 weeks at Central Ohio Youth for Christ have been a whirlwind! Expanding the website to 3 times its current size, collecting in-kind donations from a variety of businesses around the city, and learning about all the incredible programs that make up COYFC have all been both exciting and exhausting. Thankfully, this week I really had time to reflect over my summer as I attended the regional conference of Youth for Christ in Indiana. At the conference, staff from all the YFC’s in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan came together for a time to both learn and celebrate the work that is going on throughout the organization. It was a perfect way for me to end my time here. I was able to see, not only what is happening in Columbus, but in our neighboring states. It was also a time to connect with other staff members in COYFC that I hadn’t had as much contact with over my 10 weeks. Needless to say, the retreat was bittersweet! I’m so thankful to have been welcomed into the COYFC family with open arms, yet it makes leaving that much harder. I’m so grateful to the Columbus Foundation for providing me with a summer fellowship that gave me real, practical experience, and connected me to an organization of people who have more passion about what they do than anyone I’ve ever worked with. I will no doubt remember the things I’ve learned this summer for a long time.

-Sarah S.

Central Ohio Youth for Christ