Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

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

13 sections. Over 85 documents. 140 pages total. Mostly front-and-back. Edited. Printed. Done. As I type the results of my finished product, I can hardly believe them myself. Sitting in front of me I have a good inch tall stack of papers that make up the new Resource Management Procedural Manual for HandsOn Central Ohio. Whew. And, as I look at the manual, I cannot believe I only have one day left of fellowship. The feeling is bittersweet. My time here has been incredible: A finished manual, agency visits, meeting sit-ins, Refer and Oracle computer databases, taking directory orders, answering outside caller questions, delicious potlucks…the list goes on and on. I have learned so much about the nonprofit world and been exposed to new and enriching material. And that’s not to mention everything The Columbus Foundation taught me through our information sessions. I will be leaving here with more knowledge and excitement for the non-for-profit sector than I ever could have imagined. My time has been so enjoyable I don’t want to leave. All I can say is thank you so much to the staff at HandsOn Central Ohio for their more than supportive, friendly, and encouraging demeanor. It has been wonderful working with people that are so passionate about helping others and doing the job right. I have had a fabulous summer and am already seeing the benefits from my fellowship grow: A new internship, a job offer, and a letter of recommendation! I couldn’t have asked for more.

Laine Z. – HandsOn Central Ohio

Wow! It’s hard to believe that my summer fellowship at Columbus Housing Partnership is ending in two days! The past ten weeks have flown by so quickly. I will definitely be sad to leave CHP on Friday.

This summer has been full of new experiences and ideas, and I feel so lucky to have been able to participate in such a unique fellowship program. One of the best aspects of my summer fellowship is that I have learned many skills that extend beyond my job at CHP; I have learned about myself, about the professional world, and about my aspirations for the future. As I return to school and eventually join the working world, I will certainly carry these lessons with me.

Since this is my last blog post, I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone at the Columbus Foundation and at Columbus Housing Partnership, for making this program a reality and for helping me learn the inner workings of the non-profit world. It has been a great and invaluable experience!

-Christina, Columbus Housing Partnership

At the beginning of the summer, I was excited to begin my internship at the ALS Association.  Since coming to college, I have been interested in the non-profit sector and I couldn’t wait to get some experience at a local non-profit organization.  But it wasn’t until the summer fellowship program started that I realized that this wasn’t going to be your typical internship.

Unlike my previous internships and those that some of my friends have this summer, at the ALS Association, I’m not just making copies and entering data, or working on a pretend project someone thought up.  My project, planning an education conference for healthcare professionals and ALS patients, is not only a very real project, but it also ties in nicely to what I’m studying at school.  Event planning really combines my two majors, marketing and logistics management, and I’ve learned just how much work goes into it!  I’ve also had the opportunity to get an inside look at how a non-profit is run and learned a lot about ALS at the same time.

As fellows, we not only get an in-depth insight into the non-profits we are working at, but we also have had the opportunity to learn about the non-profit community in general through the activities the Columbus Foundation has had for us.  This is what sets the Summer Fellowship Program apart from your typical internship.  We’ve had bi-weekly information sessions where we’ve learned about many different facets of the non-profit world and heard from some interesting speakers about their experiences.  Additionally hearing from the other fellows really adds to the experience because all of us are at very different organizations working on different kinds of projects.

It’s hard to believe the summer is coming to an end–I’ve only got one week left at the ALS Association.  These last nine weeks have just seemed to fly by! My Summer Fellowship has definitely been more than just your typical internship and I’ve had a great experience!

Kim S. – The ALS Association

First of all, where did the time go? It is hard to believe that eight weeks ago we were only imagining what our summer fellowships would look like! As fellows, I think we have had a unique opportunity to be able to look at our organizations from various points of view. We started out as “outsiders,” trying to learn a new organization and how we fit. But now, as integrated members of our organizations we get a whole new perspective. I feel as if each week I learned something new and exciting about Central Ohio Youth for Christ. Getting to work on their new website (which goes live in Septemeber!) gave me the ability to really dive in and research every aspect of their ministry. From helping teen moms get their GEDs to teaching youth how to repair cars it seems like there is never a dull moment at COFYC! But, even though they seem to be involved in so many aspects of Central Ohio youth, what amazes me is that they are always looking for new ideas and opportunities to be a part of.

One amazing new opportunity that has come up this summer is a partnership between COYFC and The Arts and College Preparatory Academy to form ACPA West High School in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus. For years, COFYC has owned an old school building with the dream of one day being able to utilize its potential. This summer, that dream is one step closer to becoming a reality. Both organizations are committed to reaching out to teenagers in at risk communities. ACPA is an award winning Charter School and most of the students graduate and go on to college. COYFC’s mission is to reach teenagers holistically. While only in the beginning stages, the office has been abuzz with excitement. It has been a privilege (and a great learning experience) to be able to see this project begin to get off the ground.

One major lesson I’ve learned from watching all of this unfold is that, while it is important to be committed and invested in all you are currently doing, you also have to be looking ahead for opportunities to grow and change. As a person who is not always the biggest fan of change, this has been an especially important reminder. It is easy to hunker down and only look inwardly at what your organization is currently doing. But, with that short-sighted perspective you can miss out on important chances for growth. One of my favorite quotes sums this up nicely, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.” –Mark Twain. As future employees in the nonprofit sector, I hope that we all remember this and always strive to grow and change in order to impact the communities we serve in unique and lasting ways.

-Sarah S.

Central Ohio Youth for Christ