Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

Hello everyone! My name is Max Thesing and I am a rising senior at Kenyon College majoring in Economics. I am looking forward to the rest of the summer with both Simply Living and the Columbus Foundation. For the next 10 weeks, I will be working with local non-profit, Simply Living. The mission of Simply Living is simple yet effective: to connect people with learning opportunities that promote sustainability, environmental justice, and local economy.  As an economics major, I am incredibly interested in learning more about how our local economy coincides with sustainable living. I am a firm believer that the way in which our current economy is structured is no longer sustainable.  

During the height of COVID, it became prevalent that our local businesses would suffer while massive corporations, such as Amazon, would thrive.  Although our global economy survived, our local economies incurred heavy losses. The project I have been assigned to at Simply Living is an effort to support our local economy by shedding light on small businesses in the area. The project is to create a Sustainable Business Directory which will be a website that will act as a guide for people to find small businesses in the area that provide the goods or service they desire. Thanks to the employees of Simply Living, the website is well on its way with about 150 small businesses in the database already. 

Besides the Sustainable Business Directory, I attended a meeting with Simply Living founder, Chuck Lynd, about their annual garden tour, which is an in-depth look at various community gardens in Columbus. This annual event circles back to the mission of Simply Living: to connect people with learning opportunities. I also had the pleasure of learning from Chuck Lynd regarding the role our local economy plays in preserving the environment.   

In conclusion, there is a lot to be done in terms of sustainability in business. However, Simply Living understands that it is difficult to tackle such a task all at once. The approach should be learning one step at a time to ultimately provoke constructive change.

Hello! My name is Gabriel Jackson, and I recently finished my first year of the MPA DC program at The Ohio State University. I began my 10-week fellowship placement at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio (BGCCO). The organization gives young people the support, guidance, tools, and skills to succeed in life. They provide comprehensive, affordable after-school and summer programming for youth ages 6 through 18. The organization has seven locations with five in Columbus, one in Marion, and one in Newark. This summer, I will be assisting the advancement team in developing a social media plan while revitalizing their social media presence with a digital campaign. Other responsibilities include assisting the organization with day-to-day matters. I hope to use my experience with social media management, nonprofit organization, and love for children to best serve the organization.

My first week can be summed up as orientations, introductions, and celebrations. In terms of orientation, I met my fellow Columbus Foundation fellows while learning structure of the fellowship from Dr.Lomax. Our cohort is an impressive group of future nonprofit leaders and I look forward to collaborating with them in the future. I also met the advancement team, and they explained my role and responsibilities with a vast amount of supporting documents to read.

In terms of introduction, I met with the BGCCO staff and affiliates of the parent organization Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The staff has all been kind, welcoming, and passionate about their work at BGCCO. I was able to visit and meet staff members at the J.Ashburn Jr. Clubhouse with our Philanthropy Coordinator Ellen. The site is rich with west side history. I was introduced to a representative from Rogue Fitness with our Corporate and Foundations Relations Manager, Addie. It was insightful to see donor cultivation in person. I also enjoyed talking with BGCCO CEO Doug, Philanthropy Manager Julie, COO Mr.Mack, Sponsored Programs Officer Mallory, BGCA Senior Consultant Christine, Maggie of Marion, and many more.

In terms of celebrations, I happen to start work during the grand opening of the renovated “The Champion Companies Milo Grogan Clubhouse.” The renovation was the result of a 13.5 million campaign supported by local businesses and community partners. The gracious donors and advocates for the site visited for the signage unveiling of the renovated site. I had the pleasure of meeting Mayor Ginter, BGCA President and CEO Jim Clark, and Dan Sharpe of the Columbus Foundation. Today is our Community Celebration from 4-7 pm at the Milo Clubhouse, and the event is open to everyone!

My fellowship position began two weeks early due to a scheduling conflict and my first week at the McConnell Arts Center involved a short orientation, then jumping right to work. The first day began with a building tour directed by the MAC’s Programming Director, Michelle. I got set up with my laptop and made sure I was able to log into the MAC network and all the programs that I will need. I met the rest of the full-time staff then Michelle and our Development Director, Kim, took me out to lunch! When we got back from lunch, I went through the calendar to schedule my hours for the summer around the various programs and events, dependent upon where I was needed. Scheduling flexibility is important at the MAC, as there are only six full-time staff members who put on festivals, organize summer camps, host art classes, and maintain a gallery.

The role I take on at the MAC involves assisting the staff in a variety of ways, primarily focusing on programming events such as our Summer Outdoor Series, Worthington Arts Festival, and Camp Creativity – our summer camp. The rest of the week I learned the various programs that the staff uses and began to create social media posts which promote the MAC. I also started the preparation for Camp Creativity by curating an instructor supply list and updating counselor contracts. Toward the end of the week, we sat down for a staff meeting with the Director of Operations, who recently left his position at the MAC, to ask any questions regarding previous events and information we may need in his absence. Additionally, he ran us through previous procedure and details of the upcoming Worthington Arts Festival, hosted by the MAC. This meeting gave me a first glimpse at all the intricate planning involved in hosting large events, most of which I previously would not have thought of.

Despite being stretched thin, everyone at the MAC made sure to express their desire to prioritize my takeaway from this fellowship, rather than putting me to work doing undesirable or menial tasks. The staff’s thoughtful and welcoming instruction made for a great first week at the McConnell Arts Center!

Hello! My name is Cailynn Fox, and I have been granted an amazing opportunity this summer as a Columbus Foundation Summer Fellow with the Ohio Humanities Council. I graduated last month from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology (with a focus in Cultural Studies and a minor in Spanish). I believe the process of earning my degree has prepared me well to effectively enter the non-profit sector with the countless transferable competencies and skills that anthropology teaches as well as to have a good introduction into the world of the humanities, with just some of the common features being history, cultural studies, linguistics, and literature.

I have had a very enjoyable week beginning my first post-college full-time position, and have had the opportunity to meet many professionals who I anticipate having a profound impact these next 10 weeks on my abilities to become a leader in the non-profit sector, including Dr. Mark Lomax II, Rebecca Asmo (the Executive Director of Ohio Humanities), and my coworkers at Ohio Humanities. As is typical when starting a new position, I was anxious about what sort of environment I would be entering, but I am ecstatic that I have encountered a flexible work environment with friendly and helpful coworkers and leadership. Being in the office only 3 days a week and remote the remaining 2 days, I’m excited to have a blended experience that will prepare me in the future for both types of work environments.

In the office, I’ve spent this week learning more about the programs, operations, communications, and impact of the various types of work that Ohio Humanities does, whilst exploring more about what specific elements of non-profit work that would make my learning experience the most lucrative whilst being helpful to my coworkers and having the potential to be impactful for Ohio Humanities.

I’m excited to continue sharing here my reflections about the experiences and new knowledge that I am bound to gain this summer!

Hello everyone! My name is Abbi Hile and I am entering my final year at the University of Dayton majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communications. I’m excited to be a Summer Fellow for The Columbus Foundation this summer!

This past week was my first full week at Seeds of Caring, which is an organization that engages children into making a difference and choosing kindness through a variety of service projects and educational opportunities concerning needs within the Columbus community. Their mission is to empower kids to create a kinder community with their hearts, hands, and minds.

Last week I was able to start early due to some conflicts later in the summer. Last week I was learning the basics around the office, and I was able to get to know some of great women who are on staff here.

During my time at Seeds of Caring, I will be taking advantage of all the different opportunities that I have to learn about not only the organization itself, but nonprofits in general. I have already been able to sit in on a 1 on 1 staff meeting regarding marketing strategies, an all-staff meeting concerning what was currently going on with each staff member’s role, as well as a board committee meeting touching on the future of the organization.

My main role at Seeds of Caring is acting as one of the instructors for the Kindness Corps, which is a program held during the summer & school year that teaches kids to choose kindness every day. We will be going into summer camps during these 10 weeks, and we will be teaching kids 4 lessons pertaining to community needs in Columbus. These lessons include tools we can use to choose kindness, senior empathy, hope for hospitalized kids, and hunger in those who are unhoused.

Even though I don’t come from a teaching or education background, teaching kids about these needs in our community was important to me when I learned about what I’ll be doing this summer. There is so much we can do to help these communities but showing kids that they can make a difference and that they can bring some hope to people who have these needs is very impactful.

Today (Friday), kids came into our space so we, the Kindness Corps instructors, could practice our lessons in real time. I was very nervous, but as I was leading the lesson I found that teaching the curriculum was easier than I thought, which gave me confidence for the rest of the summer.

This week has been filled with learning the curriculum for Kindness Corps and practicing how we want to teach these lessons. I feel a little nervous to start teaching, but the staff at Seeds of Caring has been so helpful in encouraging me and they have given me great tools to ensure that I am able to get these important messages out to the kids we will be visiting this summer.

I’m so excited to get started with our first week of camp next week!

Hello! My name is Brandon Bishop and I am a recent graduate of The Ohio State University and incoming J.D. Candidate at Duke University School of Law. This week, I began my 10 week fellowship placement at Local Matters. Local Matters is a non-profit organization serving the Central Ohio region. The organization seeks to educate the community on healthy food options and expand access to fresh foods. This summer, I will be assisting the Programs team in developing a program operations manual to help standardized procedures and simplify team operations. My previous work experiences focused on public policy and other public sector functions, meaning my responsibilities this summer force me to work outside of my comfort zone. However, my background provides a useful perspective as the organization seeks to develop itself further.

The primary objective of my first week was to learn. Attending the Columbus Foundation Fellowship Orientation allowed me to learn about the work of the Foundation in supporting the local non-profit environment. I also learned about the diverse backgrounds of my cohort members. At Local Matters, I spent my week gaining knowledge on the organization’s mission and how it carries this out. I witnessed how the organization currently operates at various meetings throughout the week. Though non-profit and food access work is new to me, I have already broadened my view on my own lived experiences. Growing up, I always had access to fresh foods at a network of grocery stores in my area. Lower-income neighborhoods in Columbus and around the country do not have this same access. Programs offered by Local Matters like the Veggie Van and food education classes seek to bridge this gap. 

Upon starting at Local Matters, each team member was incredibly welcoming towards me. I am inspired by the passion for their work that each person exudes. I look forward to getting to know each team member and working with them to improve the organization throughout the summer. 

Hello, my name is Emma Urhammer and I am a senior public relations major at Otterbein University. I am the marketing and communication intern at Marburn Academy this summer. Marburn Academy is an independent day school dedicated to serving the educational needs of students who learn differently due to dyslexia, executive function difficulties, and attention challenges. 

Marburn Academy’s mission is to celebrate and empower students who learn differently and help them become engaged, resilient, compassionate, empowered, and self-advocates. Marburn Academy opened a new facility in the Columbus area in hopes to be more accessible to the community. This facility currently offers one through fifth-grade tutoring and is hoping to expand to higher grade levels. 

A big event coming up is hosting our summer school program which begins in June and lasts till the end of July. Our summer school program is open to Marburn families and also non-Marburn families. The summer school program is a great way to minimize learning loss over the summer. 

Promoting the summer school program is one of my responsibilities so Marburn can reach more families outside of our own. The program is open to students entering kindergarten and first grade. It is also open to students entering second through ninth grade. During summer school students will expand their knowledge by following the strategy of “Breaking the code.” Click here to learn more. 

I have completed my first week at the Siemer Institute and I am already eager for what is to come. I have spent the past few days meeting my co-workers and getting to know the values of the organization while also doing some preliminary work in preparation for the interviews that I will be conducting throughout the summer. My coworkers are incredibly supportive, and I am excited to be a part of the team. The Siemer Institute is comprised of only 2 full-time employees, yet their work has such a significant impact all over the United States. As of 2021, this organization has partnered with 70+ local nonprofits throughout the country with the goal of improving students’ academic success by providing their families with stable housing and financial assistance. In fact, 8.5 million was given in grants to these organizations this year alone, which helped about 14,000 families with 32,000 children.

Having spent this past year conducting research at the academic level, I have found that I thoroughly enjoy handling data and organizing information. This was a large factor behind my interest in the Siemer Institute Fellow position. For the next few weeks, my tasks will consist of researching best practices on topics such as the 2 Generation Approach, family-centered coaching, and trauma-informed care to create resources for programs across the network. I will also be interviewing our program partners with a goal of completing at least 20-30 interviews by the end of the summer. On top of this, I have been encouraged to conduct any small projects that I may be interested in. After I complete my best practices research, I would like to experiment with presenting this data in different ways, such as through infographics. Now that I can begin my tasks, I am excited to see what I will produce and how I can help the organization. 

Monday June 6, 2022, marked my first day as a Columbus Foundation Fellow for the summer. Initially, I was completely lost trying to find this historic building’s entrance, but I found it eventually. It was wonderful meeting the other 15 fellows. During our meeting, we heard about the workshops we will be holding, as well as the fun activities we can do together. Our “about me” drawings were one of the highlights of the day, which we shared out to the whole group. In some areas, I found myself being able to relate to the fellows and learning a lot about each other’s backgrounds. Dr. Lomax has a humorous personality and I am looking forward to having him as our director this summer. SN: He plays the drums, and I have listened to one of his albums, if you have not already, please do. It’s inspiring.

Furthermore, I have completed my first week of training with Communities in Schools, my nonprofit site. During this week, I participated in a virtual training with five Site Coordinators that I will be working with this summer. Our discussion covered the mission and vision of CIS as well as examples that site coordinators might encounter when working with students. Although most of the information will not apply to me as a summer intern, I still gained valuable information when it comes to setting boundaries, knowing my roles and responsibilities, and interacting with students.

During the training, I met several Program and Site managers and learned more about some of the projects I’ll be working on this summer. I also learned what expectations are of me and how some planning will take place. I have been assigned a CIS laptop and will have my own email address, so it’s getting official. I am looking forward to a great 10 weeks this summer and being able to work directly with the community, students, and staff ! 

The Columbus Foundation is looking for awesome young people to learn more about the nonprofit sector by spending 10-weeks working with a local nonprofit. Visit the 2021 pages on this site and read the Fellows Blog for more information and insight on the types of projects, roles, and responsibilities of a typical Fellow. We also invite you to check out the Fellows page here to apply in November 2021.

Program Details:

The 10-week fellowship starts June 6, 2022 and ends August 12, 2022.

Fellows are matched with a nonprofit based on interests, skills, and the nonprofit’s specific needs or objectives, and are required to attend five professional development sessions culminating in a mandatory end-of-summer presentation on August 12.

Program Eligibility:

College junior, senior, May/June 2022 graduate, or a graduate student in the fall of 2022 and have graduated from a Franklin County high school.

OR College junior, senior, May/June 2022 graduate, or graduate student attending a Franklin County college or university.

You can also email Dr. Mark Lomax, II (mlomax@columbusfoundation.org) for more information.