As part of the School and Community Engagement program component, each NELA Fellow participates in an internship with a community organization during the summer between the first and second year. A partnership between NCSU NELA, NC State’s 4H and the Rural School and Community Trust designs and delivers the NELA summer community internship. The Fellows work with organizations which have a significant, positive impact on children in northeastern North Carolina. Through their summer community internship experience, Fellows learn about the vision, mission, and daily operations of the organization; better understand how community organizations can work in conjunction with schools and other institutions to meet critical needs; and gain a deeper appreciation for the assets in the community that can be leveraged to support students. In addition, Fellows work with other leaders in organizations to design a plan for a community-based, school-affiliated initiative that addresses local needs, and develop a viable grant proposal to support this initiative. No financial commitment from the organization is required. A number of grants have been funded from this work. In Part IV (Program Effectiveness) there is a detailed list of the grants that have been awarded. The most recently announced award was for over $300,000 for a STEM focus program at a middle school. The outcome of having funded grants is exciting as they benefit the communities and the schools and they demonstrate to NELA Fellows the power of community partnerships.

View a video to learn about one of our Fellow’s Community Internship!

Cohort IV Summer Community Internships

• Fellow: Sylvia Anthony-McGeachy
  • Community Internship: Nash/Rocky Mount Public Schools Migrant Education Program
• Fellow: Lyndsay Britt
  • Community Internship: NC State University and NC A&T State University Cooperation Extension – Hertford County
• Fellow: Donnell Cannon
  • Community Internship: Peacemaker’s Family Center’s Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools
• Fellow: Crystal Davis
  • Community Internship: Boys and Girls Club of NC – Franklin County
• Fellow: Letitia Fields
  • Community Internship: New Beginnings Christian Daycare and Summer Camp at South Henderson Pentecostal Church
• Fellow: LaAlice Hopkins
  • Community Internship: Boys and Girls Club of Nash and Edgecombe Counties – Nashville Unit
• Fellow: Cliff Hudson
  • Community Internship: Martin County NC Cooperative Extension Office
• Fellow: Ashley Johnson
  • Community Internship: NC Cooperative Extension Vance County
• Fellow: Caroline Joyce
  • Community Internship: Princeville Museum: Digital Oral Histories of Seniors
• Fellow: Caroline Linker
  • Community Internship: Franklinton Center at Bricks
• Fellow: Jenny O’Meara
  • Community Internship: NC Cooperative Extension and Working Landscapes – Warren County
• Fellow: Keith Parker
  • Community Internship: Trinity Baptist Church Summer Food Bank & Tarboro Chamber of Commerce
• Fellow: Vanessa Peak
  • Community Internship: The Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Fellow: Julie Simpson
  • Community Internship: The Boys and Girls Club of Nash/Edgecombe Counties – Edgecombe County Unit
• Fellow: Billy Strother
  • Community Internship: Tarboro Parks and Recreation
• Fellow: Julie Thompson
  • Community Internship: Angel’s Closet