Summer Internship Celebration with East Oakland Youth Development Center
On July 26, hundreds of students and families gathered at Lisser Hall on the Mills College/NorthEastern University campus in East Oakland to celebrate EOYDC’s summer internship program and the Rise East Career Exploration Experience pilot. Thanks to an infusion of funds from Rise East and the collective efforts of over a dozen partner organizations, more than 140 students participated in paid work-based learning experiences, earning over $450,000!
With over 10 workplace partners, young people had the opportunity to explore a wide range of careers, from healthcare, to artificial intelligence, to digital arts. They created displays--including an interactive augmented reality installation, posters, and short films--to share what they learned. Several students flexed their new skills by presenting their key learnings in front of the packed auditorium and speaking to the media. Shout out to KPIX Channel 5, who joined us on Friday to broadcast highlights from the celebration.
Lili Gangas, Chief Technology Community Officer with the Kapor Foundation, closed out the event with a very special announcement! The Kapor Foundation will provide $1 million over five years to help fund holistic, inclusive STEAM pathways in East Oakland. This investment will allow EOYDC and partnering orgs to provide young people with greater opportunities to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, while enhancing their knowledge and skills in these disciplines--a key strategy within the Rise East strategic plan.
In addition to this funding support, The Kapor Center thought partnered with Rise East partners EOYDC and RepresentedLeadership to co-design the STEAM pathways internship track piloted this summer. The STEAM internship pathway provided internships for transitional aged youth (ages 18-26) with paid internships hosted by Oakland-based, Black and Brown-led organizations including Hiiiwav, Kingmakers of Oakland, Black Terminus AR, The Hidden Genius Project, Roots Community Health, and Umoja Health.
Check out this video to hear from Lili, Selena and the students. Special thanks to all of the partners who made the summer career exploration program possible, including: RepresentEd, Umoja Health, Roots Community Health, Higher Ground, Black Terminus, Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA), Brotherhood of Elders Network, Oakland Kids First, Oakland Zoo, Kingmakers of Oakland, Hidden Genius Project, HiiiWav, and Acumen Transit.
