Mentorship Program for Students in Black Colleges and Universities
LISC has launched a new internship program for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to help bridge the opportunity gap for students of color—offering community development mentorship and experience that gives young people a leg up when entering the workforce.
Over the next two years, LISC’s National HBCU Talent Development program is placing 40 students in part-time intern positions with local LISC offices. Interns will support a range of initiatives, from marketing to finance to community engagement, while also participating in leadership and national networking events. The program is designed to address national disparities in internships, with White students significantly more likely to gain paid versus unpaid positions than Black students. The LISC internship pays $25/hour up to $15,000 for the academic year.
Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Through this program, students can earn a strong wage, gain hands-on experience, work with mentors and build a network of contacts and supporters—all while supporting valuable community investment activity.
“This program is part of our work to address systemic racial barriers that keep young people from gaining the experience and connections they need to compete for good jobs.” - Denise Scott, LISC President
Meet LISC Jacksonville’s Intern, Amari Leath, a senior majoring in communications at Edwards Waters University in Jacksonville, FL. This LISC internship program supported by Citi Foundation has opened Amari's eyes to a different career path -- community development -- and he's learned new skills in the process.
Among Amari's favorite projects as a LISC intern: taking local youth on kayaking and fishing trips outside the city and helping families keep their homes by connecting them to free legal help around heirs property, which disproportionately impacts the Black community in Jacksonville.
For additional information on HBCU program, please click here