No matter the size, every gift to KIPP helps empower students and alumni to lead vibrant and fulfilling lives. The KIPP Summer Internship Fund is just one example of how gifts—big and small—can combine to create phenomenal opportunities for KIPPsters.
As changemakers of the future, many KIPP alumni are drawn to careers in the nonprofit sector, where they can bring about positive change in a range of ways. A summer internship can be the best way for these future leaders to learn, gain experience, make connections, and launch the career of their dreams.
But a staggering 40% of all summer internships are unpaid, and the majority of those are in the nonprofit space.
KIPP recognizes the value that unpaid internships can provide to future leaders, and also sees that sacrificing pay for beneficial experience creates barriers to access and opportunity. We created the KIPP Summer Internship Fund so that KIPPsters can pursue their dreams without giving up vital support. This fund helps alumni pursue internships that match their passions by providing stipends that cover not only wages, but also hidden, related costs like high-speed internet access and business-appropriate attire.
Thanks to collective giving from a group of donors, six alumni were able to pursue opportunities in the summer of 2021 that will help launch their future careers. Among these were Edressa Kamal; she worked at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, nurturing her dream to advocate for indigent prisoners and assist those who were wrongfully convicted. Another alum who hopes to advance the common good is KIPP SoCal’s Zaydee Serrano who spent her summer working with the National Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Zaydee aspires to someday represent California as a Congresswoman with public school funding and educational access as core priorities. This internship is a key stepping stone in her journey.
These remarkable stories bring into focus what collective giving can achieve. All gifts to KIPP, no matter the size, go a long way in helping KIPPsters grow into the leaders they are meant to be.
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