Sereina Ferguson, Public Health Management Corporation
This past summer I served as a Research Assistant for the Public Health Management Corporation, specifically in their Division of Teaching & Learning. Through funding from the Gordon Fellowship, I was given the opportunity to explore how this non-profit organization contributes to improving the educational experience in the greater areas of Pennsylvania, and most importantly in Philadelphia. From analyzing to generating data, I truly got to learn how social science research is fundamental to reforming and improving the systems around us, and essentially how people experience them. For instance, I got to work closely with the outcomes (through SPSS and Excel) from the WHYY Media Labs project that partners with Philly public schools to provide hands-on training in media arts. I studied how the pandemic impacted students’ abilities to engage with the program, in connection with their overall academic performance, which revealed educational inequity, as the pandemic affected schools’ results differently. Through weekly meetings, transcribing interviews, gathering relevant literature reviews, and continuous assistance on major projects, I gained crucial insights on how attention to social justice is embedded in this non-profit institute.
Highlight of the Summer: I really enjoyed the mentorship throughout my summer internship. This team was such a joy to work and learn with. I gained valuable qualitative, quantitative, and interpersonal skills. It was also exciting to witness and be a part of the fast-paced, productive environment that really defines the non-profit sector. Lastly, it was so interesting to connect the work they do, to the Urban Studies theme, as they are really bridging gaps in the education system that wreaks havoc on urban communities.
Adam Goudjil, Urban Institute
Adam served as a Research Intern at the Urban Institute's ('"Urban") Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy. This internship served Adam’s longstanding interest in how Philanthropy serves as a private force for public change and urban revitalization, and how it is working in the present environment. At Urban, Adam was able to combine his interests in civic life, urbanism, and in exploring a future career in policy research. The Urban Institute’s Center of Nonprofits & Philanthropy examines the social sector's impact on urban landscapes,through evaluations of programs such as the Chicago Prize and 100 Resilient Cities. In his role as a research intern, he supported research associates in understanding the effectiveness of place-based impact investing, as well as developing the National Center for Charitable Statistics' database using the programming language R.
Zarina Iman, Atlantic Center for Capital Representation
This summer I worked as an intern for the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation (ACCR), which is a Philadelphia based legal services nonprofit that serves those facing capital punishment and excessive sentences in the state. The projects I undertook were largely centered on nonprofit development, including fundraising and publicity. I helped launch ACCR’s social media accounts, kept apace of developments in the field, like the moratorium on federal executions, and created resources for capital punishment attorneys to use. Through staff meetings, news tracking, and seminars hosted by ACCR, I also gained a better understanding of capital punishment and its nuances in the state and nationwide. This experience allowed me to come away with knowledge about nonprofit administration as well as firsthand knowledge of an ever-evolving part of our criminal justice system.
Highlight of the Summer: The highlight of my experience was hearing about the cases ACCR has worked on in the past. Learning about the people ACCR has helped grounded me in the work I was doing and reminded me of the importance of ACCR’s mission and general justice reform.
Julia Park, Reinvestment Fund
Through the Gordon Fellowship, I was able to spend my summer working at Reinvestment Fund as a Policy Solutions intern. One of the biggest advantages of the internship being virtual was being welcome to attend many meetings that would have probably been difficult to attend if in-person. I loved how I got to partake in a range of the Policy Team’s ongoing projects. I helped collect, analyze, and map data primarily in Excel and ArcMap for projects on equitable development, fair housing, and access to childcare. I am also so thankful to have learned how to use a new analytic tool, Structured Query Language (SQL), for the first time! Also, having this been my first experience working as a formal intern, I was so blessed to be welcomed by such a supportive team who were always willing to teach me and show me much patience as I learned new material. The healthy, constructive work culture really made interning with Reinvestment Fund such a joyful experience.
Highlight of the Summer: Experiencing first-hand how mixed methods research is truly both an art and science. It’s amazing to see how research can be directly applied in communities and to conduct research that is time-sensitive and relevant. I was also so excited to be able to meet the Policy Team at a mid-summer gathering, in-person!