The Community Foundation serving SW Colorado and the Business Education Connection (BEC) have designed a comprehensive paid summer internship opportunity for 12 local high school students that will benefit 12 selected La Plata County nonprofits. Through the CAUSE (Community Action Utilizing Service Experience) Youth Internship Program, nonprofits will receive a complete social media campaign for their organization and an operational grant of at least $2,500. 

Nonprofits selected to participate would host a rising junior or senior high school intern for four weeks, June 6 through July 1. In addition to helping at the office, students will be assigned social media tasks. The work environment is required to be an engaging, onsite, professional office. A nonprofit staff member will be assigned to be the intern’s mentor and supervisor, working directly with the intern in person Mondays through Thursdays. There will also be prearranged offsite workshops for the students on Monday afternoons and all-day Fridays. These workshops will be coordinated with local marketing experts to help create social media products for the selected nonprofits.  

In addition to the assigned intern, paid through the Community Foundation, nonprofits will receive an operational grant, which will be a minimum of $2,500, upon successful completion of this program. These grant funds are designed for execution of the marketing efforts created by the intern. 

The CAUSE youth internship program is funded by a philanthropic couple interested in creating a meaningful workplace experience for high school youth, while at the same time benefiting local nonprofits.  

“This is our second year coordinating this impactful opportunity, and it is truly a win-win for the students and the nonprofits,” says Briggen Wrinkle, Community Foundation executive director. “Everyone who participated last year expressed immense gratitude, and we are excited to be able to offer the CAUSE internships again this summer.” 

La Plata County nonprofits interested in applying for this grant can visit swcommunityfoundation.org. The deadline to apply is April 1. 

Rising junior and senior high school students will be able to apply for these paid internships beginning in mid-March. Interested students can contact Marie Kehm, work-based learning coordinator for BEC, at marie@businesseducationconnection.org.