Social Change Internship (Cohort 12)
Term: Fall 2024 | Hybrid Weekly Classes on Tuesdays, 6:00PM-7:30PM CST
Join us in this paid, 8-week internship designed for 9th-12th grade students to create solutions to social problems through human-centered design thinking.
Applications will open soon. Spaces are limited.
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About This Experience.
Whether you’re passionate about public health, political issues, racial injustice, climate change, or education, we need young leaders in our community to help solve these challenges. In this 8-week internship designed for 9th-12th grade students, you’ll be immersed in the entrepreneurial mindset to create real social change in your community.
Work with other peers that share your same passion to create social change.
Connect with mentors that could guide your solution to become a reality.
Develop skills in critical thinking and creative problem-solving.
Be empowered to develop creative solutions to local and global problems.
Schedule.
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Students get familiar with their teams and meet their mentors, while focusing on forming the skills needed for the next 8 weeks.
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Students define the problem they will be targeting and dive into design thinking with an emphasis on user centered design.
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Students talk to users, identify pain points and redefine their problem, while identifying potential partners and key stakeholders.
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Students come up with solutions and create a prototype to present to potential users.
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Students test their ideas by engaging potential users and identify the perceived value of their ideas.
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Students launch their ideas, test user engagement and experience, and collect data and feedback.
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Students pivot or adjust their idea based on findings during week 1 of launch, decide what’s next, and prepare to pitch.
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Students decide which ideas deserve to be pitched for growth and which ideas are showcased for the learnings obtained.
Become a Social Change Agent.
Make an Impact
In this internship, you’ll have the opportunity to make a difference by solving real world problems that impact your community.
Prepare for College and the Workplace
This program will prepare you with internship experience that can be beneficial in the college admissions experience, and with critical problem-solving skills that employers look for when hiring. At the end of this internship, you’ll have a real world project to put into a portfolio or on your resume.
Low Time Commitment
This internship requires one hour of weekly meetings, and follow-up work can be done in your free time around your work and school schedules.
Be the change you want to see.
Get an idea for what you can accomplish in this internship below.
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We’re constantly putting pressure on our body and mind––and these become even more strained when political, economic and social inequities are at play. Through this internship, you’ll be able to utilize design thinking to determine whether you’ll combat access to health, widening the options available for health, or just general education on what various care practices are.
Example topics:
• Education in schools around women’s and transgendered health
• Addressing reproductive rights and bodily autonomy
• Increasing access to health care in marginalized communities -
As time goes on, LGBTQ+ rights are gradually widening and becoming more accepted, and it’s our job to extend this to queer youth as well. Utilizing design thinking, you’ll synthesize user feedback to create a solution that affects queer communities on the basis of health, politics, belonging, economy and more.
Example topics:
• Increasing LGBTQ+ education in schools
• Creating safe spaces for queer youth
• Fighting for more ratified LGBTQ+ rights -
In Johnson County, women make on average $20,000 less than their male counterparts, according to 2022 County Health Rankings. As young women, the earlier this issue is raised in your career, the quicker this gender inequality can be combatted before growing exponentially.
Example Topics:
• Career readiness and negotiation courses in schools
• Advocating for a set of DEI Business Standards
• Increasing transparent conversations around salaries and wages
Past Student Projects.
“These programs have definitely helped me because they've taught me how to think of concrete solutions to help others in small and big ways.”
Zara Jamshed
“I have been working with some wonderful people who have helped to strengthen my teamwork and leadership skills.”
Easton Waller
“For people living in India [my home country], especially my friends who have little to no knowledge about community service, it [was] a really amazing learning course. Not many have experienced learning beyond what’s in school books.”
Anushk Pokharna
In the News
Teens Host Event to Inspire Girls to be Leaders
GirlsLeadKC • August 10, 2021
Born out of the Social Change Internship, GirlsLeadKC was a special, pilot event that connected teens with women leaders for panel discussions. The team had over 15 sponsors (including HyVee, Price Chooper, and Sonic), and launched the event on Aug 10, 2021.
Read More
Entrepreneurship KC Supporting Local Ideas
Entrepreneurship KC • July 23, 2021
Startland partnered with Entrepreneurship KC to support 22 teams of students who are creating innovative solutions to challenges local businesses are currently facing. Teams had the opportunity to win up to $5,000 at the final pitch day on July 23rd.
Teens Push Overland Park To Consider New Smoking Ban
KCUR • April 28, 2021
Citing the dangers of secondhand smoke, four high school students proposed an ordinance banning adults from using nicotine products, marijuana and vape pens in cars and public transportation where minors are present.
Teen activists push Overland Park to consider new smoking ban aimed at protecting young children
Shawnee Mission Post • April 27, 2021
Four Kansas City-area teens working through an internship with nonprofit Startland have authored a proposal for municipalities to ban the use of tobacco in cars where children are present…”
Kansas City metro teens propose legislation to curb secondhand smoking in cars
41 Action News • April 19, 2021
“The environment, children and smoking are issues Vari Patel and three other teens from the Kansas City metro felt needed attention so people can live healthier lives. ‘And when you're inside a car while someone is smoking, this cessation is 100 times greater inside of a car…”
KC to DC: Students roll out legislation to ban secondhand smoke in vehicles; ‘Quit Kids Smoking’ nationwide
Startland News • April 15, 2021
“Four teenagers from high schools across Kansas City have banded together in hopes of passing legislation to prohibit smoking products that contain nicotine, tobacco and marijuana in a vehicle when minors are present…”
Together We Can Make an Impact.
Applications for our ninth cohort of interns are open!.
Interested in being a company partner? Send us a message!