Chances are that there’s something happening in your community that bothers you and you’ve done nothing about it. Most of us could stand to be a bit more engaged in our democracy, but it’s harder and harder to get yourself engaged as you get older. That’s why Generation Citizen wants to start while kids are in high school. It’s a Boston, MA based non-profit that “teaches teenagers direct political action through an innovative in-class curriculum” where “students work with local leaders to fix local problems.” These classes are taught by “near-peer college Democracy Coaches” (college student volunteers) alongside secondary school teachers.
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I’ve been on vacation in Aruba for the past 10 days or so, and I’ve gone fishing every day. The fishing has been decent, but I’ve also see all kinds of wildlife from pelicans and sea turtles to eels and frigate birds. It’s amazing how much life a marine environment can support and what you can learn just from experiencing the ecosystem. This need not be formal education, but it can be. The Chincoteague Bay Field Station is a Wallops Island, VA based non-profit that makes a marine environment academic by providing “outstanding multi-disciplinary, educational and research opportunities that celebrate the rich natural, cultural, economic, and technological resources of the mid-Atlantic Coastal region through field-based and hands-on learning, often in affiliation with multiple public and private partners.”
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When I was a kid I always wanted to be in the Burger King Kids Club, but my parents would never take me to Burger King… so that didn’t really work out. There’s something about the words “kids club”–it sounds exclusive, yet inviting when you’re in your single digits. Apparently the words are working for New York Kids Club, which is a New York, NY based company that offers the city’s “premier children enrichment center renowned for an exemplary preschool program and creative and innovative kids classes, day camps, birthday celebrations, and special events!” They may be towards the bottom of this year’s Inc. 5000, but they still saw 56% three-year growth to $12.5 million in revenue.
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While there are plenty of non-profits that want to save the world in one way or another, many are content with focusing on their communities. Some focus on a specific need, and others try to do their best to offer a complete range of programs and services. The Educational Alliance is a perfect example of the latter. They’re a New York, NY based organization that “currently serves 50,000 New Yorkers annually via 39 programs, including preschools, camps, after school programs, senior centers, health & wellness programs, arts & culture classes, and addiction recovery programs.” They may only reach a small slice of New York City’s population, but anywhere else that’s a huge number.
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Nearly every culture has its own take on bread. From tortillas to bialys to focaccias to baguettes to naan, there are innumerable ways to turn a grain into something a little easier to eat. There is evidence of rudimentary flatbreads from over 30,000 years ago, but we’ve come a long way since then. What I find interesting is that the staple breads from across the world are becoming luxury items here in the U.S. A non-profit that is taking advantage of this trend is Hot Bread Kitchen. They’re based in New York, NY, and they increase “economic security for foreign-born and low-income women and men by opening access to the billion dollar specialty food industry.” How? They sell a multi-ethnic line of breads that are inspired by the people whom they are training for jobs.
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I was a total wimp when I was a kid. Despite many opportunities to do ropes courses and other similar challenges, I always sat on the sidelines. To be completely honest, it was because I was chubby and figured that I couldn’t actually complete the courses. I’m now more adventurous, but I still prefer adventure with a functional goal (like climbing down into a gorge to go fly fishing). Project Adventure is a Beverly, MA non-profit organization that offers adventure with a goal, but it’s all about personal and group development. They “seek to expand Adventure-based experiential programming, with the goal of developing responsible individuals, productive organizations and sustainable communities.” They’ve been doing it since 1971, and they keep growing their ability to advance active learning.
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Even though it will be another year until we celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day again, I don’t think that we’ve had enough pirate talk for the week. Just kidding, no pirate talk today, but we are going to take a look at a non-profit called Story Pirates. They’re based in New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA, and they pair “experienced teachers with talented artists to collaborate with schools and community organizations in creating exciting, dynamic classes covering a broad range of academic topics.” That’s actually a kind of boring way to put it. One of the programs that they’re best known for is taking stories that kids write and acting them out. How could that not be absolutely awesome?
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Many job seekers fail to realize how important it is to write well. With so much communication happening over e-mail, your ability to express your ideas clearly and forcefully through the written word will have a direct effect on your career outcomes (and that’s why you need to spend a lot of time on writing great cover letters). While writing is something that most of us work on throughout our lives, the most important development happens in our early years. That’s why 826 National works with 8 centers across the country that “offer a variety of inventive programs that provide under-resourced students, ages 6-18, with opportunities to explore their creativity and improve their writing skills.” The San Francisco, CA based non-profit “provides strategic leadership, administration, and other resources to ensure the success of its network of eight writing and tutoring centers.” The centers are located in Ann Arbor, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC, and together they’ve serve about 30,0000 students each year.
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One of the most underrated life moments is when you learn how to read. Even though it’s more of a progression than a single point in time, I remember (almost) exactly where I was when I became a reader. My family was headed to Florida on an Amtrak train (we thought it would be fun, and it was… kind of), and I had a Super Mario comic book. Somewhere in North or South Carolina I went from stumbling through it to reading it. From that point on I was a reader and I had the ability to educate myself. Teaching kids not only to read but to love reading is one of the most important things that we as a society can do, which is why I love non-profits like The Literacy Lab. They don’t appear to be very big, but the Washington, DC based organization is aiming “to provide high-quality, individualized reading remediation to low-income students in order to increase their literacy skills, leading to increased academic success and greater opportunities in life.”
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It’s easy to take Google for granted, but the ability to find almost any piece of information in less than a second is pretty extraordinary. Google’s biggest problem is also its biggest strength: depth. It’s easy to get overwhelmed or distracted by all of the information. Sometimes you need a more focused tool–especially in educational settings. That’s what Gooru is all about. They’re a Palo Alto, CA based non-profit organization that is “organizing free, online education resources into searchable collections, accessible from any web or mobile platform.” By combining machine learning technology with human curation, Gooru is able to provide a resource for students to find what they need without the distractions of other search engines.
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When my fiancée and I were invited to a wedding in Jackson Hole, I insisted that we go and stay for at least a week. I had been once before when I was about 12, and I’ve been dying to get back. I’m here, and I love it. There’s nothing like waking up and looking out the window to see huge mountains. Since I’m in Jackson, WY, I decided to see if there are any interesting non-profits here with internship opportunities. My search immediately led me to the Teton Science Schools, which is an organization that has “been educating, training, and inspiring students about the natural world” since 1967. They serve people of all ages, and their focus is quite obviously on using the amazing natural surroundings to teach science.
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Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to spend as much time as possible enjoying nature. Along the way I’ve learned a lot of stuff without realizing it. For instance, I can tell you about the the entire lifecycle of mayflies or the spawning behavior of salmon. Yes, I’ve read about those things to supplement my knowledge, but you can’t really understand how it all works until you see it in action. That’s the premise that NatureBridge is based on. They’re a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that has spent the last 40 years introducing “1 million young people to the wonder and science of nature in the world’s best classrooms—our national parks.”
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I played beach volleyball yesterday. On St. Patrick’s Day! And I was hot! No, I didn’t go on vacation. Chicago is having an amazing stretch of unseasonably warm weather. The best thing about it is that it gets people out doing what they love because they know that it still could snow again. For me it’s volleyball (or fishing if I can escape the city), but for others it may be running, playing with their dog, or riding a bike. Since I saw a ton of bikes yesterday, I thought it would be a good day to take a look at Bike New York. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit organization that aims to “promote and encourage bicycling and bicycle safety through education, public events, and collaboration with community and government organizations.” Biking is good for cities and good for people, so Bike New York isn’t just about biking for biking’s sake.
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I’ve mentioned before that my middle and high school sent its classes on annual trips to promote bonding and discourage cliquiness. In 6th grade it was a Whale Watch, in 7th grade it was Camp Hi-Rock, and in 8th grade it was supposed to be Chewonki. We had been hearing about Chewonki from the older kids for years, but for some reason they changed it to Camp Sloane for our class. That ended up being a 1-year experiment after 20 members of my 8th grade class (including me) got lost in the woods overnight with one teacher. I thought it was fun, but some others (and their parents) weren’t so amused. Anyway, when I was looking for a non-profit to feature today, I came across the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset, ME. The name is obviously familiar, even if I never got to go. The simplest way to describe Chewonki might be as a camp, but that doesn’t really do justice to the wide range of programs that they offer.
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My parents are big gardeners, so when I go home in the summer there’s always something fresh to eat. I never appreciated this as a kid (except for the wild berries in the backyard), but now I think it’s pretty awesome. Gardening is not only a great source of healthy food, but it can also be an extraordinary education tool. That’s why Urban Sprouts, which is based in San Francisco, CA, is using gardening to grow “healthy schools and communities.” It started as “a doctoral thesis project conducted at Luther Burbank Middle School during the 2003-04 school year,” but it was so successful that the school begged them to continue and expand the program.
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During high school I was inducted into The Société Honoraire de Français. Though I don’t remember it, I apparently recited, “L’homme qui sait deux langues en vaut deux” (The man who knows two languages is worth two men). I guess that means I’m worth just barely more than a single man, because I never took a French class after the ceremony (mostly to avoid crazy French teachers). Since then I’ve traveled to places like Paris and Montreal, and a small part of me wishes I had kept up with the language so that I could better appreciate the culture. If I lived in New York, NY, I could use the resources provided by the French Institute Alliance Française. They’re a non-profit organization that aims “to create and offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French cultures.”
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Middle school is a big turning point in the lives of students. They generally enter still looking and acting like children, but by the time they leave they’re well on their way to adulthood. Middle school is also the point at which academics become much more rigorous–you have real tests, real grades, and real responsibility. That’s why Citizen Schools was founded in 1995 to re-imagine “the learning day to bring more time, more talented adults, and more relevant learning experiences to middle-school students in low-income neighborhoods.” They’re headquartered in Boston, MA, and they’re getting citizens off the sidelines and into schools in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Texas.
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I actually kind of liked taking standardized tests during my high school years, but now I’m glad that they’re 10 years in my past. While I imagine that the tests haven’t changed all that much in the past decade (beyond the SAT adding a section), test prep has. There are a ton of companies that have developed technology and systems for improving student performance on standardized tests. One of the big ones is Revolution Prep. They’re based in Santa Monica, CA, and they’ve grown at a 211% rate over the past three-years to $18.8 million in revenue. This growth has been fueled by a “vision to transform education and provide the highest quality instruction to all students regardless of their ability to pay.” It’s pretty clear that Revolution Prep isn’t just about teaching students how to beat the test–they want to turn their students into better learners and thinkers.
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I was lucky to go to a school that committed significant resources to both sports and arts. Though I certainly wasn’t a standout in either area, I’m convinced that I was a better student because of both. It’s that connection that drives what the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation does. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit that aims to “bridge the academic performance gap among under-achieving students by extending the school day and year with wholesome, skill-building activities designed to improve New York City children’s academic performance, health and wellness, attitude towards school, self-confidence, character and values, and opportunity for lifelong employment.” The organization was founded in 1992, and it now serves more than 50,000 students across more than 300 public schools.
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I started playing the drums in 5th grade. I started with a snare drum, but soon after I got a drum set that filled my entire bedroom. At about the same time I started taking private lessons, and I had a teacher who seem like the coolest guy in the world to my 11 year old self. After taking the summer off from lessons, I came back to my first lesson to find a new teacher sitting in the drum room. I was heartbroken. I never liked the new teacher, and my excitement for playing the drums never returned. I could have been a rockstar if only I had taken my lessons at Bach to Rock. They are “the Music School for students of all ages.” They’re based in Bethesda, MD, and they have a growing number of locations across Maryland and Virginia. They’re also an Inc 5000 company that has seen an even 1,000% growth in their revenue over the past three years.
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I can’t believe that it’s already back to school time. I’m not happy that summer is nearing its end, but I’m going to keep pretending it’s summer and playing beach volleyball until I’m forced to put on a hat and gloves. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that the school kids who are involved with The Steppingstone Foundation aren’t nearly as bummed about going back as the average kid. The Steppingstone Foundation is a non-profit “organization that develops and implements programs which prepare urban schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college success.” They’re located in and focused on Boston, MA, and they’ve been helping children achieve at higher levels since 1990.
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I took French in middle and high school, and I hated it even though I was pretty good at it. I dropped French as quickly as I could (after 10th grade) and never tried another language. Now I realize how important speaking multiple languages can be. Unfortunately, picking up a new language gets progressively harder as you get older. If only I had started as a young kid. That’s what Global Language Project is all about. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit organization that “seeks to equip disadvantaged public-school students with the skills to compete in a globalized world and work force” through a “free and comprehensive language training program.” It’s amazing how many opportunities can be opened up for you just by speaking multiple languages. Global Language Project aims to leverage this fact to empower young students.
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Which do you think is preppier, rowing or squash? I’ve never seriously participated in either sport, but I grew up in Connecticut, so I had plenty of friends who did. Both sports have reputations for being easier ways for privileged kids to get into college. It makes sense. Access to rowing shells and squash courts is expensive, so most people never get exposed to either sport. That means the few who do participate in squash and rowing have a lot less competition when getting recruited for spots on college teams. We’ve seen non-profit organizations like StreetSquash, Surf City Squash, and SquashBusters open up squash to a new crowd and use it to promote academic achievement. Today I learned about an organization that is doing something similar for rowing. They’re called Row New York, and they’re based in New York, NY. They aim “to empower young people from New York City’s under-resourced communities to pursue excellence in all facets of their lives, through a unique combination of competitive rowing and individualized academic support.” It’s an awesome idea, and it’s already making a serious impact.
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It’s no secret that the field of education has trouble attracting top talent. The jobs are demanding, and they’re not known to pay particularly well, but I’m not sure that tells the whole story. We live in a culture that glorifies consultants and bankers and not teachers and school administrators. This may never change completely, but there are a lot of people working to encourage new college grads to get into education. One of them is Education Pioneers, an Oakland, CA based non-profit organization that is working to build “the pipeline of talent to address the urban education crisis.” Their immediate goal is to recruit “exceptional talent” and place them in positions at organizations that are working tirelessly to improve the level of K-12 education. Their longer term goal is to develop a cadre of alumni who will assume leadership positions in schools and educational organizations.
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I’m always on the lookout for startup non-profits. Even though they don’t offer the most certainty when it comes to internships, I think that they offer some of the most exciting opportunities out there for college students who want to make a difference. That’s why I got excited when I came across The Public Learning Media Laboratory. They’re a Boston, MA based non-profit organization that “applies new scientific findings and technological solutions to create systemic improvement in elementary and middle school education.” In other words, they’re devoted to making the most of the billions of dollars that we as a nation are investing in education. By providing tools to help teachers be more effective, The Public Learning Media Laboratory has the ability to really push educational outcomes forward for our nation’s youth.
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Today marks the end of vacation for a lot of people. Tomorrow morning’s blaring alarm will mean back to work or back to school, and the great feeling of the New Year will start to wear off. I have a couple of days left, but I’m not too excited to go back to Chicago’s predicted 19-degree weather on Tuesday night. But what if going back to work or school meant returning to an island in the Bahamas? That would change some attitudes, which is why you should envy the teachers and students at The Island School on Cape Eleuthra. The Island School calls itself “a mind, body, and spirit journey that takes students away from traditional high school curriculum and invites them to confront authentic challenges” where “classes are designed to allow first-hand engagement with the people and environment of The Bahamas.” It’s most definitely not a vacation, but it’s education in a far more welcoming environment.
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I don’t think there’s a gamer out there who hasn’t been hounded by a parent to turn off the video gaming system of choice and do his or her homework. I’m sure some gamers get the last laugh when they start a high-paying career in game development, but most parents still fail to see the educational value of video games. Maybe if they hear about GameDesk, they’ll change their tune. It’s a Los Angeles, CA based “non-profit research and outreach organization designed to help close the achievement gap and improve academic outcomes by reshaping models for learning through game-play and game development.” Yes, it may be hard to believe for some, but critical math, english, and science concepts can be tough through games.
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It amazes me that after all of these years, the written word is still so powerful. Audio and video mediums started to take over with the advent of radio and then television, but the Internet brought writing roaring back. Take me for instance. With no job and barely any experience even looking for one, I was able to build a business that is helping over a million job and internship seekers every year. It all started with reading. I scoured the Internet for new ideas and perspectives on how I could best serve my market. But it really took off when I started to write and share what I learned with all of you. I truly believe that if you have strong reading and writing skills, you can do nearly anything, and I think the people at LitWorld would agree with me. They are a New York City based non-profit organization that works “to cultivate literacy leaders worldwide through transformational literacy experiences that build connection, understanding, resilience and strength.” LitWorld’s main focus is on children, since they’re the ones who stand to gain the most from literacy.
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Join the legion of One Day, One Internship readers who are showing up to their internships in Bonobos pants (or wearing their swim trunks to the beach on days off). Learn about Bonobos here and e-mail me for $50 off your first purchase.
I’m sure plenty of you intend to go to grad school in the future, or you’re considering it now that you’re realizing how tough the job market really is. I have absolutely no intention of going back to school because I’m enjoying learning by doing way too much. I also want nothing to do with standardized tests ever again. But if I was going to take a standardized test like the GMAT, I’d probably want to enroll myself in prep course (because my high school strategy of getting a good night’s sleep the night before the test can only take me so far). From what I’ve heard from friends, ManhattanGMAT is one of the best out there. They’re quite obviously based in New York City, but they have locations all across the country. ManhattanGMAT delivers success for their students by staying true to 3 core concepts: focus, superior curriculum, and real teachers (who scored in the 99th percentile on the GMAT).
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I have a good friend from Cornell who has been working in the world of education since he graduated with me in 2006. He often sends me recommendations of companies that I should feature, and I’ve actually covered quite a few of them. Earlier this week he sent me a note about Achievement First, a New Haven, CT based non-profit organization that manages charter schools across Connecticut and New York. (Sidenote: Having a friend like mine who is super-connected and aware in a particular industry or area can be huge for your job search.) Achievement First got its start in 1998 when a group of founders got together with the goal of creating a public charter school. They succeeded, and the result was Amistad Academy—and it’s been an amazing result. Over the past 7 years, Amistad Academy students have beat state averages in reading and math on the Connecticut Mastery Tests. In 2003 they built on this success by making Achievement First a separate entity to take the lessons learned from Amistad Academy and spread them throughout the region. Since then Achievement First “has grown into a network that includes 17 academies under nine charters in four cities.”
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