TDF Connection
THE DENVER FOUNDATION’S SUMMER NEWSLETTER FOR INTERNS, SUPERVISORS, AND SUPPORTERS OF THE NONPROFIT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM!
Welcome fellow interns, TDF staff, and alumni! This is the 1st edition of the 2016 Nonprofit Internship Program Newsletter, entitled “TDF Connection.� The newsletter is an opportunity to keep staff, interns, alumni, and others involved in the activities updated, as well as track the progress and success of 2016 interns. For the interns, this newsletter serves as an informative piece which recaps previous events, and provides details on upcoming events. It also provides an opportunity for interns to share information about themselves, their host organizations, professional and academic goals, achievements, and personal stories. My name is Elijah Ross. This year I will be responsible for creating and organizing newsletters that will be distributed periodically over the summer. I will be working for The Denver Foundation as the Community Leadership Intern and will be the point of contact for other interns in the Nonprofit Internship Program. I currently attend the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs where I major in Business and eventually plan to specialize in a career involving Finance or Accounting. I am excited to take part in such an amazing opportunity here at The Denver Foundation and look forward to working with other NPIP interns in making this summer one to remember.
Sincerely, Elijah Ross
Recap of Past Events: Kickoff Event As we embark on a fascinating summer working with the NPIP, the interns have begun their nonprofit work with many different organizations. On Thursday, June 2, the interns as well as supervisors, Becky Alberti-Powell and Carla Mestas, participated in the annual Kick-off Event. This year’s event took place at Alamo Placita Park and was a great success. It was the first opportunity for many of the interns to meet one another and interact. Through a series of great games, great food, great dance moves, great storytelling, and an even greater sense of family, we were able to form a bond and memories to last a lifetime.
Learning Workshop #1– June 3rd, 2016 Our first Learning Workshop was extremely inspiring and welcoming. It provided an atmosphere that allowed interns to make deep connections with each other as well as fostering a sense of family. Without a doubt, this year’s interns possess greatness. We collectively look forward to sharing the remaining summer experience together. During our workshop, we reflected on what leadership looks like and what it means in the 21st century by focusing on identity, race, equity, professionalism, and much more. Additionally, we discussed the establishment of norms to guide our meetings and allow us to learn in a positive environment. This provides us recognition and compassion of our diverse backgrounds and the opportunity to express our individual thoughts and ideas. We were visited by professionals from various fields who shared insight on leadership and a deeply appreciated understanding of The Denver Foundation.
Giving Thanks: We would like to give a huge thanks to The Denver Foundation staff members LaDawn Sullivan (Director of Community Leadership), Julie Patiùo (Director of Basic Human Needs) and Bill Inama (Grants Manager) for taking the time to speak and participate at our workshop. We would also like to give thanks to Flor Blake (Multimedia Specialist) for taking incredible pictures at all of our events. Lastly, we want to recognize, Carla Mestas (NPIP Lead Consultant) and Becky Alberti-Powell (Program Associate) for their help in leading as well as guiding discussions in our workshops for the remainder of the summer. At the end of LW #1, we had the opportunity to meet the NPIP Selection Committee co-chairs, Jenni Gasbarro & Cindy Chang, as well as committee member Alison Friedman. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet and gain insight from community leaders who helped in the intern selection process. This was very reassuring and allowed interns to self-reflect on such a wonderful accomplishment. It is both admirable and encouraging to see NPIP alumni continue their work in the nonprofit sector since their time as interns. With our first couple of weeks in the bag, I can’t wait to continue to grow as a team and make this program the best it can possibly be. I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the next workshop and keeping you updated on activities and progress within the program.
Upcoming Events: Learning Workshop #2 June 16, 2016 2040 Partners for Health 9801 E. Colfax Ave. Aurora, CO 80010 9:00am – 3:00pm
Leadership Retreat for Interns Thursday and Friday, June 23-24, 2016 Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Community Center 1290 Williams St. Denver, CO 80204 North Side of Chessman Park 8:30am – 7:30pm and 9:00am – 4:00pm