Program Overview

The Columbia Communities in Action (CCIA) program provides students with a New York-based internship in the field of civic engagement and not-for-profit. Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference.

Columbia Communities in Action, sponsored by the Office of Civic Action and Engagement (OCAE) and the Center for Career Education (CCE), began in 2008 as a new way to engage students in the community while developing key transferable skills. With the support of career counseling professionals, students are able to identify and develop personal and professional goals. As part of the program, participants take part in networking events, training workshops and educational programming designed to help explore career opportunities in civic engagement throughout the Spring semester.

The CCIA students intern with a not-for-profit organization that will allow them to simultaneously build skills and gain experience while contributing to a cause they feel passionate about. Students work in a variety of different roles from research to project management to fundraising and development. The possibilities to utilize and apply skills are endless in this field. To get a better understanding of the variety of opportunities available through this program, please read the CCIA Student Experiences section below.

The following are a small sampling of industry areas in which students have interned through CCIA:

Program Features

The CCIA program is a combination of internship experience at a not-for-profit organization, peer connections with other CCIA interns and career development and support with career counseling professionals. Program features include the following: 

• Pre-program training that includes program overview, self assessment exercises, and goal setting workshops with the support of a career counseling professional.
• Twelve-week internship for 10-20 hours per week during the Spring semester. 
• Mid-semester breakfast with other interns to discuss and debrief on internship experiences.
• One-on-one career counseling appointments throughout the twelve weeks to support and enhance the internship experience.
• End of Program Reflection Session that includes evaluation of the internship experience, goal attainment analysis, resume workshop and interview coaching. 
• Networking events, fairs and workshops in the field of non-profit and civic engagement.

Program Benefits

Upon completion of the CCIA program, students will have gained a richer understanding of civic engagement and the not-for-profit industry. Students will have learned about the wide variety of roles involved in not-for-profit work and had several opportunities to network with individuals currently working in the field.  Additionally, students will have acquired professional skills such as research, effective communication, problem solving, time management and project management. With the support of a career counseling professional, students will also be able to articulate their experience through goal setting exercises, understanding transferable skills they have gained, and reflecting upon their internship experience appropriately.

Opportunities

The 2012 CCIA Program is currently closed. Please check back with us next fall for the 2013 CCIA Program.

To view the 2012 CCIA spring internships, click here.

Student Experiences

2011 CCIA Interns
Chris Crawford helped plan a large-scale awards ceremony and contributed to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission’s fundraising efforts as an intern in the e-Philanthropy and Development department through CCIA. Read about his experience here.	Kendall Tucker gained a new perspective on the criminal justice system through her experience at the Vera Institute of Justice while helping the organization expand its social media presence. Read about this new perspective here.	Kening Zhu put her love of film to use in her internship at LinkTV, not only analyzing and writing reviews on documentaries but putting to use the education on various global issues she gained from the films. Learn more about her experience here.
2010 CCIA Interns
CCIA intern Mark Dato learned the ins and outs of corporate responsibility as a corporate services intern for New York Cares. Read about how Mark converted his internship into a full time position with one of the city's most well recognized non-profit organizations.	CCIA Intern Lizzie Lee got hands on experience working on immigration issues with the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights. Read about Lizzie's internship experience here.	CCIA Intern Samiha Rahman combined her passion for hip-hop and education as a Global Youth Media and Arts Program intern for Brooklyn based World Savvy. Learn more about Samiha's informative internship experience here.

Information Sessions

The 2012 CCIA Program is currently closed. Please check back with us next fall for the 2013 CCIA Program.

Apply Now

Eligibility
Application Process

Program Contacts

If you have questions about this program, please feel free to contact:

Peter Cerneka
Associate Director, Office of Civic Action and Engagement (OCAE)
pc2371@columbia.edu

Devon Pryor
Assistant Director, Experiential Education and Student Enterprises, Center for Career Education (CCE)
dp2592@columbia.edu

If you are an employer interested in hosting a student through the Columbia Communities in Action program, please contact:

Vernon Gibbs
Outreach Specialist
vdg4@columbia.edu