ABOVE PHOTO: Josh Ortiz (winner of the final challenge) shares benefits and ROI on proposed project.
Summer fellowship ends with landscaping presentation
On August 25, the North Broad Renaissance Fellows finished the NBR Fellowship Program, which aimed to combine a student’s community engagement with their academic and career goals. NBR Fellows were committed to working in a sustained, intentional, and intensive way that works to address issues in one of our four focus areas: Clean and Safe Environments, Marketing and Communications, Maintenance and Landscaping and Economic Development.
Throughout the summer, the students participated in various challenges in the above mentioned strategic areas of focus. The final project included a presentation to support Called to Serve efforts to improve the green space at the intersection of North Broad, Germantown Avenue and Butler Street.
Amelia Price, Director of Called to Serve was among the local leaders who participated in the presentation and judging.
Representatives from the City of Philadelphia and Called to Serve provided valuable feedback to each presentation
“The students were very creative with their projects and they followed [the] criteria’s with perfection. We were all very impressed. All of the students have a right and many reasons to be proud.”
Overall, the Fellows believed that the experience was extremely helpful and pushed them outside of their comfort zone.
“This was different from school,” states Taylor Thompson, NBR Fellow. “It was more than just theory, we had to actually execute on our ideas.” Taylor believe her new found skills will be useful as she starts her next internship at Thomas Jefferson.
Both the NBR and Called to Serve will work on implementing all the ideas the Fellows presented during their fellowship. In addition to this final presentation, the interns also worked on a Marketing and Communications and Clean and Safe challenge that could extend the Temple University Adopt a Block program to North Broad.
“Providing opportunities to the next generation of leaders is important to the NBR for several reasons,” states Shalimar Thomas, Executive Director of the NBR. “In addition to helping them develop leadership skills, and providing them with transferable skills, we are also helping them understand the value of community engagement.”
To learn more about the NBR, visit northbroad.org or follow #ThinkBroad!
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