Name: Sofia

Year: Senior

Major(s): Secondary Teaching

Minor(s):

CFS Program: Field Studies in Humanities

As a future high school math teacher, I have a passion for furthering education and empowering youth. With my internship at Allow Good, I am able to put this into practice by helping to educate youth and inspire them to engage in philanthropy in their communities. I joined Allow Good’s team as an intern this summer because their mission is close to my heart, and my experiences so far have been very rewarding.

In June, I was able to assist with Allow Good’s annual Summer Summit. At the Summit, a dozen local youth had the opportunity to visit many different Chicagoland organizations that engage in philanthropy, whether they be non-profit organizations, venture capitalist funds that invest in social entrepreneurship, or socially-conscious corporations.

For the duration of the Summer Summit, I helped the program run smoothly so that the students attending the Summit could listen to a variety of different speakers, visit organizations in-person, and engage in activities to help them understand what philanthropy is and how it works. I even got a bit of valuable teaching experience by having the opportunity to lead a couple of the lessons myself!

I learned a lot about philanthropy right alongside the youth in the program. Youth these days have very few opportunities to learn about how philanthropy works. If they do have any exposure to the subject of philanthropy, it is usually in the form of their parents donating money to a non-profit organization. Allow Good hopes to change this, and show youth that they have the power to enact change in their communities. The annual Summer Summit is one way Allow Good works to empower youth to engage in philanthropy and show them how they can use their “four T’s” (time, talent, ties, and treasure) to make the difference they want to see.

At the end of the weeklong Summit, our students’ experiences culminated in a final project in which they each designed their own philanthropic organization focused on a cause that inspires them. In the afternoon on the last day, each student gave a slideshow presentation to friends, family, and Allow Good staff about what their organization is, what it does, who it helps, and how it is working to create social change.

Listening to all of the presentations at the end of the Summit, I was absolutely blown away by the creativity and motivation that was apparent in each and every student. It was great to see firsthand how the work I am doing with Allow Good is shaping the actions and perspectives of the students it teaches.

At my internship with Allow Good, I am gaining many important skills that I will take with me into my future as an educator. But most importantly, I have a renewed my motivation to become a teacher and increased my confidence that today’s youth have the drive to learn and create change in the world if they are inspired to do so.