Building Community through Cohort Living

Every summer, SHECP interns live in community with one another. They converge from different schools and varied backgrounds, bringing their kaleidoscopic experiences to live together for eight weeks. While the structure is intended to provide community for the summer, for many, the relationships forged during their SHECP summer last for decades. Cohort living is designed to provide a structured space for interns to support one another. This support is both innately practical as well as mental, spanning the tangible needs of learning a new commute to the emotional weight of carrying others’ stories. Interns learn from each other as they seek to serve their placement organization and more deeply understand their summer city, mirroring the strength of the collective that defines the Consortium.

Communal living also includes the restoration of having fun and exploring a new place together, something many interns cite as a highlight of the SHECP experience. From working together to find the local laundromat, taking turns cooking favorite meals for the group, and discovering the local landscape, students spent the summer in community and exploring community.

In addition to spending time with fellow interns, many of our cohorts had a chance to meet SHECP alumni, supporters, and practitioners in the area. These folks welcomed interns to town by providing drive tours of the area, taking them out to a ball game, and introducing students to local favorites for food on a budget. Midsummer meals with practitioners, alumni, and SHECP staff provided interns a chance to process their experiences and deepen their understanding of their summer community, while also expanding connections within the SHECP network. A big thank you to everyone who hosted interns in their homes and their cities this summer! 

Interested in planning a summer event in your community? Contact us at internshipdirector@shepherdconsortium.org to learn more about getting involved with the Alumni Engagement Committee!