Prepared to Engage

Students Complete SHECP Academy & Begin Summer Internship

When, on Monday, June 9th, 82 SHECP Summer Interns began work at their internship placements, their SHECP summer experience was already well underway. Their first day was preceded by the weeklong annual SHECP Internship Academy, which spanned June 2nd-5th. During that week, interns participated in speaker sessions, trainings, reflections, and meetings with their living cohorts to prepare to engage responsibly with their host communities and situate their experiences within broader academic framing. 

To kick-off the Academy, Dr. Katharine Shepherd, Dean of the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont, provided the welcome address. Shepherd invited interns to use the Academy to reflect on “why you are where you are right now, what you can contribute to the place you’re in, and most of all, what you can learn about yourselves: your own power and privilege, and possibly, your future.” The daughter of SHECP’s founders, Shepherd also spoke to the legacy her parents hoped to establish with SHECP: an opportunity for students to “engage with communities that were experiencing social, economic, cultural and racial challenges in ways that would help make our world a better place.”

Later, interns heard from Dr. Greg Duncan, Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. Duncan provided an overview of the research and findings in the National Academies' 2024 Reducing Intergenerational Poverty Consensus Study Report. “The report examines the drivers of long-term, intergenerational poverty, identifies potential policies and programs to reduce it, and recommends actions to address gaps in data and research” (nationalacademies.org). Duncan highlighted evidence in five key areas: education, employment, health, crime, and racial disparities. Learn more about the report, access suggested readings, and rewatch the session here>>

Also during the week, interns engaged in an updated Conflict Transformation module, aimed to provide interns the theoretical foundations and practical tools needed to navigate the complex interpersonal and systemic conflicts that arise in anti-poverty work. Interns completed short trainings and reflections independently, participated in a hands-on workshop in small groups, and, over the summer, will complete assignments to analyze conflicts they witness during their internship. For the first time, interns who complete the full curriculum will be eligible to receive a certificate from SHECP in Conflict Transformation.

With the Academy finished, interns are now off to work. These interns represent 15 member schools, and come from 7 countries including the United States, and 23 states or U.S. territories. Interns are working at 62 placement sites across 13 cities, including nine placements that are new to SHECP this year. These students have spent the past few months preparing for their summer, and they will spend their next 8 weeks working alongside talented community partners, building on their understanding of poverty, and providing meaningful support to the different communities.

Event Recordings:

• Opening remarks by Dr. Katharine Shepherd

• “Keynote: Reducing Generational Poverty” by Dr. Greg Duncan