Summer Internship Program Roundup

On August 7th, 2020, Young People Travel (YPT) Global Edge nonprofit concluded its 5-week virtual internship by holding a graduation ceremony for its 4 high school interns. The ceremony was showcased on Zoom and the event was presented to the students’ families, friends, and YPT Global Edge’s strategic partners. During the virtual ceremony, students received a certificate of completion, officially granting them the title of Student Ambassadors. Students also heard from the president of one of YPT Global Edge’s strategic partners who offered words of encouragement and a look into their futures as global citizens. 

YPT Global Edge’s goal is to encourage children and young adults to find their ambitions and purpose in life.  The YPT Global Edge International Scholar program creates an outlet for young people to explore the globe through education, careers, entrepreneurship, sports, and cultural immersion. This summer, YPT Global Edge offered 7 weeks of virtual tours, called Learning Journeys, where students were able to learn about new cultures and countries (such as India, Germany, Colombia, and Ghana). The interns were selected from the students who participated in the first few Learning Journeys. The internship entailed tasks relating to 3 teams: Social Media & Marketing, Research, Sponsorship & Fundraising, and Operations. While each intern was assigned a main team, they all worked collaboratively on assignments throughout the duration of the program.

 As summer 2020 came to an end, YPT Global Edge and Gulf Coast Diplomacy were able to collaborate and engage the Global Edge interns in world issues with other students from Kosovo, Mexico, El Salvador, and Pensacola, Florida. Throughout the week-long virtual camp, students discussed cross-cultural activities about human rights, international trade, and global diplomacy. They even took part in a natural disaster simulation with diplomatic solutions.  Max Norwood, a Global Edge intern, and participant in the camp were able to touch briefly on his own experience:

“I really enjoyed how I met people from different parts of the world like Kosovo and El Salvador during Camp Global. We did really fun activities like Kahoot, learned a new dance, and looked at llamas as a group. I had a good time every day at the camp.  Some of the topics like human trafficking and the purpose of the BLM movement were uncomfortable to discuss but I’m glad I got the chance to hear other people’s opinions and perspectives on it. Right now I am in contact with everyone that participated in Camp Global and I can’t wait to join this camp next year.” 

Overall, the pilot summer internship program was a success and each participant gained more knowledge around world issues,  professional experience working for a nonprofit, and global citizenship. YPT Global Edge is looking forward to continuing the internship program next summer. Until then, Young People Travel Global Edge has another 8-week virtual Learning Journey camp with registration now open for Fall 2020. For more information please visit yptglobaledge.org.