The Flint Community Initiative prepares and invests MSU's most vital resource -- the time, gifts and talents of students passionate to make a difference -- to engage in meaningful work in nonprofit community organizations in Flint while providing our students with a unique opportunity to develop skills in hands-on, collaborative community development projects.
Precipitated by cost-saving measures that led to the poisoning of the water supply, the Flint Water Crisis has served as a catalyst for community change during the past five years. Yet like many Rustbelt cities, the city had struggled with the effects of decades-long economic disinvestment prior to the crisis. The magnitude of the crisis, however, spurred a bottoms-up, collaborative approach to creating authentic community development as a path forward to enhance the health and well-being of the city and its residents.
The Flint Community Initiative began its internship program during the Summer of 2019. At the core of our mission is the belief that the key to revitalizing distressed areas is to look at neighborhoods and communities not for their deficits but for their assets. Our internship program pairs students and leaders of nonprofit community and civic organizations to engage in collaborative, community-driven projects that help to expand community assets and contribute to a thriving future for Flint residents.
League of Women Voters Flint Area – Voter Education Youth Initiative
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. The League influences public policy through education and advocacy. Students will work at the Voter Outreach Center in north Flint to increase LWV’s presence in the community and build capacity by developing youth programming. Students will provide education to youth about democracy through the creation of interactive workshops on history, government, and elections. Students also will develop a process to evaluate the program and prepare a final report.
Community Foundation of Greater Flint – Grantmaking and Equity Evaluation Project
The Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF) partners and leads by influencing and connecting generosity to Genesee County needs. For Good. For Ever. For Everyone. Students working with CFGF will experience first-hand the role and work of philanthropy through learning about a variety of local community projects. This internship will focus on data collection, data analysis and data reporting to evaluate grantmaking with an equity lens.
Communities First, INC - Flint Community Programming, Assessment, Advocacy, and Planning Initiative
The mission of Communities First, Inc. is to build healthy, vibrant communities through economic development, affordable housing, and innovative programming. Students will gain hands on experience in urban planning, development and mapping. Students will learn how to do community assessments, create and implement surveys, and evaluate programs. Students will attend neighborhood meetings and engage with the community to advance community organizing and advocacy.
The Flint Downtown Development Authority - Community Engagement Project Management Internship
The Flint DDA works to enhance and support business development in the downtown area. Students will engage with small and large business owners to develop an awareness campaign to boost interest in the products, services, and amenities of downtown Flint through engaged research and development methods. Students will also work with DDA staff and community sponsors to create marketing strategies for Flint’s famous Back to the Bricks week.
Flint Fresh & Edible Flint – An Asset Analysis of Flint’s Food System
Flint Fresh and Edible Flint collaborates with local stakeholders to develop and implement strategies that support an equitable and sustainable food system enhancing resident access to healthy food in Genesee County. Students will learn about Flint’s food system, develop an inventory of local community gardens, conduct stakeholder interviews and surveys, and use GIS to map food system resources to facilitate food access by Flint families.
The Flint Community Initiative has no application fee and no program fee.
Semester: Summer 2023 (May 17 - August 4)
Application Deadline: February 17, 2023
To learn more about the program, contact: Monica Villarreal, villar42@msu.edu.
Please visit our Scholars Showcase Ceremony event page to learn more about our student's experiences during the summer of 2019.