Startland graduates our Fourth Cohort of Social Change Interns at Big Brothers Big Sisters KC!

Events

Apr 13

This spring, we launched the fourth cohort of our Social Change Internship - an 8-week program that challenges students to inspire, encourage and create social change. With design thinking at its core, high school students created, tested and pitched real-world solutions to social issues in their communities.

As part of this year’s cohort, Startland held its first “Spring Break” Exhibition, where Interns had the opportunity to pitch in front of a live audience while enjoying some seasonal festivities. Check out some of the pitches below:

Final Pitches from our Fourth Cohort

“Safe 2 Be POC”

After surveying underrepresented students at their high school about mental health, Imaje, Nithya and Ashley decided to create “Safe 2 Be POC” – an organization dedicated to providing a safe space and resources for high schoolers of color.

The Walk of An Immigrant (Social Change Internship | Cohort 4)

"The Walk of The Immigrant”

Combatting the knowledge gaps first-generation and immigrant college students face when pursuing higher education, The Walk of The Immigrant connects students to resources across education, language and finances to bridge these gaps.

LGBTQ+ Courses

With the increase in legislation stripping LGBTQ+ people of human rights, Savannah, Emily and Jackson are advocating for Queer History Courses to be implemented in Kansas City to educate wider populations on LGBTQ+ movements for change.

Alumni Pitches

GirlsLeadKC

A final project from Cohort 2 of our internship, GirlsLeadKC is a program that empowers young women for careers in politics. Elise updated audiences on their current progress –which is implementing chapters of GirlsLeadKC across Missouri, Kansas and beyond. Learn more about their project here.

Students Of Change

Students of Change is an international, nonpartisan organization of student activists.

The organization's founders were able to push a bill through their city legislation to prohibit secondhand smoke in vehicles with minors present. As of late, the organization is working on spreading infographics through social media. Learn more >

Eye of An Immigrant

Eye of An Immigrant is an organization committed to providing resources to and telling the stories of immigrants in Kansas City.

Since the internship, founders Jasmeet and Komal have been working on gaining 501(c)(3) non-profit status and spreading the organization's message. Recently, the organization received the Power of Youth Grant from America's Promise Alliance, and featured in a PBS podcast called "The Filter". Learn more >

**FOMO? Watch the Recap!**

Interns from our various cohorts came together to pitch their final projects and celebrate the graduation of our fourth cohort.

Watch Now

Our Impact

“Eye of an Immigrant was a passion project for us. Through our work with the internship, that’s where we really started getting momentum and put down the foundation for what we wanted to do. We published the website and started getting a lot of traction through the internship[…] We couldn’t have done it without the help of Startland and all our community members.”

— Jasneet Kaur, Olathe East High School

“My experience in Startland has shaped the way I tackle problems. Whenever I have projects or assignments, I’ll think about Startland and how ‘to go fast, you must start slow.’”

— 12th Grader, Olathe East High School

“I've learned a lot about having empathy for others and their problems. Forming connections with the community is another thing that I have learned.”

— 12th Grader, Blue Valley Northwest High School

Photo Booth provided by Shine Bright Photobooth

Congratulations to our students for completing the 8-week internship! We’re excited to see how they continue to pursue these ideas and turn them into reality.

Learn more about our Social Change Internship here.