Since 2020, the Community Foundation partnered with Connecticut College to fund a community internship for students to connect with civic life in New London. For the past five summers, students have stepped beyond the classroom and into the city’s heart. Through the College’s Summer Civic Leaders program, they interned with nonprofits serving residents, gaining hands-on experience tackling local, real-world challenges.

Hailing from around the globe, the students’ academic pursuits ranged widely — government, computer science, the arts, education — but each sought more than a summer internship. They wanted to roll up their sleeves and understand how New London worked, where help was needed, and how real change took shape.

The experience was “incredibly transformative” for many students, reported Rebecca McCue, director of the College’s Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy, which ran the Civic Leaders program.

“Many students had never explored New London, and their entire perception of the city changed. They came to appreciate the city’s vibrant art scene, for example, and its downtown’s vitality.”

One student’s equity research at the Connecticut Fair Housing Center sparked a commitment to New London that continued through college. Later, as a reporter for The Day, he applied a newly awakened social justice lens to his journalism. Another intern worked with Spark Makerspace and became an active part of the city’s creative economy, building lasting connections.

McCue was especially gratified to see students develop insights into ethical and equitable community decision- making, while local nonprofits gained fresh ideas and energy for projects that benefited city residents. And the Civic Leaders strengthened the bridge between campus and city — ensuring students didn’t just study in New London but became part of it.