Student Spotlight: Pooja Kalapurakkel's Intern Experience with the Center for Civic Innovation
During her first semester in MDP, Pooja Kalapurakkel interned at the Center for Civic Innovation as the Fellowship Intern which she found to be a rewarding experience and complimentary to her course work. She shared with us about her experience, which you can find below.
How do you envision applying this internship to your future career?
I appreciated my internship at CCI because it taught me about systems-level thinking, and how important it is to embed systems-level thinking into every aspect of the work one does. For example, social entrepreneurs that took part in CCI's programming had to be working towards solving systemic challenges, not simply creating a small business. (Systemic challenges include: homelessness, criminal justice reform, food security, sustainability, etc.) I saw this way of thinking in almost every aspect of CCI--from projects undertaken to events hosted to daily conversations with committed employees. Systems-level thinking is now something I hope to carry forward, not only into my next professional experience, but also in other aspects of my life.
How has your perspective on development changed?
I joined the MDP program to understand how to work in development domestically, and my internship at CCI solidified my justifications for domestic development work. Working at CCI helped me get a better sense of the work needed to be done to eliminate inequality in Atlanta. I also walked away from the internship with a more nuanced understanding of community development. CCI is fueled by social entrepreneurs who live in and around Atlanta and want to make a difference. In fact, CCI mainly serves as a resource for entrepreneurs who need assistance--all gains made, however, are achieved through these entrepreneurs themselves. I've always believed in this model of development, but it can be difficult to find organizations that believe that systemic challenges can only truly be solved by community members.
As part of her experience, Pooja Kalapurakkel attended "Lunch and Learn" sessions with other members of the organization.
How do you engage in development outside of the internship?
CCI offered numerous opportunities for me to engage with its outreach work through the events it offered. I attended a total of 7 CCI events over the course of two months. The events were varied: a hip-hop social entrepreneurship pitch night, lunch & learns on various topics, a leadership breakfast with the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools (Meria Joel Carstarphen), and an Investor Day, where the Fellows would be pitching for foundation grants. All of these experiences helped make my internship experience both holistic and realistic.
The Center for Civic Innovation seeks to elevate more effective solutions that improve equality and build trust in the public sector. For more information, check out their website: https://www.civicatlanta.org/
Curriculum
The Emory MDP curriculum combines natural, social, health sciences and management.
FIELD PRACTICUM
The Field Practicum is a core component of the Emory MDP curriculum.