LEADERS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The Leaders for Social Change program complements a St. Olaf education by providing an opportunity for students to complete an internship or research project in Northfield or the Twin Cities while participating in ongoing academic and vocational reflection with faculty, staff, community leaders and alumni. Students gain professional experience, discern their vocations and develop leadership skills that prepare them to foster the common good in future civic and work roles.

The academic internship (or research experience funded through the Center for Undergraduate Research & Inquiry) enables students to work with nonprofit, public or for-profit organizations involved with public health, education, environmental sustainability, poverty reduction, community and economic development, and related issues. Interns make valuable contributions and gain communication, leadership, research, teamwork and interpersonal skills.

The program expands on a typical internship experience by providing opportunities for ongoing academic, personal and vocational reflection.  Civic Engagement Seminars with faculty, staff, community leaders and alumni encourage students to critically examine social issues and approaches to social change. Community living facilitates opportunities for participants to discuss and learn from each other’s experiences. Writing, discussion and presentation requirements challenge students to connect their internship experiences with classroom learning and vocational discernment. 

The Leaders for Social Change Program is sponsored by the Piper Center for Vocation and Career with significant funding from the Kloeck Jenson Endowment for Peace & Justice.

Click here to view the 2013 program description & application information.

2012 Leaders for Social Change Interns

Northfield House - Click here to learn more about the student participants and view posters that summarize what they learned.

  Hana Ferronato ’14 Northfield Community Action Center
  Katie Busch ’13 So How Are the Children (SHAC)
  Hilary Zander ’13 Economic Impact of the Arts with Riverwalk Market Fair
  Gabriel Trejos ’14 Nfld. Area Rural-Urban Economic Analysis project (NARUE) & Rural Enterprise Center
  Matthew Aguilar-Champeau ’14 Summer PLUS (Northfield Public Schools)
  Isaac Burton ’14 Nfld. Health Comm Initiative & Nfld. Arts Guild
  Brynn Rathjen ’13 HealthFinders Collaborative
  Tyler Nielsen ’13 CURI- Research & Design for Sustainability Education at St. Olaf
  Andi Gomoll ’13 CURI- Research & Design for Sustainability Education at St. Olaf
  Katie Westwood ’13 CURI- Exploring the Development of Social Capital in Local Communities

Twin Cities House

  Patricia  Garcia ’13 Ashoka
  Love Odetola ’14 Minnesota Internship Center Charter School
  Zoey Slater ’14 Citizens League
  Sally Cole ’13 Citizens League
  Katie Crider ’13 Minnesota AIDS Project
  Ryan Campbell ’13 Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy
  Tim Lillehaugen ’13  Transit for Livable Communities
  Ben Taylor ’13 Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy

Faculty Supervisors
Doug Casson, Political Science
Tom Williamson, Anthropology
Sian Muir, Management Studies

CURI Advisors
Jim Farrell, History
Devyani Chandran, Social Work and
Family Studies
 Program Directors
Nate Jacobi, the Piper Center
Kris Estenson, the Piper center

2011 Leaders for Social Change Interns

Northfield House - Click here to learn more about the student participants and view posters that summarize what they learned.

        Karl Turnlund ’12
        Eric Klein ’12
        Amber Hesse ’12
        Thando Kunene ’13
        James Daly ’13
        Kara Donnithorne ’12
        Taryn Arbeiter ’12
        Maria Ward ’12
        Alyssa Lynne ’12
        Bob Kelly ’12		 Northfield Healthy Community Initiative
Summer PLUS (Northfield Public Schools)
Northfield Community Action Center
So How Are the Children (SHAC)
Cannon River Watershed Partnership & Nfld Transit
SEEDS Farm Intern
CURI - Immigration in Faribault
CURI - Immigration in Faribault
CURI - Economic Impact of the Arts in Northfield
CURI - Economic Impact of the Arts in Northfield


Twin Cities HouseTwin Cities House

        Arielle Johnson ’12
        Amy Chatelaine ’12
        Jon Laven ’12
        Kate Bjorklund ’13
        Rachel Johnson ’13
        Richard Aviles ’13
        Jordan Montgomery ’13		 Transit for Livable Communities
Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy
Community Design Center of Minnesota
Minnesota AIDS Project
Project for Pride in Living
Youth Farm & Market Project
Take Action Minnesota


Leaders for Social Change2010 Leaders for Social Change Interns

2010 Leaders for Social Change Summer Interns and their respective placement sites:

James Cahalan `11 Hope Center
Kevin Clifford `12 Summer PLUS & Hope Center
Julia Coffin `12 Summer PLUS
Natasha Hegmann `11 SEEDS Farm
Signe Knutson `11 Northfield Community Action Center
Colin Martin `12 SHAC (So How Are the Children?)
Daniel Murphy `11 Northfield Community Action Center
Chelsea Wagner `11 SEEDS Farm
Andrew Wilson `11  Northfield Union of Youth (The Key)


Faculty Supervisors: Mark Allister (English), Dan Hofrenning (Political Science) and Tom Williamson (Sociology/Anthropology)

Leaders for Social Change, Summer 20092009 Leaders for Social Change Interns

  • Slideshow of the 2009 program
  • Chapel Talk - Allison Bengfort '10, Kelly Harrington '10, Kyle Svingen '11; Interns with Leaders for Social Change (September 24, 2009)

2009 Leaders for Social Change Summer Interns and their respective placement sites:

Allison Bengfort '10 Community Action Center of Northfield
Nick Coley '10 Independent project on land-use and city planning
Cameron Field '10 Northfield Environmental Quality Commission
Kelly Harrington '10 Center for Sustainable Living and Valley Creek Community Farm
Rachel Kitze '11 Cannon River Watershed Partnership
Jenny Kramm '10 SummerPLUS
Anne Steeves '10 War Kids Relief
Kyle Svingen '11 Northfield Healthy Community Initiative
Tommy Van Wylen '11 Northfield Healthy Community Initiative


Faculty Supervisors: Mary Carlsen (Social Work), Eric Fure-Slocum (History) and Tom Williamson (Sociology/Anthropology)

Leaders for Social Change2008 Leaders for Social Change Interns

  • Slideshow of the 2008 program
  • Chapel Talk - Ryan Doyle '09, Monika Hartsel '09, Andrew Nussbaum '10; Interns with Leaders for Social Change (October 2, 2008)
  • St. Olaf College article about the 2008 LSC program - New program pairs Oles with local nonprofits (September 30, 2008)

2008 Leaders for Social Change Summer Interns and their respective placement sites:

Centro Campesino
Center for Sustainable Living
Health Community Initiative & Summer Ventures
Valley Creek Community Farm
Upward Bound
HealthFinders Collaborative
Northfield Community Action Center
Health Community Initiatives & Summer Ventures
Health Community Initiatives & Summer Ventures


Faculty Supervisors: Mary Carlsen (Social Work), Eric Fure-Slocum (History) and Heather Campbell (Education)