You’ve probably heard the saying that landing a job is all about who you know. Networking reigns supreme – but for many foster youth, having the right connections doesn’t happen without a parent’s network to lean on. Securing a college internship is no different, especially in the ultra-competitive Silicon Valley job market. That’s why we’re turning to you -- our community of supporters -- to help connect us to companies and businesses interested in hosting a Pivotal scholar as a paid summer intern. Fifty summer internships is our goal and we’re determined to get there!

So what makes our internship program so impactful for Pivotal scholars?

At age 18, 75% of foster youth have no work experience. In fact, studies show the only former foster youth who, at age 24, earn wages near the national average are those who had a job while in the foster care system. The Pivotal solution is to provide an internship opportunity to 100% of young professionals from foster care in Silicon Valley. For many of our young people, internships are do or die. No work experience means no employment when they graduate from college. Our scholars are ready to work hard, but can’t take opportunities if they’re not paid since they don’t have a family safety net. An internship provides the critical work experience and professional development foster youth need to be competitive job seekers when they graduate from college, while earning wages they’re counting on to make ends meet.  

We're laser-focused on the 2021 internship season and will not let anything stop us -- not even a pandemic! We know there’s no substitution for a quality internship experience in a career field that a scholar is passionate about. That’s why this summer we’re committed to placing at least 50 college foster youth in paid internships.

And we’re flexible; internships can be in-person, hybrid, or virtual and can range from 6-8 weeks in length or be a shorter special project. Our business development staff are ready to collaborate with companies to tailor the best internship experience based on the budget, hours, and bandwidth.  

Now that you have a little bit of background on why we’re so darn determined to make these internships happen for our kids, we need YOU! Here are two ways you can help:

1. Host a Pivotal intern or introduce us to a company that is interested in hosting an intern this summer.

We’ve surveyed our young people and know what professional fields they’re passionate about. From dentistry, graphic design, robotics to real estate -- our students’ interests are diverse. Check them out here.

2. Sponsor an intern to serve at a nonprofit or small business unable to pay the student’s wages.

Do you want to make internships happen, but can’t host one yourself? We’re looking for generous companies and individuals to sponsor interns in our community. 

Are you ready to learn how the Pivotal Internship Program works? What does it cost? How long are Pivotal internships? What kind of support will your company receive? We’d love to talk and discover how you can support a foster youth this summer. Ready to take the next step? Contact Tom Fandre to get the conversation started! 

Tom Fandre, Senior Business Development Manager

408.509.7928 | Tom.Fandre@pivotalnow.org