Urban Fellows begins third year

hirteen college students interested in urban affairs have begun the third year of the Rochester Urban Fellows summer internship program, funded by the Rochester Area Community Foundation. They are spending 10 weeks working in the Rochester community and attending seminars and activities to gain a deeper understanding of the cultures and living experiences in urban America.

The students live at the University during their internships and work four days a week on a specific assignment with an agency or community group. An additional day is devoted to learning about politics, demographics, history, and other topics through readings and discussions with academics and city and community leaders.

The University, Leadership Rochester, and the Sector 4 Community Council sponsor and collaborate on all portions of the internships, which began June 1. Josanne Reaves, executive director of Leadership Rochester, handles the day-to-day programming for the interns. Leadership Rochester, which has offices on the River Campus, has trained more than 400 leaders in the greater Rochester community.

The students are enrolled at Brown University, Georgetown University, Nazareth College, St. John Fisher College, and the University. Those who attend out-of-state colleges are natives of Rochester.

"Our goal is to engage talented young people in the issues of Rochester, so we wanted the widest range of students we could find," says Jody Asbury, coordinator of the program and College dean of students.

"This program will serve as a model for future University-community partnerships because it inspires students to become active, engaged citizens, broadening their understanding of the world beyond the classroom and enriching the community in the process," says Jennifer Leonard, president of the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

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