Community Foundation Hometown Internship Program Works to Draw Young People Home
The Nebraska Community Foundation’s (NCF’s, NebraskaHometown.org) Hometown Internship program is working to draw young people back to home in Nebraska by providing opportunities for young Nebraskans to return to their hometowns for the summer and further the work and mission of their local Nebraska Community Foundation affiliated fund. On the heels of tremendous success with 13 exceptional 2020 Hometown Interns, NCF expanded the program to include up to 25 interns for summer 2021.
The expansion feeds on the results of the 2020 NCF Youth Survey, which revealed that most participants would prefer to live in a small community, and they’re motivated to make a positive impact on the places that raised them. The primary reason young Nebraskans don’t envision a future in their hometowns comes down to job opportunities—44% of respondents said the main reason they would not remain in their area is because of career opportunities elsewhere. NCF’s Hometown Internship program aims to capitalize on that by creative those opportunities here at home.
Headquartered in Lincoln with employees working from hometowns in every corner of the state, Nebraska Community Foundation provides financial management, strategic development, donor education, and training in partnership with 1,500 volunteers serving 272 hometowns in 83 Nebraska counties. Since 1994, NCF has reinvested $393.1 million in Nebraska’s people and places. For information, visit NebraskaHometown.org or call (402) 323-7330.