Earlier this month, we celebrated the graduation of our 10th cohort of interns. Interns, employers, parents, and staff joined us for an afternoon of intern presentations on their BroadFutures experience and recognition of our amazing employers for their partnership and passionate commitment to the young people we serve. We are so proud of the growth and accomplishments of all of our interns and incredibly grateful to our employer partners.

GOOD LUCK to our talented interns! They are each leaving the BroadFutures program with added levels of self-confidence and workplace skills, as well as a clearer understanding of how to use their strengths in a professional environment while implementing strategies to improve upon any areas of challenge.

10th BroadFutures Intern Cohort

BroadFutures interns and employers

The number 10 provides us the occasion to be reflective and proud of our success to date, but most importantly we are grateful to our community for helping us reach this milestone. Thank you for all your support!!

Night out at the Ballpark

To

close out our winter program, we were thrilled to be guests again this year at the Nationals Park to watch the Washington Nationals v. the San Francisco Giants! We were joined by BroadFutures interns, alumni interns, employers and families for a fun night at the ball park. A HUGE thanks to the Nationals for sponsoring our tickets and hosting us for a great bonding experience.

Grant with the District Wharf

BroadFutures has been awarded a grant from The District Wharf development partnership, The Hoffman-Madison Waterfront (HMW) and The D.C. Mayor's Office in the amount of $100,000.

This month we are shining the spotlight on Jacob Ottinger! Jacob is a 21-year-old young man from Chevy Chase, MD. He is currently enrolled at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA where he is studying political science. Jacob spent the winter as an intern at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). AAPD is a nonprofit organization that seeks to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

As an intern, Jacob was responsible for many tasks including helping prepare for the AAPD gala, answering phone calls, attending meetings, and assisting with the REV UP Campaign which aims to increase the voter turnout among people with disabilities. His supervisors were so impressed with his positive attitude and hard work that he was offered an extended internship that will last through the summer. Congratulations, Jacob! And a big thank you to AAPD for being such a welcoming and inspired employer partner.

Reflecting on his internship experience, Jacob said,"The program's strength is in its support and help for people with disabilities. It really does feel like an environment where someone can share openly and honestly about their struggles. The community aspect of BroadFutures is one that should be continued to be pushed and promoted."

Good luck with the rest of your internship, Jacob!

Summer at BroadFutures

As we close out our winter program, we are already busy preparing for our upcoming Summer program! This incoming intern cohort is the largest we have ever served, and we are eager to meet the new young people that will be representing BroadFutures at their respective internship sites.

We are so happy to welcome back many of our employer partners for this summer and many new employer partners to the BroadFutures community. We will be introducing our new employers in our next newsletter so stay tuned!!!

IMPORTANT DATES:

WINTER 2020 APPLICATION DUE DATE:

October 15, 2019

Our deadline for our Summer 2019 Program has closed.

Our deadline for Winter 2020 applications is October 15, 2019. If you are interested in applying,please do so HERE.

If you are interested in becoming an employer partner, we are actively recruiting new employers. Please find out more HERE.

Congratulations to our 10th Intern Cohort! Earlier this month, we celebrated the graduation of our 10th cohort of interns. Interns, employers, parents, and staff joined us for an afternoon of intern presentations on their BroadFutures experience and recognition of our amazing employers for their partnership and passionate commitment to the young people we serve. We are […]

Our Winter 2019 interns are just over halfway through the program, and they are all doing tremendously in their internships and are making steady progress towards building their professional skills. They have all been presented with incredible opportunities including developing and presenting their own research, helping out with annual galas, leading staff meetings, collaborating and training with different departments, and much, much more.

Our interns have also been developing professionally through our Friday trainings, where we have been engaging in dynamic conversations about stamina and attention in the workplace, email etiquette, networking, self-advocating, feedback, and the importance of maintaining a growth mindset, among other topics.

Our Summer 2019 Program will mark our 11th cohort of interns!! We have received an incredible response to our call for applications and will be expanding our program again, welcoming more interns and partnering with new and inspired employer partners in the DC metropolitan area.

Stay tuned in to future newsletters to meet our summer cohorts and to learn more about our new employer partners!

Employer Spotlight- APSE

APSE, the Association of People Supporting Employment First, is the only national, non-profit membership organization dedicated to Employment First, a vision that all people with disabilities have a right to competitive employment in an inclusive workforce. APSE was founded in 1988 with a mission to advance employment equity for people with disabilities.

APSE is a new employer partner, presently hosting two of our interns. We are thrilled with our new partnership with APSE! Our interns are being provided with incredible opportunities to engage in policy advocacy for people with disabilities and to capitalize on their college degrees in information technology and graphic design.

APSE, having a mission and vision very closely aligned with BroadFutures', appreciates the value that our interns have brought to their office. When asked about their experience thus far, Executive Director Jenny Stonemeier had this to say: "We are so thrilled to have Sam and Christian join the APSE team. Their enthusiasm and eagerness for working with us has been evident from the moment we met them; and the support that they get from the BroadFutures team is invaluable. We consider ourselves lucky to be a part of such a comprehensive and strengths-based approach to support young people in gaining professional experience."

Thank you for the kind words, Jenny! We look forward to an ongoing and successful partnership with you! Find out more about APSE here.

Intern Spotlight- Christian Souvenir

Christian (left) pictured with supervisor.

This month we are shining the spotlight on Christian Souvenir, an intern in our current program. Christian is a recent graduate of Lawrence Technological University in Michigan, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. He is currently interning at APSE, our Employer Feature for the month.

While interning at APSE, Christian has had a variety of responsibilities for the team. Most of his work has involved working on the website's maintenance by testing its accessibility and updating the content. In addition, Christian created graphic handouts on disability policy issues for meetings with Congressional offices and has been scheduling those meetings for the Director of Policy and Advocacy.

Reflecting on his time so far with BroadFutures, Christian shared: "BroadFutures has been helping me improve my verbal communication and social interactions, as well as preparing me for the workforce."

We are looking forward to seeing Christian's continued progress during the remainder of his internship with APSE!!

IMPORTANT DATES:

WINTER 2020 APPLICATION DUE DATE:

October 15, 2019

Our deadline for our Summer 2019 Program has closed.

Our deadline for Winter 2020 applications is October 15, 2019. If you are interested in applying,please do so HERE.

If you are interested in becoming an employer partner, we are actively recruiting new employers. Please find out more HERE.

Winter 2019 Program is Well Underway! Our Winter 2019 interns are just over halfway through the program, and they are all doing tremendously in their internships and are making steady progress towards building their professional skills. They have all been presented with incredible opportunities including developing and presenting their own research, helping out with annual […]

We started our year off strong with another group of interns! We are thrilled to introduce our new class of inspired and talented interns-the BroadFutures Winter 2019 Program participants.

After completing their initial two weeks of training earlier this month, our interns are hard at work at their respective internship sites. They have already completed three weeks of internships with much success and we are thrilled with how motivated, engaged, and open to feedback the interns have been so far as they navigate the workplace and implement new strategies to help them grow professionally and unlock their full potential!

Launching our NEW WEBSITE!!

We have been hard at work with our wonderful partners and web designers, Michael Marshall Design, overhauling our website.

We are thrilled with the result and we invite everyone to visit us and check it out HERE. Michael Marshall Design is an award-winning, multicultural, multidimensional architectural design firm located in Washington, D.C. They are passionate about advancing communities and social causes, and about encouraging global perspectives with a belief that diverse backgrounds inspire broader thinking. Michael Marshall Design has been a stalwart supporter of the BroadFutures mission to promote the hiring of persons with disabilities, serving as an employer partner and supporting our organization.

Intern Spotlight- Ethan Rogers

This month we are shining the spotlight on Ethan Rogers, an intern from the Summer 2016 Program. He also joined BroadFutures for ongoing mentoring as he began his transition process after completing his undergraduate studies in 2018. Ethan is a recent graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis, MD, where he received his Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts. He is currently taking physics classes at George Mason University and plans to pursue graduate school in the next few years.

While in the BroadFutures program, Ethan interned at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Some of his responsibilities included researching and presenting on topics related to economics and writing daily news briefings. Ethan found much success throughout his internship as he was able to utilize strategies to improve upon his communication and self-advocacy skills.

Reflecting on his time with BroadFutures, Ethan shared: "BroadFutures helped me to start working in a professional environment. I learned a lot from them about teamwork and about advocating for oneself among professionals."

We are so glad to see Ethan's progress so far, and we are looking forward to seeing what he does next!

Employer Spotlight- Concord Hospitality

Concord Hospitality Enterprises is a hotel management and development company that was founded in 1985 with the goal to create an exceptional hospitality experience for hotel patrons. Concord Hospitality has over 100 hotels throughout the US and Canada, including the Hyatt House and Canopy by Hilton located at The District Wharf.

Concord Hospitality became an employer partner in the Summer 2018 Program as part of our partnership with The District Wharf. We are thrilled to have continued our partnership this winter, as interns placed at their hotels have been able to build their professional communication skills in a supportive and engaging environment.

Concord appreciates BroadFutures' high level of communication. Chelsea Elosegui, Dual Coordinator of Human Resources, noted that our "communication was always clear and set," and that BroadFutures was "communicative about the interns, their progress, events, tips, etc..." We are deeply grateful for our partnership with Concord Hospitality, and look forward to an ongoing and successful partnership. Find out more about Concord here!

Check out our new videos

and hear directly from those involved in our programs:

Intern Testimonials

Employer Testimonials

BroadFutures' Internship Program

IMPORTANT DATES:

SUMMER 2019 APPLICATION DUE DATE:

March 15, 2019

Our deadline for our summer program is approaching! If you are interested in applying for our Summer 2019 Program,please do so HERE.

If you are interested in becoming an employer partner, we are actively recruiting new employers. Please find out more HERE.

Introducing our 10th Cohort of Interns! We started our year off strong with another group of interns! We are thrilled to introduce our new class of inspired and talented interns-the BroadFutures Winter 2019 Program participants. After completing their initial two weeks of training earlier this month, our interns are hard at work at their respective […]

Thank you for all your support over this past year! In 2018, we were able to more than double our summer program, expand our services to new communities, and partner with 13 new employers. We cannot wait to see what 2019 will bring for BroadFutures as we work together to inspire inclusion and expand the workforce!

Please Watch our New Video

Highlighting the Voices of our BroadFutures Interns:

BroadFutures- Intern Testimonials

Please also visit our website to view our overall program video as well as a video highlighting the voices of our employers!!

Excited to Welcome our 10th Intern Class this Month as well as 4 New Employer Partners

This is an exciting month for us here at BroadFutures as our Winter 2019 program kicks off, marking our 10th BroadFutures program!!! We will be welcoming a brand new class of talented interns and 4 new and inspired employer partners, who are all excited about and supportive of our mission.

We are looking forward to all working together and helping our interns on their journeys to unlocking their potential.

We are Equally Thrilled to be Welcoming Back

7 past and devoted employers...

Intern Spotlight- Stephen Anderson

Stephen Anderson first joined BroadFutures as an intern in Winter 2018, and he is joining us again this winter as an alumni intern! He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Architecture. Having decided to pursue a career outside of his major, Stephen began looking to gain new experiences in the professional world to explore his interests and expand upon his skills. His internship last winter was in the office of Congressman John Delaney of Maryland, where he answered calls from and created case files for constituents, provided administrative support, and had a large role in collecting and organizing submissions in a county-wide school art competition. Stephen enjoyed his internship over the winter so much that he continued to work there through this past summer. His new internship this winter is with Enterprise Holdings, Inc. where he is in the management training track.

Stephen had these thoughts to share about his past year: "I'm really thankful that BroadFutures has been able to support me in my continued growth and give me the tools I need to realize success during and after the program. I want to thank Enterprise for being an employer partner and working with me to ensure my continued success."

Thanks Stephen, and good luck at your internship!

Employer Spotlight- NCLD

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is dedicated to improving the lives of the 1 in 5 children and adults nationwide with learning and attention issues. NCLD's mission not only serves parents but also young adults, transforming schools and advocating for equal rights and opportunities. Their long-term goals include working to create a society in which all individuals have access to the academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed in school, at work, and in life.

Like BroadFutures, NCLD shares a passion to help individuals reach their utmost potential, and provide necessary resources to tap that potential. NCLD has been a longtime partner with BroadFutures. Their Senior Advisor of Strategic Innovation, Research & Insights, Sheldon Horowitz, has sat on our Advisory Board since our inception, dedicating his time and energy to helping us think strategically about our mission and program. NCLD has served as an employer partner as well, and we are thrilled to have a continuing partnership.

Program Coordinator Kelly Fomalont had this to say about NCLD's partnership with BroadFutures:

"The National Center for Learning Disabilities is proud to partner with BroadFutures in our joint mission to help young adults with learning disabilities reach their full potential. BroadFutures has made it incredibly easy to utilize our interns to move this mission forward. Our interns get real workplace experience with support from the BroadFutures team, while learning about the laws that impact them directly. We are excited to be working with BroadFutures to inspire future advocates for the learning disabilities movement."

Thanks so much, Kelly!!

BroadFutures intern, Griffin, and his supervisor, Kelly

Welcoming Intern David Kalwicz

to the BroadFutures Team...

Welcome to our new intern, David Kalwicz, who started with us this month. David is passionate about educating and helping to facilitate conversations about disability. He is currently an undergraduate student at American University studying Psychology and Applied Statistics, where he is also involved in the University's student theater group. He also serves as a Resident Assistant on campus, and worked as an Orientation Leader. He hopes to pursue a research doctorate in Clinical Psychology after graduation, and eventually plans to work in both education and research. The majority of his research interests focuses on the mood and decision behaviors of adolescents with mental or learning disabilities. David is excited to have the opportunity at BroadFutures to gain more hands-on experience in helping empower individuals with learning and related disabilities. David is originally from Green Brook, New Jersey, and is currently residing in Washington, D.C.

Sharing this fun video from our Gala!!!!

BroadFutures Changing Lives 5th Anniversary Fall Gala

IMPORTANT DATES:

SUMMER 2019 APPLICATION DUE DATE:

March 15, 2019

We are currently accepting applications for our summer program which offers incredible internships!! If you are interested in applying for our Summer 2019 Program,please do so HERE.

If you are interested in becoming an employer partner, we are actively recruiting new employers. Please find out more HERE.

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