The Startland Social Change internship takes young people from across the city and asks them “What social issue is important to you?” Students then take the next 8 weeks to utilize human-centered design thinking to research and create solutions for these issues.

Liberty High School had three students selected for this cohort: Senior Mary Jo Guarino, Senior Giovanna Savio and Junior Kaylen King. The THRIVE Institute, hosted by the Liberty Education Foundation over the summer, connected the students with Startland to apply

This cohort consisted of 27 students from 16 different schools with grades ranging from ninth to twelfth.

Using Human Centered Design Thinking, the interns worked closely with mentors to create and pitch a potential solution to a room of professionals and entrepreneurs.

Besides pitching their social topics and solutions, students had the opportunity to network with entrepreneurs, social innovators and thought leaders. Those in attendance had the opportunity to provide feedback and create lasting connections with the interns to help empower and support them in their endeavors.

You can read more about the program and the intern shocase here.