Celebrating the Completion of IECC’s First Rooted & Rising Internship Cohort
San Bernardino, CA. — The Inland Empire Community Collaborative (IECC) recently celebrated the completion of the first Rooted & Rising Internship Program with a cohort showcase featuring UCR School of Public Policy interns and their nonprofit host site partners.
Made possible through funding from Thrive Inland SoCal and in partnership with the UCR School of Public Policy, Rooted & Rising was created to connect public policy students with Inland Empire nonprofits working on real community needs. Throughout the program, interns worked alongside host organizations on projects connected to policy, advocacy, fund development, program support, and organizational capacity.
The showcase gave each intern and host organization an opportunity to share the work they advanced during the internship, the challenges they focused on, and the lessons learned through their placement. Presentations highlighted how students applied their academic training in real nonprofit settings while helping organizations move forward projects that support their programs, communities, and long-term goals.
Rooted & Rising also reflects IECC’s broader commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector by creating meaningful learning opportunities that support both students and organizations. Through intentional internship experiences, students gain hands-on exposure to nonprofit and public policy work, while host organizations receive support that helps build capacity and bring new ideas into their work.
IECC is grateful to Thrive Inland SoCal for helping make this program possible, to the UCR School of Public Policy for their partnership and support throughout the cohort, and to all interns and host organizations who participated in the first Rooted & Rising Internship Program.
As the first cohort comes to a close, IECC looks forward to continuing to share the lessons learned from Rooted & Rising and supporting efforts that strengthen the region’s nonprofit workforce.
