INDIANAPOLIS — A Bank of America program that has been making students into leaders for the past 15 years is now in Indianapolis.
Every summer, Bank of America provides four high school juniors and seniors in the areas they serve the opportunity to build their leadership skills through a paid internship at a local nonprofit. This year, Bank of America chose Newfields in Indianapolis.
Those students are helping to clean up the grounds of Newfields as part of their work as well as getting a chance to see the inner workings of how a non-profit is run and what their needs are, while making a difference in their community.
One of the projects this summer's interns had to do was try to figure out how to help Newfields better engage with the younger audiences. They also got the chance to meet the CEO of Bank of America and will travel to Washington D.C. for a huge summit.
Julia Brookshire says the experience has been eye-opening.
"We've worked on making projects each week to present and we've each gotten a chance to be the leader. It gives you a lot of real world experience," she said.
Feven Tekeste says it gave her insight into things he didn't know, like how non-profits actually work.
"I never realized how a not for profit works and it takes a lot to keep this engine running. It's kind of cool to see behind the scenes and seeing everything that Newfields has to offer," she said.
Students also gain better money habits by working with bank volunteers to increase their own financial management skills. Everything from building a budge to creating a savings plan.
Applications for the program are open through January 31.
