Since 2008, Foundations Community Partnership’s Summer Youth Corps (SYC) has been giving college students a chance to find out what it’s like to work at a nonprofit serving Bucks County children, young adults, and families.

The Summer Youth Corps is a 10-week paid internship. This summer, thanks to a partnership between Foundations Community Partnership and Bucks County Community College, 13 college students were able to participate gaining practical experience and making a positive impact in the community, while earning college credit.

The program ran until Aug. 2.

“This experience has opened my eyes to the world of nonprofits and the various things they do throughout the county,” said Chalfont resident Patrick Reynolds, who was this year’s Summer Youth Corps program supervisor. “It has been a joy to witness how this experience has impacted the personal and professional growth of the interns.”

Reynolds is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown.

SYC integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

Over the past 15 years, 215 college students completed the program, contributing nearly 62,000 service hours at 40 participating nonprofits.

Based on the Independent Sector’s estimate of the value of a volunteer hour, the total value contributed by SYC interns to nonprofits since 2008 equals $1,518,185.50.

Students who complete their freshman through junior year at college and who are residents of Bucks County are eligible to participate.

This year’s SYC interns made a positive impact at the following agencies:

• Newtown resident Jennifer Ackert assisted the YWCA Bucks County in Trevose. She majors in Human Development at Penn State University.
• Furlong resident Alan Bai interned at Churchville Nature Center in Churchville. He attends Penn State University studying Wildlife and Fisheries Science.
• Newtown resident Abigail Baram worked at Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia in Warminster. She studies Psychology at Syracuse University.
• Richboro resident Natalie Biedermann worked at the YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties in Doylestown. She studies Secondary Education at Bucks County Community College.
• Quakertown resident Katharine Catalano worked at the Travis Manion Foundation in Doylestown. She studies Finance at the University of Maryland.
• Southampton resident Katherine Hanlon worked at Libertae in Bensalem. She graduated from Bucks County Community College and transferred to Saint Joseph’s University studying Psychology.
• Furlong resident Nina Harris assisted the Bucks County Housing Group in Warminster. She majors in Quantitative Economics at Tufts University.
• Sellersville resident Grace King worked at Snipes Farm & Education Center in Morrisville. She attends the University of Pittsburgh studying Environmental Science.
• Ivyland resident Darcy Leight assisted Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County in Warminster. She majors in Philosophy at Washington & Lee University.
• Doylestown resident Ava Musolino worked at Ivy Hill Equestrian Therapeutic Riding Center in Perkasie. She studies Aerospace Engineering at Virginia Tech.
• Doylestown resident Samantha Rosinski assisted the Bucks County Opportunity Council in Doylestown. She majors in Film and TV Production at Chapman University.
• Newtown resident Kassidy Shaw interned at the Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) in Jamison. She attends Arcadia University double-majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology.
• Doylestown resident Sydney White assisted The Council of Southeast PA in Doylestown. She majors in Psychology at Lehigh University.

Find out more about Foundations Community Partnership’s Summer Youth Program and view photos and videos of past program participants and activities.

Foundations Community Partnership (FCP) is a philanthropic grant-making foundation supporting the behavioral health and human service needs of children, young adults, and families in Bucks County.

FCP provides grants to non-profit organizations, awards scholarships to Bucks County high school seniors, subsidizes service-learning internships for college students, and underwrites professional development opportunities.

Find out more about FCP and its mission. You can also call 267-247-5584 for more information.