Civics Initiatives
Stipends for college students and recent graduates for spring internships in social service agencies, non-profits, and government agenciesCurrently not being offered
“This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) as a summer policy intern. Together with CAUSE, we spearheaded community projects to engage the public about the environmental racism present in the community. Creating social media content and strategizing ways to engage different audiences, we created change to help protect underprivileged communities. I am grateful to PublicSquare for providing the opportunity to showcase my experience with CAUSE.”
Ruby Triguero
CSU Channel Islands
Anthropology and Global Studies
“As an intern at Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), not only have I been able to get connected to amazing people and get a clearer view of how I can help in my community, I’ve also learned and improved on skills such as teamwork, interpretation, and time management. The support, togetherness, goals, and wonderful team have made the experience unforgettable. I am very thankful to PublicSquare for supporting my internship and MICOP’s important Covid education outreach in my community.”
Ayda Chavez
Allan Hancock College
Agriculture
“As an aspiring medical professional, I found my time at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to be an excellent exposure opportunity to different fields in medicine. I found it impactful to be able to know that I can overcome challenges and stay resilient throughout hardships, which is something that the patients have taught me. I would like to thank PublicSquare’s Summer Civics Initiative for providing financial support and mentorship. The extent of my internship in shaping my path as a pre-medical student has been unmeasurably rich, and I am deeply grateful for such an opportunity.”
Dariya Lobko
UC Santa Barbara
Biopsychology
This past summer, PublicSquare doubled the number of Summer Civics Initiative recipients as well as doubled the internship stipends they receive! Our 20 participants were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants and interned in a broad range of fields including the environment, healthcare, government, human rights, and Covid-19 vaccination outreach (see below for the full list of internship sites). The participants met our program criteria of being undergraduate students enrolled in or recently graduated from Santa Barbara or Ventura County colleges and/or undergraduate students residing and interning in these two counties for Summer 2021, as well as current and former Student Fellows and Program Assistants. Underrepresented minority, first generation, and low-income students made up the great majority of our program’s participants. This program, which is now going to operate year-long by adding two more sessions (the Fall Civics Initiative and Spring Civics Initiative), advances PublicSquare’s mission of providing mentorship civic activism, and inspiring the next generation civic leaders.
Student Internship Placements for Spring 2022
Acción Latina
San Francisco, CA
Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture
San Francisco, CA
CSUCI Associated Students
Camarillo, CA
Davis Vanguard Court Watch (2)
Sacramento, CA
Each Green Corner
San Carlos, CA
Immigrant Hope
Santa Barbara, CA
Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project
Santa Maria, CA
NorthEast Los Angeles Tenants Union
Los Angeles, CA
Office of Supervisor Das Williams, First District
Santa Barbara, CA
Oxnard Federation of Teachers and School Employees
Oxnard, CA
Precita Eyes Muralists
San Francisco, CA
PublicSquare
Santa Barbara, CA
Sansum Diabetes Research Institute
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara County Child Welfare Services (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara County Education Office/Partners In Education
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Rescue Mission
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Response Network (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
The Fund for Santa Barbara (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
UCSB Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration
Santa Barbara, CA
Student Internship Placements for Fall 2021
CSUCI Associated Students
Camarillo, CA
Davis Vanguard Court Watch
Sacramento, CA
Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (3)
Santa Maria, CA
Oxnard Federation of Teachers and School Employees
Oxnard, CA
PublicSquare
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Response Network (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
UCSB Undergraduate Journal of History
Goleta, CA
Young America’s Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Student Internship Placements for Summer 2021
ACRE Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Eastvale, CA
Cary Institute of Ecological Studies
Millbrook, NY
Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (3)
Ventura, CA
District Office of Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
Santa Barbara, CA
Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Immigrant Hope
Santa Barbara
Law Office of Andréa Marcus
Santa Barbara
Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (2)
Ventura, CA
Oxnard Federation of Teachers
Oxnard, CA
“Court Watch”, Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office
Santa Barbara, CA
Sansum Clinic
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Santa Barbara, CA
The Fund for Santa Barbara (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
U.S. Agency for International Development
Washington DC
UCSF LCOE Aspiring Physicians Program
San Francisco, CA
World Business Academy
Santa Barbara, CA
Schools and Colleges Attended by Civics Initiative Participants, 2021
Allan Hancock College
California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
California State University Channel Islands
Santa Maria High School
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Merced
University of Chicago
Westmont College
Ellia Limon
“The Summer Civics Initiative’s mentorship and stipend enabled me to further develop a local non-profit organization that I co-founded, Immigration Legal Services Complaint Resolution Center, and simultaneously intern at the Santa Barbara Legal Aid Foundation. Both of my summer jobs enabled me to work day-to-day directly with immigrants and inform those who are most vulnerable of their legal rights. I am so grateful for PublicSquare’s consistent support!”
Matt Esguerra
“As a former Student Fellow and recent Summer Civics recipient, I appreciate just how much PublicSquare helped facilitate and enhance my education outside of college. The Summer Civics program gave me the much-needed financial support to serve as an intern in the California State Assembly Republican Caucus, under the press secretary, and apply my academic background in political science to a practical state government office. The entire internship experience reinforced my commitment to communications and public affairs.”
Maesyn Fitzgibbons
“PublicSquare’s Student Coordinator walked me through every step of identifying and securing a summer internship in my ideal career setting—I assisted full-time at Sansum Clinic’s Foothill Surgery Center. The internship was a perfect fit for me, allowing me to take my pre-med coursework and goals of becoming a surgeon, and experience how an actual surgery center operates. I got to interact with surgeons and patients, and even observe surgeries, which only reaffirmed my aspirations and increased my motivation to achieve my goals. Thank you!”
Student Internship Placements for Summer 2019 and 2020
California State Assembly-Republican Caucus
Sacramento, CA
Catholic Charities of Santa Maria
Santa Maria, CA
Girls on the Run of the Bay Area
San Francisco, CA
Human Rights Watch
Santa Barbara, CA
Immigrant Hope
Santa Barbara, CA
Immigration Legal Services Complaint Resolution Center
Santa Barbara, CA
LawyerUp/ScholarUp
Los Angeles, CA
Legal Aid Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Local First Arizona
Phoenix, AZ
Office of State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson
Santa Barbara, CA
Office of Supervisor Das Williams, First District
Santa Barbara, CA
Office of U.S. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene
Mount Vernon, WA
Sansum Clinic Healthcare
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Mental Wellness Center
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Progressive Coalition
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Response Network
Santa Barbara, CA
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Women’s Economic Ventures
Santa Barbara, CA
World Business Academy
Santa Barbara, CA
Corporate Sponsors
This initiative is made possible in part through grants from
Cavaletto Charities,
the Santa Barbara Foundation,
the Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation,
Poomer Fund – Anne Smith Towbes,
& the Zegar Family Foundation