What is the mission of the fund?
Spearheaded by Hope’s family and friends, the Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund will provide vital learning experiences and career development for students, inviting them into a network centered around Hope Reichbach’s memory and values of active leadership and communal responsibility.
The Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund aims to provide scholarships for students who take internships in civic leadership and community organizing. We will continue Hope’s legacy of progressive values and passion for Brooklyn in the following ways:
Provide stipends to dedicated college students who embody the values Hope stood for
Facilitate internships with Brooklyn organizations involved in local issues and activism
Provide mentorship and a network of contacts to our students; enhancing their career development
Create a new generation of leaders in Brooklyn
Why is the fund needed?
In the current professional landscape, internship experience is crucial. Though many of these opportunities are unpaid, future employers expect candidates to have devoted summers and breaks to garnering intern experience, thus creating a gap between those who can afford to do so, and those who cannot. The fund provides a liveable wage to students who wish to partake in unpaid summer internships involved in community organizing and grassroots activism, and simultaneously provides stimulating mentorship and networking opportunities for the interns throughout the summer.
How can I apply, get involved, and/or find out more information?
All application materials and contact information can be found at http://www.hopeforbrooklyn.com
Application timeline
Application goes live online November 2013
All application materials are due March 1st 2013
Selected candidates will be notified April 2013
Who may apply for the stipend?
Any New York City residents in their freshman or sophomore years of college may apply.
How much is the stipend?
Each student will receive $300 per week of full time work. Internships must run between 8-12 weeks long. approximately $3000 for the length of their summer internship.
So will the fund find me an internship?
Though the members of the Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund have diverse interests and connections, we cannot say with certainty that we can offer you internships. Students who apply for the fund do so with the understanding that their acceptance to the program is based on the assumption that they will secure an internship before the summer begins. Students may apply without an internship set up, and we will do our best to make introductions and suggestions to secure an internship.
What schools are you reaching out to?
Given the nature of the fund, we are reaching out to nearly 100 institutions within the tri-state area. We are focusing particularly on local city schools, but reaching out to many colleges and universities with a sizeable population of students from New York City.