Welcome Summer Interns!

Welcome Summer Interns!

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress welcomes the opportunity to educate and empower students passionate about community development and related fields. We maintain several internship positions for undergraduate and graduate students. This summer, we are happy to host six interns on our Placemaking, CDC Advancement, and Economic Opportunity teams. You can read about our internship opportunities here.

Avery Martens

Avery studied Cultural Studies and Community Organizing at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. After graduating, Avery moved to the San Francisco Bay Area for six years until they moved back home to help a sick family member. Avery comes to Cleveland Neighborhood Progress having recently completed their Masters in Social Work and­ Community Practice with a concentration in Social Policy at the Mandel School at Case Western Reserve University. They have been working in innovative social service, education, and community organizations for 15 years and they are deeply committed to building a more just world. They feel most responsible for work that advances racial equity and justice. Avery was born in Cleveland and grew up in Southwest Ohio.

Jennifer Chandler

Jennifer is working with CDC Advancement to develop an internship placement program between Cleveland CDCs and Cleveland State University. She will also complete her Bachelor’s in Economic Development, Marketing, and Accounting at Cleveland State this summer and will begin her Master’s of Urban Planning and Development there in the fall. Jennifer is proud to be the President of the university’s chapter of the American Planning Association. Jennifer was born and raised in nearby Shaker Heights and her favorite places in Cleveland all have fantastic views of the city. Her all-time favorite is sitting right outside the Rock Hall.

Rachel Elson

Rachel is a rising junior at Vassar College. She is an Urban Studies major and loves park spaces, architecture, and community development. On campus, Rachel plays rugby and has a leadership role in a student organization that improves campus livability. She is working with the Placemaking team on their Marketing and and Climate Resiliency efforts. She also maintains the CNP and LiveCleveland! social media presence. Rachel is from Shaker Heights and has enjoyed getting to know her favorite city even better.

Glodie Mujinga

Glodie is a rising junior studying Economics at Yale University. She is most interested in economic development and international relations and is the Racial Equity and Inclusion Intern on the Economic Opportunity team at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. Although Glodie currently resides in Urbana, Illinois, she is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and spent the first ten years of her life there.

Devonta Dickey

Devonta is interested in sustainability and environmental justice and studies Environmental Studies at Denison University. He is a Posse Leadership Scholar, Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, and Environmental Fellow for Denison’s Environmental Studies Department. At Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Devonta is working with the Economic Opportunity team on their Racial Equity and Inclusion initiatives. Devonta likes to dance, hike, cook, and eat, and his favorite activities are singing and smiling. He is from Chicago, Illinois.

Cole Norgaarden

Cole just graduated from the undergraduate Urban and Regional Studies program at Cornell University. He was active in student-led initiatives for environmental justice and sustainability. As an intern with Cleveland Neighborhood Progress’s Placemaking team, Cole will be digging into recreational equity and transit-oriented development initiatives. Cole has never been to Cleveland is excited to spend his first summer in the real world learning about and exploring a new city. Cole is from Minneapolis, Minnesota.