2019 CIIP Program Book CIIP Booklet 2019 | Page 48

Community Partner:
The Intersection
Intern: Devin Lucas
Site Supervisor: Dana Alserjani
What is The Intersection?
The Intersection provides high
school juniors and seniors with
high quality after school and sum-
mer programming that incorpo-
rates fundamental components of
community organizing, provides
opportunities for youth-led civic
action and leads intensive college
readiness curriculum, which result
in students who are prepared to
become community leaders and
succeed in college and beyond.
I have arguably consumed more coffee this summer than the rest of my life com-
bined. I have also smiled more than ever before. Most mornings have been a
struggle to wake up after long nights of studying, working, and a little bit of fun
(every now and then). However, there hasn’t been a single night that I didn’t end
up thinking about how grateful I was for having the opportunity to work with 35
of the most brilliant students I have ever met. Almost as amazing was our tight-
knit cohort of like minded, incredible individuals from CIIP.
My internship was at a youth leadership program called the Intersection based
out of Bard High School in West Baltimore. We work with high school students
on developing their leadership skills through a curriculum focused on systems,
global liberation, and civic engagement. I met with several of the returning stu-
dents before my supervisor agreed to bring me on, so they could make sure I
was the right fit for their organization. I feel like this is a perfect example of how
much importance we place on the voices and opinions of our students. This type
of culture allowed for all of us to grow more as people because everyone felt
comfortable enough to voice their ideas and experiences even on very personal
topics. This comfort also extended outside of the workplace into things like rides
home with the kids where we would talk about our lives. I got so close to the
students, and our relationships are better than I ever hoped coming into the sum-
mer. I even had a student (who I call my son) re-design a tattoo that has a lot of
meaning for me. This summer just solidified my desire to be a teacher by show-
ing me exactly how impactful these relationships can be, as well as reminding me
how much I enjoy the act of teaching itself.
• Helping to design curriculum on civic engagement that our upperclassmen would
present to other youth organizations every Friday
• Coordinating with various organizations within the city to schedule weekly field trips for
the Youth Workers
• Helping to empower youth voices in spaces where they are often tokenized and/or
delegitimized
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