Empowering Atlanta’s Future: HYPE’s Impact on Workforce and Youth Development through Internships 

One of my absolute favorite aspects of the work we do at HYPE is our ability to place interns with nonprofits across Atlanta. This initiative is a vital part of our commitment to both workforce development and youth development in the city. I’m incredibly proud that HYPE not only facilitates these internships but also provides stipends for the interns we place. This financial support allows us to bolster the capacity of other nonprofits in the Atlanta area, enabling them to take on significant capacity-building projects that might otherwise be out of reach.

This year, thanks to a generous $25,000 grant from American Rescue Plan Act Funding (ARPA) Summer Youth Job Training Program, we successfully placed 14 interns in various nonprofits around the county, including five who worked directly with HYPE. These internships are not just any opportunities—they’re designed to give our top high school and early college students real-world work experience in tech, even before they graduate.

Our interns are engaged in meaningful projects that span a variety of tech-related fields, such as developing and managing podcasts, assisting organizations with navigating artificial intelligence, creating and managing content for social media, developing webpages, and enhancing operational efficiency.

It speaks volumes about the trust our partners have in us that they are willing to consider hiring younger students for these summer internships. Recently, I received an email from a major tech company expressing their satisfaction with the work of an intern who came from HYPE. They even mentioned their eagerness to hire a HYPE scholar for next summer—proof that we are on the right track.

I can’t express how fulfilling this is for me. We are truly developing the future workforce of tech here in Atlanta. Our graduates are not only more interested in pursuing careers in tech, but they are also so well-prepared and such great ambassadors of our mission that companies are eager to collaborate with us.

Reflecting on a big-picture goal I set four years ago, just before COVID hit, I envisioned a world where HYPE alumnae were so successful that they would eventually be in a position to hire other alumnae. While we’re not quite there yet—our oldest alumnae started with us in middle school and have just recently graduated from college—that recent note from a partner reassured me that we are well on our way. Our alumnae are making a significant impact, and while they might not be hiring just yet, their influence is undeniable.

When I think about youth development and workforce development, this is exactly what it’s all about—influence, reach, and transformation. We are fulfilling our mission to plug the leaky tech pipeline in Atlanta, and we’re doing it with style, grace, and excellence—while having fun along the way.