The Collaborative Summer Institute

In May 2020, the Collaborative launched the “Collaborative Summer Institute.” This annual internship program was created to give college, graduate students, and recent graduates an opportunity to participate in intensive learning experiences by exploring solutions to real world challenges.

The Summer Institute helped participants bridge the gap between the academic and professional realms, providing applied work experience and mentorship. During the summer, each intern worked in support of an ongoing company project or helped a member of the firm’s staff launch new ones. Activities ranged from researching and writing white papers, to helping craft op-ed essays, to developing software apps.

Topics focused on community building, urban design, promoting ADA accessibility, transportation, public health, and the environment. For example, one representative project, “Eat Out” Model Municipal Guidelines, entailed the development of model zoning guidelines for cities and towns to quickly adopt municipal codes for supporting socially-distanced outdoor dining.

Every Friday, interns presented their progress and received feedback from other interns and Collaborative staff. During the week each intern worked with a Collaborative Principal Investigator or outside expert in their field brought in by the Collaborative, who together served as faculty advisors and mentors.

Summer Intern Reflections