Grantee Profile

SEYCO: Training the Next Generation of Community Leaders

Interns at the SEYCO orientation (click to enlarge)

They come from Harlem, Jackson Heights, the South Bronx and Crown Heights. They are immigration reform activists, organizers for racial justice, and the children of immigrants, domestic workers and street vendors. The interns in the 2009 Summer Employment for Youth in Community Organizing (SEYCO) possess the life experiences and dedication to social change that are needed to develop into effective community leaders.

Since 2002, North Star Fund has partnered with the New York Foundation on the SEYCO program to provide our grantees with funding to hire high school and college interns as youth organizers. SEYCO develops the leadership skills of these young people so they can become more active in their community, and creates paid jobs at a time when many young people and their families are struggling to find work. The program also provides vital support for grassroots groups in New York City.

Diana Correa, North Star Fund's Deputy Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives, oversees the project. According to Diana, "Working on the SEYCO program has been one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I've seen young people come to the program with various levels of experience and insight -- some just curious about what it means to be an agent of change and others well on their way to becoming leaders determined to make a contribution to their community, city and world. Either way, the SEYCO program engages young people, the communities they work in and the grassroots groups they work for in a unique and powerful way. They explore the power within themselves and then realize the potential for change"

This summer, the following eight North Star Fund grantees received grants of $2,500 to hire an intern:

  • Adhikaar for Human Rights & Social Justice
  • Damayan Migrant Workers Association
  • Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees
  • Justice Committee
  • Mass Transit Street Theater and Video
  • Movement for Justice in El Barrio
  • New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)
  • VAMOS Unidos

By working alongside New York City's community leaders, interns gain skills in outreach, base building, peer education, and organizing public events and advocacy campaigns. The youth organizers also develop a deeper understanding of the issues affecting low-income neighborhoods throughout the city by participating in trainings for SEYCO interns. The alliances that develop through the SEYCO program are helping to build a movement of grassroots leaders and groups working together to solve complex problems.

North Star Fund Intern Emerson Soto (far right) with the 2009 SEYCO interns (click to enlarge)

North Star Fund's Betty Kapetanakis Intern, Emerson Soto, served as a liaison between the SEYCO interns and North Star Fund, and evaluated the work of grant recipients. "This internship appealed to me because North Star Fund is building a movement for social change. I wanted to be a part of that change," explains Emerson, a 22-year-old student at CUNY Queens College. "The most rewarding part of my job was going on site visits and seeing how SEYCO interns are doing amazing work to empower immigrants and steer youth away from violence. These kinds of things make a really big difference in the community."

Emerson coordinated programs for the SEYCO interns with Divad Durant, a 22-year-old recent graduate of Hampshire College and a seasoned youth organizer from the Bronx.

Bringing together the next generation of community leaders

(l to r) David Shuffler and Divad Durant with SEYCO interns at the rally outside Standard and Poor's (click to enlarge)

On July 9th, the 36 SEYCO interns gathered for an orientation at the New York Foundation. Facilitated by David Shuffler, a former youth organizer and the Director of Initiative for Neighborhood & Citywide Organizing (INCO), the orientation covered different approaches to social change, organizing strategies, and social networking tools. The group also participated in a rally outside the headquarters of Standard and Poor's to raise awareness about how their credit rating system contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis. The rally was organized by two North Star Fund grantees, Mirabal Sisters and Make the Road New York.

After the summer ends

SEYCO interns participate in a rally at the headquarters of Standard and Poor's (click to enlarge).

Through the SEYCO program, North Star Fund continues to invest in new talent and train the future leaders of our city. "Most SEYCO alumni work for a community-based organization, or they are incorporating social change work into their life in other ways," says Divad. "No matter what they do, their careers benefit from this training."