NBA Foundation Awards MobilizeGreen Grant to Expand The VirtualIntern
The VirtualIntern platform connects young people of color to green STEM internships
Washington, DC - Today, the NBA Foundation awarded MobilizeGreen a grant to expand The VirtualIntern, an innovative internship marketplace that connects employers with diverse talent. The platform is designed to recruit and match young people of color (ages 15-30) with paid, project-based environmental and conservation internships to launch their green careers, regardless of what state they live in. The NBA Foundation’s grant will help ensure that 2,500 young people can participate in the program by 2024, growing their skills while filling the talent pipeline in a rapidly growing sector of the economy.
“We share the NBA Foundation’s deep commitment to advancing economic justice and equity, and we are thrilled to work with them to ensure more young people get the experience they need to pursue their chosen career,” said MobilizeGreen CEO Leah Allen. “Through this partnership, we will grow The VirtualIntern to empower more young people of color to create a just and equitable planet.”
There is a glaring lack of equitable access to internship opportunities in the United States and that became even more clear during the pandemic. Born out of the unique circumstances of 2020, The VirtualIntern is a groundbreaking platform that makes internships more accessible to young adults of color through remote work experiences with employers in the green sector. The platform removes barriers, reduces bias, and provides access to career pathway opportunities.
“We are proud to support MobilizeGreen in their efforts to provide meaningful employment opportunities to youth in our NBA markets,” said NBA Foundation Executive Director Greg Taylor. “Internships can be transformational in one’s career development, and we look forward to this collaboration and its impact on the growth and advancement of Black youth across the country.”
This grant from the NBA Foundation will support virtual internships in cities across the country including those with NBA teams such as Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Denver and Portland. For example, virtual internships will include paid 10-week virtual fellowships that allow young people of color to advance environmental justice and climate equity projects such as sustainability, green infrastructure, and urban forestry projects in their communities.
The NBA Foundation joins The Walton Foundation, Satterberg Foundation and Northlight Foundation in supporting The VirtualIntern by investing in internships for young people of color with government, nonprofits, and corporate partners. Organizations interested in partnering with The VirtualIntern, can learn more here.
About MobilizeGreen: MobilizeGreen is a national nonprofit that has engaged more than 2,500 young people of color in paid green and STEM-focused career-pathway internships in collaboration with its government agency partners since 2014. The VirtualIntern, one of the organization’s programs, is responsive to the challenges of today and tomorrow, and provides access to and creates equitable opportunities for young people of color pursuing a career in the environmental and conservation sectors. For more information, visit thevirtualintern.org.
About the NBA Foundation: Created in August 2020, the NBA Foundation is the league’s first-ever charitable foundation dedicated to driving economic opportunity for Black youth. The Foundation invests in local and national organizations that promote school-to-career and workforce development opportunities. For more information visit nbafoundation.com.