Inside the Community Internship Program

In 2008, 9to5 Atlanta began the Community Internship Program (CIP). CIP is a 10 week training program for members to learn in-depth strategies for community organizing and developing leadership skills.  This fall marks the third class to participate in the CIP. There are 2 paid 9to5 members and 4 interns in the class. The program requires that we do 5 hours of in-office training and 5 additional hours on field work for eight weeks in September and October.

Our training has included role-playing on how to recruit members to our campaigns, learning about power, globalization, active listening, and sexism. We have discussed the history of our city, Atlanta.  We also watched a video about a successful community organizing campaign that happened in Los Angeles. Some of the field work we have done is in restaurants and other work has been at movie theatres around the movie, Contagion. However, I think the most valuable thing I have learned is learning more about myself and other people in the CIP. Through listening to each other, we gain strength from one another and it keeps us going throughout the week.

Shanese Moore

9to5 Lutheran Volunteer and CIP participant