Encouraging and Engaging Students
Since 2019, CAF has taken part in New York City Columbia College’s Navab Fellow Internship Program, which allows “students to explore potential career paths, gain essential professional skills, and expand personal networks in preparation for life after graduation.” As part of their engagement with CAF, undergraduates learn about our mission, get a feel for what it’s like to work at a non-profit organization, and explore our programs. Their tasks include updating our website with the latest information from current and former grantees, and interviewing and writing features on some of them.
This year, we’re pleased to welcome Tymesha-Elizabeth Kindell from Atlanta and Gauri Kasarla (left) from Florida. Tymesha is a rising senior majoring in History and Sustainable Development. “I am excited to be part of CAF’s team,” she writes, “and I look forward to growing with the organization.” Gauri, an artist in her own right, is a rising junior majoring in Art History and Visual Art. She looks forward, she says, to contributing “to the CAF community’s shared goal of supporting artists to fight for animal rights.”
In 2022, we welcomed artist Victoria Reshetnikov (right), who edited and compiled videos of Sue Coe, recipient of the 2022 Nancy Regan Arts Prize. In 2021, we welcomed Makenna Cherry and Mary Qiu (left and center respectively), who reflected on their experience both before and after spending their six weeks at CAF. Makenna profiled CAF grantee and filmmaker Marisa Miller Wolfson, while Mary conducted an interview with CAF grantees filmmaker Liz Marshall and Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan of Our Hen House, on the occasion of the 600th episode of their podcast.
In 2020, we welcomed Vivian Qiu and Isabel Schmidt, working remotely from New Zealand and Seattle, respectively. Isabel interviewed Turkish academic Ayten Alkan (a 2017 CAF grantee), while Vivian Qiu profiled CAF grantees “scienartist” Gal Nissim, poet Donald Vincent, visual artist Colleen Plumb, and broadcaster Yuan-Chih Lung. In 2019, we worked with Aoi Nakazawa and Chynna Lake.
CAF is delighted to build the skills and provide exposure to young people, and we welcome applicants from other young people looking to engage with non-profits, animal rights, scholarship, and the arts—whether through Navab or not. For more information and to apply, contact admin [at] cultureandanimals [dot] org.