Millbrook's core value that resonates with all students and alumni, even decades after graduation, is service. This is because students can see and even measure their impact as they contribute in tangible ways through our very unique and robust community service program. In an effort to encourage students to carry those ideals forward, Herb Shultz ’63 founded and funded the initial offering of the MillbrookEngage Summer Internship Program several years ago to provide financial support, real-world skills and experience, and guidance to Millbrook students as they offer their time and skills to non-profit organizations serving the community.
“MillbrookEngage is an old school idea with a modern-day twist,” says Head of School Jon Downs ’98. “We are a school built on service, and we are preparing our students for lives of meaning and consequence. What I love is that the best way to start doing that is getting a job—getting a job you care about, potentially something you want to pursue in the future, and having all of the responsibilities that come with that. MillbrookEngage has become a part of the modern-day fabric because it is so mission-centered.”
In April of 2019, The Edward E. Ford Foundation approved a $250,000 grant for Millbrook on a 1:2 match, thus validating the program and its value. With this grant and subsequent generous endowment funds donated by other Millbrook alumni and parents, the program has adequate funding for the next several years, enabling us to fund as many as 15 student internships, or roughly 15% of the rising VIth form class, each year.
“This is something that hasn’t been done at the high school level before,” says Downs. “E.E. Ford is acknowledging Millbrook School and this program as a leader in the industry. This is recognition that what we have created is innovative and replicable, laying the groundwork for other schools to follow in our footsteps.”
One of the strengths of this program is that students are allowed to work collaboratively to find a fit that works best for them, and the opportunities in the non-profit world are vast and varied. Student interns have been involved in medical and research centers, the New York Supreme Court, rural housing construction, affordable housing advocacy organizations, an art foundation, a school for autistic children, a senior community, a grassroots voter engagement program, our own Trevor Zoo, and various local service organizations. No two internships are alike, and the takeaways are valuable both personally and professionally. The feedback from the mentors and supervisors of our students has also been overwhelmingly positive.
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2023 MILLBROOKENGAGE INTERNSHIPS
2023 MILLBROOKENGAGE INTERNSHIPS
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2023 Internships
2023 saw the largest number of MillbrookEngage internships—19—in the program's history. Members of the Class of 2023 spent time working for a non-profit, assisting them in a bevy of helpful ways and gaining valuable experience in an area of interest.
- Christina - Project Sage (Lakeville, CT)
- Juliet - Dutchess Land Conservancy (Millbrook, NY)
- Givy - New Heights NYC (Brooklyn, NY)
- Angelina - Monell Chemical Senses Center (Philadelphia, PA)
- James - The Cary Institute (Millbrook, NY)
- Baker - Southampton Fresh Air Home (Southampton, NY)
- Evie - Child Life Center, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone (New York, NY)
- Tianyu - Millbrook School archives (Millbrook, NY)
- Ethan - Lenox Hill Hospital (New York, NY)
- Sarah - Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Syracuse, NY)
- Grace - Equity & Justice Center YWCA (Greenwich, CT)
- Aaron - Harlem Lacrosse (New York, NY)
- Molly - Kenya Drylands Education Fund (Manchester, VT)
- Elle - Reconstructing Hope (New York, NY)
- Marshall - Block Island Club (Block Island, RI)
- Tobey - Sweet P Bakery (Norwalk, CT)
- Sam - Ice Hockey in Harlem (New York, NY)
- Camryn & Nate - Trevor Zoo (Millbrook, NY)
