91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ

In April 2025, I finished my third year at 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ, majoring in Political Science and minoring in International Development. Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly interested in human rights, migration, and social justice issues, especially in the Global South.

After taking courses on international organizations and development projects, I wanted to better understand how non-profit organizations (NPOs) work and their role in supporting local communities. I was looking for an opportunity to apply what I’d been learning in the classroom to a real-world setting, which led me to pursue a summer internship at Equitas.

Equitas is a Canadian non-profit that promotes equality, inclusion, and respect for human dignity through human rights education. Their Canadian program works in over 55 communities nationwide and partners with more than 200 organizations that support children and youth. Through games, accessible educational tools, training, and coaching, Equitas helps young people and their allies take action in their communities and advocate for human rights.

I was really excited to join an organization whose mission and values aligned so closely with mine. As an intern with the Canadian Program team, I was able to contribute to several projects that gave me a much clearer idea of what it’s like to work in this space.

In my first few weeks, I conducted and supported seven interviews in both English and French with Equitas’ community-based partners. These interviews helped us gather insights on how the partners used Equitas’ human rights-based toolkits in their work. I compiled the findings into a presentation using Canva and shared it with the Canadian team.

Soon after, I had the chance to facilitate an in-person workshop in French at the University of Montreal during the Grand Rendez-vous des États généraux de la solidarité internationale. The session focused on youth allyship and human rights, and we welcomed 18 participants. I also supported Equitas’ Communications team by drafting a French social media caption to promote the workshop.

instorming sessions, and helping develop knowledge products like conversation cards (inspired by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) and an infographic on youth allyship.

One of my most significant projects was supporting the creation of an updated Zine that showcases youth-led Community Action Projects (CAPs) across Canada. I built a detailed Excel tracker compiling data on 19 CAPs, gathered contact info, and drafted tailored interview questions. I then conducted four interviews with community partners to collect stories, quotes, and reflections to include in the next edition of the Zine. Hearing young people talk about the impact they created in their communities was incredibly moving and inspiring.

In the final weeks of my internship, I worked on two main projects. First, I organized and archived around 100 newsletters and annual reports (in English and French), some dating back to the 1980s. I sorted them into folders and designed a cover page, land acknowledgement, and table of contents to help contextualize the documents. Second, I contributed to a new grant application by participating in brainstorming sessions, offering creative input, researching previous proposals from the past decade, and helping develop a logic model for the latest proposal.

So many moments stood out to me during my time at Equitas. Conducting the Zine interviews and connecting with partners and youth across Canada was a highlight. So was participating in the staff retreat, getting to know my colleagues, learning about their work, and even leading a team icebreaker activity. I felt truly welcomed and valued by the team.

One challenge I faced was putting too much pressure on myself to figure out what comes next after graduation. I often felt like I needed to have everything figured out. But talking openly with my colleagues and friends reminded me that it’s okay not to have all the answers right now, and that being curious and open is enough.

Overall, this internship was an incredibly meaningful experience. It helped me grow both personally and professionally. It gave me a clearer idea of the kind of work I’d like to pursue in the future: community-driven, values-based, and focused on creating meaningful social change.

I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity, and I’m especially grateful to Ms. Wendy Patton Keys for making it possible through the Wendy Patton Keys Arts Internship Award.