DENTON (UNT), Texas ¾ Two University of North Texas System students have joined the list of UNT students to be recognized by the American Humanics’ NextGen Nonprofit Leaders program.
Kristin Sale, from UNT in Denton, and Karen Wright, from UNT Dallas, are two of the nine UNT students that have been recognized by the program in the six semesters the scholarship has been given. In addition to being named NextGen Leaders, both will receive a $4,500 scholarship.
The American Humanics’ Next Generation Nonprofit Leaders program is a national competition that provides scholarships to students conducting internships in the nonprofit sector. The program began in January 2007 with a $5 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to select 1,000 NextGen Leaders through 2012. Established in 1948, American Humanics prepares college and university students for professional and leadership positions in the nonprofit industry. For more information about American Humanics, visit www.humanics.org.
Sale, a 2006 graduate of McKinney High School, is a junior majoring in sociology. She is the daughter of John and Rhonda Sale of McKinney. Wright, a junior majoring in human service management and leadership, is the daughter of Morris Ross of DeSoto and the late Rudolph Wright of Dallas.
Nathan Edgerton, campus director of UNT’s American Humanics program, said that the commitment and service to American Humanics and the North Texas community is the reason so many UNT students have been recognized as NextGen Leaders.
He added that while some nonprofit organizations are not able to pay interns, the NextGen Leaders program supports the students financially so that they don’t have to worry about whether an internship with that group is financially feasible.
Sale and Wright are among 80 college students nationally, six of whom are from Texas, to be named a NextGen Leader for Summer 2009. Their $4,500 scholarships will cover their expenses as they complete an internship with a nonprofit organization in the summer. Sale plans to begin her internship in June with Collin Intervention to Youth, or CITY, House in Plano. Wright has not chosen a place for her internship but plans to intern with a nonprofit agency that works with at-risk youth.
American Humanics also provides certification in nonprofit management and leadership, which Sale and Wright are both working to complete.
“The knowledge and experience gained through the American Humanics certificate enables individuals from all fields of study to test their expertise and skills with nonprofit organizations in our community to meet the needs we face,” Edgerton said.
Calling it a “classroom in our community,” Edgerton added, “The American Humanics certificate and NextGen Leaders program enable our students to dedicate more time to applying their knowledge and skills to the direct needs of our community.”
The certificate program, which includes courses in fundraising, volunteer management and other skills needed in nonprofit management, is administered at UNT in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service. Once Sale and Wright complete their respective internships and academic and co-curricular requirements, they will be awarded the American Humanics certificate.
UNT student Shaina Draper, president of UNT’s American Humanics Student Association, will also be recognized by American Humanics with a $1,000 national Academic Award. Draper, a junior majoring in social work, is one of 20 students to receive the scholarship nationwide. To receive the award, she must also complete the requirements for the American Humanics certificate.
For More Information:
Alyssa Aber
News Promotion Specialist II
or Monique Bird
Student Assistant
(940) 565-3510
Alyssa.Aber@unt.edu