Honor Your Dreams is raising $12,800 to fund a cohort of 8 additional fully paid internships for first-generation and low-income NYC college students at tech, climate, and social impact startups this spring 2027. We've already funded ten through a generous grant from a donor and want to offer even more positions. We had more than 100+ applicants in the fall for ten positions and we'd like to offer more students a seat.

Each student earns $20 per hour for 10 hours a week over 8 weeks, a total of $1,600 per student that goes directly into their pocket. We are using 100% of the proceeds of this fund to create stipends for students (with none going to overhead) that would not be able to intern otherwise. After graduating from our internship program, many students have gone on to intern at prestigious companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and others. We've partnered with organizations like Kelvin (climate), Hera Health Solutions (bio-tech), Mira Intel (tech), Gaia Software (tech) and others, and always co-create the roles with employers to make the internship impactful.

Access to real, career-building work at a company that is shaping the future is very rare, and gives our students something that no classroom can provide: proof that they belong in professional spaces and the experience to back it up. The need is not abstract and it is not new. This past summer, we had at least six internship opportunities we could not fill because we did not have the budget to pay the students. We turned away qualified employers who wanted to host, while also turning down students who were ready, motivated, and deserving. This is the reality we navigate every single cycle: more students than we have money to support, more employers than we have capacity to place, and a waitlist that grows faster than our funding does.

A gift of $1,600 funds one student for the full eight weeks. A gift of $800 gets them halfway there. Whatever you are able to contribute moves the needle for a student who would otherwise spend another semester on the sidelines. As more and more companies cut early talent roles and AI continues to disrupt the labor force, we're working hard to ensure our students get access to opportunities that have the potential to change their lives and the lives of their families.

Honor Your Dreams: 2026 Giving Tuesday – Spring Dual Impact Internship Program

Supercharging economic mobility through tech access, mentorship, and workforce opportunities.

Team Members