A Summer at ArtWell

• About Us
• / News

Clara Papenfuse ('24), a Communication and English double major with a concentration in Culture and Society, was a development intern with ArtWell. This internship opportunity was part of the Summer Humanities Internship Program.

For my SHIP internship this summer, I was placed as a development intern with ArtWell! ArtWell is a youth-serving organization that aligns with my interest and values. I did violence prevention research, messaging work, and grant writing for this Philly-based, arts education nonprofit. This summer, I got to do the kind of work I'm interested in doing, with the kind of organization I want to work with, and with the support of SHIP and my supervisor to do it. 

I was lucky enough to be working directly under the executive director, which gave me the opportunity to see into the operations component of ArtWell's work beyond my development capacity. I also really enjoyed being placed alongside another SHIP intern. We were able to commute together, and we were jointly invited into content review meetings with the Executive Director, Communication Director, and Grant Writer. Those meetings were definitely a highlight of my experience -- basically four-hour-long, in-person brainstorming sessions, where we talked through the website and other ArtWell messaging. I really felt that my ideas were valued and my perspective was respected, which encouraged me to speak up more. ArtWell as a whole has a great work culture. My colleagues there were very friendly, and even with mostly virtual work there was an in-person art show and some work event lunches. 

I came into this opportunity wanting to get some experience with grant writing. But, during my time with ArtWell, I found that I've really enjoyed the research and messaging work! I've learned a lot about the current landscape of violence prevention initiatives in Philly, and I helped ArtWell evaluate its place within that so that they can tell their story in a compelling way. I did write a grant on my own in the end, and it was great to build off of the research and messaging work I had done earlier in the summer. I feel well prepared to do more development and grant-based nonprofit work in the future, and I've learned that the ability to tell an organization's story in a new way is the most enjoyable aspect of that work for me. - Clara Papenfuse

Interested in reading more first-hand accounts about undergraduate research? Check out the other experiences featured on our Student News Page and Social Media!

Related Articles