BULLDOGS ON THE CUYAHOGA
Sponsored by the Yale Alumni Association of Cleveland, Bulldogs on the Cuyahoga is a unique initiative designed to bring 30-40 Yale undergraduates to Cleveland each summer for challenging internships, civic engagement, alumni connections, and social events to introduce them to the professional, civic, and personal offerings in Northeast Ohio.
The Bulldogs on the Cuyahoga program is part of the Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) program, which brings together a total of 75-90 students from Case, Colgate, Cornell, Princeton, Smith and Yale for this intensive summer immersion program.
In its first four years, SOTC has:
Recruited over 120 summer employers offering paid internship positions
Secured 228 students for internships, 75% of whom are not from the region originally
Attracted almost 2000 students as applicants
Resulted in over 20 students accepting permanent positions in
Cleveland with more students currently looking for permanent positions
OVERVIEW
Bulldogs on the Cuyahoga is a unique economic development initiative launched by local Yale Alumni volunteers. The objective is to help reverse the regional “brain drain” by attracting Yale students to settle in Northeast Ohio. Bulldogs will accomplish this by bringing 40 Yale undergraduates to Cleveland each summer for high-quality internships, community introductions, alumni mentorship, and social events. The program, which has been both approved by Yale and endorsed by key civic leaders such as Mayor Campbell, is an opportunity for the region to showcase its professional, civic, and personal offerings to a prized talent pool. The program’s goal is to create a net “brain gain,” increasing regional human capital and helping employers attract talented, new employees.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Bulldogs is designed to attract students by providing an all-encompassing summer that includes meaningful paid internships, local mentors, and exciting, informative events.
* Internships: The principal component of the Bulldogs program is high-quality, 10-week internships. Yale students are eager to have challenging summer jobs to develop experience. We encourage and are assembling all types of employers--large and small corporations, nonprofits, government--to host interns. This helps demonstrate the diversity of employment options in Cleveland (architecture, arts, education, engineering, finance, international corporations, research, social services, tech start-up’s, etc.)
* Mentors: To help students adjust to Cleveland and to counsel them on career options, each student will be partnered with an adult mentor from the Yale Club. Mentors serve as role models for demonstrating the balance of work, family, organization commitments, and civic leadership.
* Events: Finally, Bulldogs arranges various programs and events to enhance the students’ understanding of and experience in Cleveland. Examples of planned events include discussions with political and business leaders, a trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and an Indians game.
VALUE TO EMPLOYERS
Bulldogs provides marketing and access to a pool of highly-motivated, high-potential future employees. The program is modeled after a successful effort in Louisville, Kentucky called Bulldogs in the Bluegrass. That program has brought over 130 students to Kentucky in its first 4 years of operation, most of who are not from Kentucky. Employers in Louisville have been positively surprised by the talent, motivation, and work ethic of their Bulldog interns. Most students are able to complete far more than their employers imagine. These employers do not otherwise recruit at Yale as the return would not justify their investment. Through the Bulldogs program, Northeast Ohio employers too can attract Yale graduates but avoid the cost of campus recruiting (marketing, interviewing, etc.).
NOTE FOR STUDENTS: Applications will be accepted from current sophomores, juniors and seniors. At this time, current first year students are not eligible for positions offered through Summer on the Cuyahoga.