AI for Community Impact Internship

AI for Community Impact Internship

To Serve. To Learn. To Lead with Purpose.

Position Summary
Oklahoma Wildcats Academy (OWA) is launching an innovative AI for Community Impact Internship designed to leverage artificial intelligence in discovering and implementing creative solutions to food insecurity and homelessness across diverse communities. This groundbreaking program mobilizes undergraduate and graduate students from local university campuses to develop AI-driven approaches for community challenges, creating a bridge between technological advancement and social impact. Interns will collaborate with community organizations, local leaders, and technology specialists to research, design, and implement sustainable solutions that address fundamental needs. The ideal candidates will embody our core principles of collaboration, humility, precision, patience, and empathy while bringing fresh perspectives on how artificial intelligence can transform community support systems and connect people to resources and purpose.

Program Overview
This pioneering internship creates a structured framework for harnessing AI's potential to address critical social challenges while providing students with meaningful experiential learning. Interns will work in interdisciplinary teams to map community needs, analyze resource distribution patterns, develop predictive models for service gaps, and create accessible technological tools that enhance service delivery. The program aims to create scalable, replicable models that can be adapted to diverse communities while building a new generation of purpose-driven innovators who understand how to apply technology to our most pressing human challenges.

Key Responsibilities

Community Needs Assessment & Data Analysis
- Collaborate with local organizations to gather data on food insecurity and homelessness patterns with precision and respect for privacy
- Analyze existing service delivery systems, identifying gaps and inefficiencies that AI could address
- Develop data visualization tools that provide clear insights into community needs
- Map community assets and resources with detailed precision to identify leverage points
- Exercise patience in building relationships with community partners essential for accurate needs assessment
- Approach community research with humility, recognizing that lived experience is as valuable as academic knowledge
- Ensure all data collection and analysis maintain empathetic understanding of the dignity of affected populations

AI Solution Development & Implementation
- Research existing AI applications addressing food insecurity and homelessness globally
- Design innovative AI-powered tools for resource matching, service navigation, and predictive outreach
- Develop user-friendly interfaces accessible to diverse populations and service providers
- Test and refine applications with patient attention to real-world implementation challenges
- Document development processes and implementation guidelines with precision
- Approach solution design with humility, ensuring technology serves human needs rather than imposing technological solutions
- Create tools that preserve dignity and agency through empathetic design principles

Resource Optimization Systems
- Develop AI algorithms to optimize food distribution, shelter capacity, and volunteer deployment
- Create systems that match excess resources (food, housing, transportation) with individuals in need
- Design predictive models that anticipate seasonal or crisis-driven spikes in service needs
- Apply precision in resource allocation to maximize community impact
- Exercise patience in refining systems to adapt to changing community circumstances
- Approach resource optimization with humility, acknowledging the complex factors affecting resource distribution
- Ensure all systems maintain empathetic awareness of individual needs within broader allocation frameworks

University-Community Collaboration Framework
- Build structured engagement models that connect university resources with community organizations
- Develop protocols for mobilizing student volunteers based on AI-identified community needs
- Create frameworks for ongoing knowledge exchange between academic and community partners
- Implement precision in designing collaboration structures that respect all stakeholders' contributions
- Exercise patience in nurturing sustainable partnerships that extend beyond the internship period
- Approach collaboration with humility, recognizing the unique value each partner brings
- Foster empathetic understanding of different organizational cultures and constraints

Educational Content Development
- Create awareness-building materials about food insecurity and homelessness for campus communities
- Develop training resources on ethical applications of AI in addressing social challenges
- Design educational modules that explain complex social systems in accessible language
- Produce content with precise, research-based information that avoids stereotypes or oversimplification
- Exercise patience in developing layered resources that engage audiences with different levels of prior knowledge
- Approach educational development with humility, creating content that inspires action without preaching
- Ensure all materials demonstrate empathy for the complexities of experiencing food and housing insecurity

Impact Measurement & Sustainability Planning
- Design comprehensive metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of AI-enhanced community initiatives
- Develop frameworks for ongoing program improvement based on implementation feedback
- Create sustainability plans that allow successful initiatives to continue beyond the internship period
- Document impacts and outcomes with scientific precision while telling compelling human stories
- Exercise patience in the evaluation process, understanding that meaningful social change takes time
- Approach impact assessment with humility, remaining open to unexpected outcomes and learnings
- Ensure evaluation methods honor the experiences of community members affected by the initiatives

Alignment with Core Principles
This internship program embodies Voice Up and OWA's five core principles:

- Collaboration : Brings together diverse perspectives across academic disciplines, community organizations, and lived experience to create integrated solutions that address complex social challenges.

- Humility : Approaches community work with deep respect for existing knowledge and efforts, ensuring that technology enhances rather than replaces human-centered approaches to food insecurity and homelessness.

- Precision : Applies data-driven methodology and careful design to ensure that all tools, frameworks, and resources effectively address specific community needs with accuracy and reliability.

- Patience : Recognizes that developing meaningful social impact requires building trust, iterative improvement, and a long-term perspective on creating sustainable community systems.

- Empathy : Centers the dignity and agency of people experiencing food insecurity and homelessness in all aspects of the program, ensuring that technological innovations amplify rather than diminish human connection.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications
- Current enrollment in undergraduate (junior/senior) or graduate program in computer science, data science, social work, public health, urban planning, or related field
- Strong academic record with coursework relevant to either technology or social services
- Demonstrated interest in social impact and community engagement
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams
- Basic understanding of issues surrounding food insecurity and homelessness
- Familiarity with data analysis tools and digital platforms
- Commitment to ethical applications of technology

Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced coursework or research experience in AI, machine learning, or data analytics
- Previous volunteer or work experience with food banks, homeless services, or related organizations
- Experience with community-based research or participatory action research
- Familiarity with geographic information systems (GIS) or spatial analysis
- Knowledge of local community context and existing service providers
- Previous experience developing digital content, applications, or databases
- Course work in community development, social justice, or public policy
- Experience in user experience (UX) design or human-centered design processes

Internship Structure & Compensation
- Hybrid model with both remote work and local community engagement components
- 12-15 hours per week commitment
- Academic year-long program (September-May) with possibility of summer extension
- Weekly virtual team meetings and bi-weekly community partner engagements
- Structured projects with increasing responsibility as internship progresses
- Academic credit available (coordinated with your institution)
- Stipend of $1,200 per semester
- Opportunity to present work at conferences and community forums
- Portfolio-building projects showcasing the intersection of AI and social impact
- Professional development workshops in community engagement and AI ethics
- Networking opportunities with professionals in technology, nonprofit, and public sectors

Application Process
Please submit the following to the Chief Operating Officer at
- Resume highlighting relevant academic background and community experiences
- Cover letter explaining your interest in lever