The 2022 class of DDC interns. Image Credit: DDC.
High school, undergraduate, and graduate students completed their paid six-week internships with the Department of Design and Construction earlier this month. The Department of Design and Construction held a closing ceremony for their 15 high school and 50 undergraduate and graduate students in mid-August to mark the completion of their internships with the department.
DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley shared, “Internships expose students to real-life hands-on situations that give them true insight into the technical careers that they are interested in pursuing. We hope that these students will return to DDC one day and contribute to the greatness of this City. In the meantime, the have an opportunity to learn skills from DDC professionals that will help them enter the lucrative and rewarding construction industry.”
The interns are among the over 700 students the DDC has mentored over the years. During their experience, interns were mentored by DDC staff and attended site visits and ceremonies to strengthen their understanding of the City’s infrastructure and how the DDC operates. Among the sites visited was the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project, where interns observed the 2.4-mile long flood barrier being installed extending from the Lower East Side to Asser Levy Playground on East 25th Street. The interns also joined Mayor Adams to celebrate the unveiling of the newly reopened Asser Levy Playground, marking the completion of the first section of the ESCR project.
Patrick Black, a rising junior at Manhattan College studying civil engineering with a double minor in environmental engineering and mathematics, shared, “Prior to the internship, I only took one course in environmental engineering where we learned about structures, but thanks to this fantastic internship I was able to dive in and see more of what it takes to build for the City. A great piece of advice that Commissioner Thomas Foley gave was to always ask questions and that’s what I did, I spoke to staff outside of my unit and it was a great way to learn more about the projects in DDC’s portfolio and to receive advice from industry professionals.”
The internship program is conducted in conjunction with DDC’s STEAM education initiative, which was established in 2014. The initiative is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive pipeline for New York City’s students to engage with industries the DDC works within, such as architecture, construction, and engineering.
DDC Deputy Commissioner for Community Partnerships and STEAM Initiatives Lee Llambelis stated, “We are extremely proud to send our 2022 high school and college interns out into the world. Our students have been working with some of the best built environment professionals in the industry, not only in NYC but the world. It is critically important that we expose our young people to rigor and high expectations of the industry in a professional setting.”
Internship applications for next summer will open in March 2023. For more information on how to work with DDC, please visit this link.
The Department of Design and Construction is New York City’s primary capital construction project manager. DDC partners with other City agencies to provide communities with new or renovated public buildings to support Mayor Adam’s long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.
By: Samantha Silverstein (Samantha is a CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2024.)