Marissa Pappas has always wanted to help make her community a better place to live. She is well on her way toward making that desire a reality thanks to her service as a Dively Intern, a unique program offered by Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.

The George S. Dively Award for Corporate Leadership in Urban Development is presented annually by the Levin College to a local company in recognition of its efforts to promote community development and neighborhood revitalization. The award includes a one-year paid internship for a Levin College student at a community organization selected by the award winner. The 2016 Dively honoree was Third Federal Savings and Loan, which was recognized for its sustained commitment to and investment in improving the Broadway-Slavic Village community, home to its corporate headquarters.

Pappas, a non-profit management major, is working for the Slavic Village Development Corporation where she is conducting an assessment of the Broadway P-16 program, a cradle-to-career education and community initiative designed to enhance engagement and educational attainment for children from pre-birth to graduation from college.

“This opportunity offers me the chance to gain hands-on work experience in the field, while also allowing me to make a real difference in the lives of kids in Cleveland,” Pappas says. “I have learned a tremendous amount already and am extraordinarily impressed by the engagement and support I have received from all of the partners in this project including Third Federal and CSU.”

“As an engaged college within an engaged university, the Levin College is dedicated to providing hands on experience to our students through internships, while working with local organizations to enhance our community,” adds Rob Ziol, director of student internships and mentoring in the Levin College. “The Dively Internship is a perfect example of how a corporation and an institution of higher learning can work together to make a real difference in the community.”

The Levin College Forum and Third Federal also collaborated with WVIZ/Ideastream to present the “Growing a Healthy Community” speaker series, which brought in local and national experts to generate a robust public discussion about the Broadway P-16 model as a best practice in the community development field. The unique approach to comprehensive community development, spearheaded by Third Federal, involves a host of partners working together to reduce and remove the barriers poverty creates and rebuild local communities. 

“The Levin College has supported our efforts to be a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization,” says Kurt Karakul, president and executive director of the Third Federal Foundation. “We are proud to have them as a partner in our continued effort to enhance education, community development and economic investment in Slavic Village which has long been the focus of our foundation.”

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