National Intern Day in July 30: Investing in the People Who Build What's Next

Great ideas don't become lasting impact without people willing to do the work.

This summer, 139 PIN Summer Interns have partnered with nonprofits, local governments, universities, and employers across Georgia and the Southeast, bringing fresh ideas, new skills, and meaningful capacity to projects that strengthen communities. For students, it's hands-on experience tackling real-world challenges. For host organizations, it's additional talent helping move important work forward. For communities, it's an investment in the next generation of leaders and innovators.

This National Intern Day, we're celebrating every intern, mentor, and host organization who helped prove that lasting innovation begins by investing in people.

Celebrating the Partnerships Behind Innovation

On July 31, PIN will celebrate that collaboration at the 2026 Emerging Innovators Celebration, recognizing the students, fellows, host organizations, and partners who have spent the summer turning real-world challenges into real-world solutions. Throughout the summer, participants have supported projects spanning advanced manufacturing, public health, entrepreneurship, digital infrastructure, AI, sustainability, and community development: building capacity where communities need it most. The celebration is a reflection of what PIN believes drives durable innovation: partnerships that connect talent with opportunity, communities with resources, and ideas with implementation. Join us as we celebrate the people and partnerships proving that innovation doesn't end with a pilot; it grows through the relationships that carry the work forward. READ MORE

Host Organization Applications Open September 1

One lesson from this summer's site visits stood out: organizations need capacity. Again and again, host organizations shared how Emerging Innovators helped move important projects forward. If your organization could benefit from additional talent tackling meaningful work, applications for the 2027 PIN Summer Intern Employer Sites open September 1.

Interested in learning more? Contact Engagement Manager, Clarence Anthony Jr., to discuss becoming a host site.

Sloss.Tech: Building the Innovation Ecosystem Together

Innovation happens when people come together to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and build new partnerships.

This month, PIN's Associate Director of Impact, Jamal Lewis, joined more than 1,400 founders, technologists, investors, and industry leaders at Sloss.Tech in Birmingham, one of the South's premier technology and innovation conferences. We connected with organizations working to strengthen entrepreneurship, talent pipelines, and regional innovation across the Southeast. For PIN, these conversations reinforce an important lesson: no community has to solve tomorrow's challenges alone. By learning from one another and building stronger regional networks, we can accelerate the ideas, partnerships, and people that create lasting impact.



Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp is now a UNESCO World Heritage site

This month, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge became Georgia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. This landmark recognition reflects decades of conservation, collaboration, and community leadership.

For PIN, it's also a reminder that meaningful impact often unfolds over years. Through a past Emerging Innovators project with the Okefenokee Swamp Park, PIN alumni contributed to regional collaboration and economic resilience efforts that helped strengthen partnerships around one of Georgia's most treasured natural resources. Congratulations to everyone who helped make this milestone possible. It's a powerful example of how investing in people and partnerships today can create lasting impact for communities tomorrow. READ MORE