Inspired for My Future: Internship with Human Impacts Institute
Photo of HII founder Tara Deport (on the left), Rosalie Le Grelle HII’s Community Research Coordinator (middle), and Ki’jah Wilburn my fellow MAAH scholar and Global Leadership Intern (on the right).
Second Grade Students from Leverrier. Climate Super-Heroes: Leverrier School Students Dream of the Future of Marseille. 2025. Watercolor and marker drawings.
As a Masters of Art History student at ACM, my program includes an internship, and the School of Art connected me with Tara DePorte, the founder of the Human Impacts Institute (HII). HII is an organization that seeks to inspire climate activism and awareness through creative engagement solutions and community building. They host many different events throughout the year — like an annual Creative Climate Awards gallery in New York, which involves the work of many artists from diverse backgrounds to amplify the impact of climate change. This involves paintings, sculptures, films and so much more. HII also has a team that works on climate research as well as programs that work to support community leaders and impact stories from underrepresented voices. I had the pleasure of working with the team on the inaugural Creative Climate Awards Marseille!
The theme for the year was Inspiring Futures looking to bring positivity and solution-based creativity to climate activism. I got to participate both online and in-person in their month-long exhibition filled with class visits from local schools as well as creative and community events led by artists and local organizations. It was such a great opportunity to connect with people passionate about art and activism and learn more about ways to support the community myself.
I also got so much insight into what goes into running a gallery, which is something I am very interested in doing in the future. Being a part of the HII team, I was able to get hands on experience, helping to curate and set up the gallery, writing and formatting artists bios and descriptions, I even got to help create interactive exhibits where visitors could get inspired and share their experiences with each other and our HII team. My remote work was just as educational as what I did in person. HII had grant writing lessons and connected us to professionals who could guide us through difficult projects. Interning for HII gave me a very well-rounded set of skills that will benefit me anywhere I decide to go in the future. The experience was inspiring, and I would like to continue engaging with local organizations and finding creative solutions. Because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that every effort matters.