The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce recently concluded the 10th annual Summer in the City (SITC) program, presented by Owens Corning.
This year's program was a remarkable success, engaging 215 interns from 30 different companies. The initiative, aimed at retaining and attracting talent to the Toledo Region, offered a blend of professional development and social experiences, fostering a deeper connection between young professionals and the community.
This year's program was a remarkable success, engaging 215 interns from 30 different companies. The initiative, aimed at retaining and attracting talent to the Toledo Region, offered a blend of professional development and social experiences, fostering a deeper connection between young professionals and the community.
ADPA Vibrant Kickoff and Social Series
The program kicked off with a vibrant event at the Glass City Metropark Pavilion on June 17th. The interns received a warm Toledo welcome, including delicious food from Balance Pan Asian Grille, and opportunities to engage with various organizations including EPIC Toledo, Leadership Toledo, Metroparks Toledo, Destination Toledo, Franklin Park Mall and Adventus Climbing. This event set the tone for a summer full of engagement and learning.
One of the highlights of the Social Series was the Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Game at Fifth Third Field. On June 27th, interns enjoyed classic ballpark fare while cheering on the home team from Klinger’s Korner. The evening was filled with camaraderie and fun, providing a quintessential Toledo experience.
The excitement continued with a Game Night at Flip the Table on July 10th, where participants explored over 400 board games while enjoying food and drinks. The series concluded with a scenic Maumee River Boat Cruise on The Sandpiper Boat on July 18th, offering breathtaking views of the downtown skyline and the Glass City River Wall.
Interns shared their experiences on LinkedIn, expressing gratitude and excitement for the opportunities the program provided. Here are some of their posts:
Development Series: Building Professional and Personal Skills
In addition to social activities, the SITC program offered a comprehensive Development Series. This series provided valuable opportunities for interns to enhance their personal and professional skills through sessions led by local experts.
The series began with a panel discussion on "Living as a YP in the Toledo Region" on June 19th at TOLHOUSE. Panelists included Kyle Dodd from Rudolph Libbe Group, Kristy Cranston from ADP, Shayna Duke from Principle Business Enterprises, Carlos Ruiz from The Zepf Center, and Jedah McGee from Creadio. The discussion offered insights into living and working as a young professional in the Toledo area.
Other notable sessions included "The Predictive Index" presented by Tamra Boucher from In2Great at BGSU @ Levis Commons and "The Power of Prototyping" by Adrienne Ausdenmoore at The Andersons World Headquarters. These sessions, held on June 26th and July 9th respectively, equipped interns with valuable tools for career development.
The Development Series concluded with a session on "Networking 101 & Managing Your Wellbeing" presented by Sara Swisher from the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and Vicki Liddick from UT at Welltower HQ on July 16th. This session emphasized the importance of networking and self-care in professional life.
Click to view photos from 2024’s events.
Positive Feedback and Impact
The feedback from interns was overwhelmingly positive, with 90% recommending the program to a friend or colleague and 91% encouraging their company to participate again next year. The survey results also revealed that 75% of participants felt better about living and working in the Toledo region, and 85% would recommend the area to others.
Businesses also found great value in the program. Liz from Savage and Associates shared, “We’ve participated in Summer in the City for a number of years. Our interns loved meeting and reconnecting with other interns this summer. They especially enjoyed the professional development sessions. For us at Savage, this program is very beneficial because networking and meeting new people are important parts of building a financial services practice. This program gives our interns real life experience.”
Allex from William Vaughan Company added, “This was our first year of participating in Summer in the City. Our intern’s reflection was very positive, and she met more people through the program that she was able to build relationships with. She was considering moving out of state after graduation, but now she has fallen more in love with the region through her internship and this program. We are very grateful for that!”
Media Spotlight
The program garnered significant attention, including a feature on WTVG 13abc, which highlighted its role in retaining and attracting talent to the Toledo Region. The news story underscored the program's impact on the local economy and the positive experiences of the interns, further validating the importance and success of SITC. Click to watch the full segment.
A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
The success of the 2024 Summer in the City program would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Special thanks to Owens Corning, who has presented the program for all ten years, as well as our Gold sponsors, Cenovus and The Andersons, and Silver sponsors, Rudolph Libbe Group and Welltower.
The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce extends its heartfelt gratitude to all participants, sponsors, and community partners for making this year's program a success. We look forward to continuing this tradition of connecting and developing the next generation of leaders in the Toledo region.
For more information about Summer in the City, visit: https://www.sitctoledo.com.
The program kicked off with a vibrant event at the Glass City Metropark Pavilion on June 17th. The interns received a warm Toledo welcome, including delicious food from Balance Pan Asian Grille, and opportunities to engage with various organizations including EPIC Toledo, Leadership Toledo, Metroparks Toledo, Destination Toledo, Franklin Park Mall and Adventus Climbing. This event set the tone for a summer full of engagement and learning.
One of the highlights of the Social Series was the Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Game at Fifth Third Field. On June 27th, interns enjoyed classic ballpark fare while cheering on the home team from Klinger’s Korner. The evening was filled with camaraderie and fun, providing a quintessential Toledo experience.
The excitement continued with a Game Night at Flip the Table on July 10th, where participants explored over 400 board games while enjoying food and drinks. The series concluded with a scenic Maumee River Boat Cruise on The Sandpiper Boat on July 18th, offering breathtaking views of the downtown skyline and the Glass City River Wall.
Interns shared their experiences on LinkedIn, expressing gratitude and excitement for the opportunities the program provided. Here are some of their posts:
- Madie T.: "Being a part of Summer in the City was definitely a 10/10 experience! Not only was it a learning experience, but it also gave us interns the opportunity to connect outside of the workplace and across the Toledo region. The insightful speakers that we were able to hear from were inspiring and educational, definitely broadened my perspective on various career paths."
- Joey H.: "I like how there was a balance between learning and bettering ourselves as young professionals and being able to network and learn about Toledo."
- Caroline V.: "I enjoyed meeting other people around my age who are co-oping in Toledo as well as enjoy the experiences that we got to share together."
Development Series: Building Professional and Personal Skills
In addition to social activities, the SITC program offered a comprehensive Development Series. This series provided valuable opportunities for interns to enhance their personal and professional skills through sessions led by local experts.
The series began with a panel discussion on "Living as a YP in the Toledo Region" on June 19th at TOLHOUSE. Panelists included Kyle Dodd from Rudolph Libbe Group, Kristy Cranston from ADP, Shayna Duke from Principle Business Enterprises, Carlos Ruiz from The Zepf Center, and Jedah McGee from Creadio. The discussion offered insights into living and working as a young professional in the Toledo area.
Other notable sessions included "The Predictive Index" presented by Tamra Boucher from In2Great at BGSU @ Levis Commons and "The Power of Prototyping" by Adrienne Ausdenmoore at The Andersons World Headquarters. These sessions, held on June 26th and July 9th respectively, equipped interns with valuable tools for career development.
The Development Series concluded with a session on "Networking 101 & Managing Your Wellbeing" presented by Sara Swisher from the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and Vicki Liddick from UT at Welltower HQ on July 16th. This session emphasized the importance of networking and self-care in professional life.
Click to view photos from 2024’s events.
Positive Feedback and Impact
The feedback from interns was overwhelmingly positive, with 90% recommending the program to a friend or colleague and 91% encouraging their company to participate again next year. The survey results also revealed that 75% of participants felt better about living and working in the Toledo region, and 85% would recommend the area to others.
Businesses also found great value in the program. Liz from Savage and Associates shared, “We’ve participated in Summer in the City for a number of years. Our interns loved meeting and reconnecting with other interns this summer. They especially enjoyed the professional development sessions. For us at Savage, this program is very beneficial because networking and meeting new people are important parts of building a financial services practice. This program gives our interns real life experience.”
Allex from William Vaughan Company added, “This was our first year of participating in Summer in the City. Our intern’s reflection was very positive, and she met more people through the program that she was able to build relationships with. She was considering moving out of state after graduation, but now she has fallen more in love with the region through her internship and this program. We are very grateful for that!”
Media Spotlight
The program garnered significant attention, including a feature on WTVG 13abc, which highlighted its role in retaining and attracting talent to the Toledo Region. The news story underscored the program's impact on the local economy and the positive experiences of the interns, further validating the importance and success of SITC. Click to watch the full segment.
A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
The success of the 2024 Summer in the City program would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Special thanks to Owens Corning, who has presented the program for all ten years, as well as our Gold sponsors, Cenovus and The Andersons, and Silver sponsors, Rudolph Libbe Group and Welltower.
The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce extends its heartfelt gratitude to all participants, sponsors, and community partners for making this year's program a success. We look forward to continuing this tradition of connecting and developing the next generation of leaders in the Toledo region.
For more information about Summer in the City, visit: https://www.sitctoledo.com.
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