Somewhere in America right now, a Black teenager is spending longer in solitary confinement than a white kid who did the same thing. A facility is overcrowded past capacity. A youth who never got a home visit is heading back to the same circumstances that landed them there.

CIYJ has the data to prove it — 20+ years of surveys, incident reports, and outcome measures from juvenile facilities across the country — and they need people who can turn that evidence into something decision-makers can’t ignore.

In this externship, students use Flourish and Canva to transform that research into dynamic, public-facing visuals built for the audiences who actually hold power: state legislators, facility directors, and funders. The work lands directly in CIYJ’s advocacy publications and policy presentations — not a portfolio piece that sits in a drawer, but something that could genuinely move the needle on how this country treats incarcerated kids.

Project Output

Design and deliver professional data visualizations using Flourish and Canva Magic Studio that translate CIYJ’s juvenile justice research into advocacy-ready materials. Your work will be used directly in CIYJ’s policy presentations and publications to influence state legislators, facility directors, and funders.

Get Started with Onboarding Today Before Live Sessions Begin

Join this 6-week Externship with the Center for Improving Youth Justice to turn real juvenile justice data into powerful visuals that drive policy change!

What past Externs have to say

Erik Schalk
"Extern played a crucial role in bridging the gap between my formal business education & real-world application. The opportunity to present actionable recommendations to the Head of Customer Insights at Beats by Dre was invaluable, propelling my leadership journey and paving the way for my current role at Rolls-Royce.”

Now a Project Lead
at Rolls-Royce

Tori Nguyen
"I credit the Externship as the sole reason I was hired to intern at AT&T. I had never heard of the AT&T internship program and would never have applied to it if I hadn’t gone through the Externship. It allowed me to develop my skills, showcase my work and ultimately stand out so I was awarded the opportunity to interview the CEO of AT&T!"

Became an intern
at AT&T

Richard Wilson
"The Externship is a great way to introduce students to what it is like to work on a project. I became a lot more data-focused and analytical in my approach. As an industrial engineering major, people questioned how the externship was related to my studies. My journey has shown me that you don’t have to be limited by your major."

Now a Technical
Program Manager at Meta

Maisa Mirza
“During my venture capital externship, I learned how to use industry-standard metrics and tools like SQL and Tableau to determine startup success potential. This opportunity helped me stand out as a candidate and opened new doors for me - including offers from EY and Accenture."

Now an Analyst
at Accenture

Garrett Boyce
“If I hadn’t done a VC externship during term time, I know I’d be spending hours watching YouTube videos just to understand which careers I might enjoy! I don’t think I fully understood the value of an externship till I actually did one and now I want to argue that externships should be a part of the college experience for every student."

Now an Analyst at Boston Consulting Group

Diego Juarez
“My Externship really changed my career trajectory. As students, we often chase after Fortune 500 work experiences, but the intimate experience of getting to work with a startup can actually really help you learn a lot and level up what you can bring to the table. My cohort even had the opportunity to speak with the founder of Crafted Capital and learn from his firsthand experience."

Now a CLDP Analyst at
JP Morgan Chase & Co

Skills You'll Gain

  • Data Storytelling: Turning raw data into meaningful, actionable narratives.
  • Flourish Integration: Building interactive dashboards and dynamic visuals.
  • AI-Powered Design: Using Canva’s Magic Studio and other AI tools to accelerate creativity.
  • Business Communication: Designing templates for enterprise, nonprofit, and education audiences.
  • Design Thinking: Crafting user-centered solutions for real-world challenges.
  • Template Architecture: Creating reusable templates for global teams and organizations.

Your Schedule

6 weeks

About Center for Improving Youth Justice

Meet Your Host

Brendan Donahue

Data and Technology Director Brendan Donahue is the Data and Technology Director at the Center for Improving Youth Justice, where he leads digital innovation to advance juvenile justice reform. Since joining CIYJ in 2006, Brendan has served as the project manager for new initiatives supporting the Performance-based Standards program for juvenile residential facilities.

He has designed and deployed interactive survey kiosks that collect real-time feedback from youth, staff, and families, and led the development of a web application providing researchers and universities with access to one of the most comprehensive datasets on juvenile justice facilities in the country. Most recently, he developed the Reentry Roadmap mobile app to support young people transitioning back into their communities.

Get Started Today

Join this 6-week Externship with the Center for Improving Youth Justice to turn real juvenile justice data into powerful visuals that drive policy change!