As successful entrepreneurs with a wealth of experience in the talent acquisition and career transition services industry, Miguel and Monica Mancebo have always had a heart to give back to the community. Their particular interest was in lending a helping hand to the younger generation. Aware of the lack of opportunities for young people in the New York metropolitan area whose backgrounds might not allow them to consider careers in business, Mancebos developed a plan to link deserving high school students from ethnically diverse and disadvantaged circumstances with the corporate world.

                                                                                                                              

In 1997, the Mancebos began working with the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education to select students from public high schools for an opportunity to get a feel for corporate America. Within months, the Manecebos  received over 2,000 applications, which were carefully evaluated by a committee of corporate leaders to select three talented students. Over the next several weeks, these students were introduced to both entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Some of the first corporate site visits were to Avon, Chase, and Time Warner Cable. From this point on, the Selective Corporate Internship Program (SCIP) was formed.

 

The original group of three interns in the organization’s inaugural year has grown to become a class of 30 or more students every year. Mentors provide interns with motivation and guidance to help them develop a strong work ethic and the skills necessary to take advantage of future opportunities. SCIP’s programs have also expanded over the years. In addition to its seven-week Executive Leadership Program in the summer for underprivileged high school students, SCIP now also offers yearlong programs for those students that builds on the summer sessions.

 

A program for college students, was launched 2 years ago, CSCIP (College Selective Corporate Internship Program). This new program helps college students from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit from the CSCIP workshops as they prepare to launch their workplace careers.

 

Additionally, the SCIP Alumni program allows graduates the opportunity to network and continue to utilize SCIP’s resources.

 

The success of the leadership training programs that the Mancebos’ have developed for underserved high school and college and graduate students would not have been possible without the financial support and personal involvement of their corporate sponsors, many from the Fortune 500 sector.  

 

In 1998, SCIP was officially classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, allowing the program to accept contributions made by private companies and individuals that were interested in assisting the program’s endeavors. Among SCIP’s most influential corporate sponsors are JPMorgan & Chase Co., New York Life, Ernst & Young, and The New York Times. The relationships that SCIP enjoys with corporations like these are mutually beneficial. Students learn valuable workplace skills, and that contributes to a stronger applicant pool for corporations.

 

The Mancebos’ visionary ideas nearly two decades ago have been realized with programs at SCIP that embody their mission to “Enlighten, Employ, and Empower” underprivileged students for successful business careers.