Unity Foundation’s Commitment to Knowledge Transfer

One strong tenet of open culture is the concept of contributing to the community  -- further sharing when you build on someone's previous efforts, and sharing back lessons learned or bugs found with people who worked on things before you. At Unity Foundation, we take a similar approach to knowledge transfer in general. We are firm believers that increased flow of information and knowledge can increase access to opportunities for more people. We have been committed to teaching open computing to professionals for decades, but our interest in knowledge transfer is far deeper and wider than technology. We know that life experiences build character and competency as much as theoretical learning, and we are committed to providing opportunities for experiential learning for others, incorporating open culture, principles, and tools whenever possible.

Creating Opportunities for Future Changemakers

In the summer of 2025, Unity Foundation welcomed an intern from STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley High School in Ferguson, MO. A rising senior, Reyonna Wesson had a keen interest in pursuing a teaching degree and career after high school, and Unity’s focus on Pre-K-12 education was an interesting opportunity for her to combine her STEAM Academy experience while learning more about the Pre-K-12 teaching and learning ecosystem. 

Over the course of eight weeks, Reyonna researched Pre-K-12 STEAM opportunities in St Louis, she shadowed and assisted other teens at summer camp sessions using open tools, and she attended several teacher training sessions on open culture and open tools that can be leveraged in the classroom, where she made meaningful connections that will help inform her future studies and job opportunities.

Proudly Supporting the St. Louis Internship Program

The St. Louis Internship Program (SLIP) is a St. Louis institution with more than 30 years of experience serving St. Louis youth and the wider community. As part of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St Louis’ Career & Workforce Readiness Unit, the program provides intensive employability training and year-round college and career planning, in addition to matching eligible students with paid summer internships. Far more than just an eight-week internship, SLIP is a dedicated commitment and investment by students in their futures. Participants undergo a rigorous application process and, if accepted, gain access to career and workforce readiness support, including everything from resume and interview preparation to communications and soft skills guidance, that helps them articulate and reach their personal, educational, and professional goals. 

Unity Foundation is grateful to Reyonna for spending so much of her summer with us, especially while juggling some of the many major milestones of high school like driver’s tests and ACT studies. It is our hope that we provided Reyonna with some useful experience, information, and connections to help her continue to forge a path towards her dreams. 

For any St. Louis organizations thinking about hosting a SLIP intern, we cannot more highly recommend that you do. Not only will SLIP interns contribute to your missions and bring new perspectives to your work, but it is also a great way to invest in the St Louis community, providing paid internship opportunities that support the current livelihoods and future employability of local youth. Particularly for small organizations like Unity Foundation, where we don’t have the size or systems in place to offer the kind of wrap-around services that SLIP offers, it was a great way to host a summer intern and still know she had the full and ongoing support of the SLIP team and program alongside it. You can find more information in the link above and here.