Project Accelerate Connects Girls with Meaningful Career Experiences

For many young people, choosing a career can feel overwhelming without opportunities to see different professions in action. That’s why Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas’ Project Accelerate program connects participants with meaningful summer internships that provide hands-on experience, professional mentorship, and a firsthand look at today’s workplace.

2026 Internship Partners Across North Texas

This summer, girls completed internships with organizations across North Texas, exploring careers in public health, healthcare, engineering, architecture, law, marketing, education, information technology, cybersecurity, animal care, and business operations. Each placement allowed participants to build workplace skills while discovering new possibilities for their futures.

Our 2026 internship partners included:

• City of Grand Prairie Public Health and Environmental Quality Department
• UWorld
• Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas
• CMVC (Compu-Med Vocational Careers)
• Avert Network Services
• Parker University
• Dallas Zoo
• R/C Family Lawyers
• Dallas Public Library – Polk Wisdom Branch
• Dallas Public Library – Martin Luther King Jr. Branch
• HKS
• Henderson Engineers

From Public Health to Cybersecurity: Exploring Career Pathways

Interns supported a wide variety of projects, from assisting with public health initiatives and front-office healthcare operations to learning about architecture, engineering, legal services, marketing, library science, and cybersecurity. These experiences helped participants develop communication, teamwork, professionalism, and problem-solving skills while working alongside mentors who shared their knowledge and career journeys.

Intern and Employer Success Stories

For Itzel Rocha, her internship at CMVC made a lasting impression. Reflecting on the experience, she shared, “I very much enjoyed my internship, and I am very grateful for the opportunity. My experience working with CMVC was absolutely the best. The staff were amazing and very welcoming. I was able to practice my communication skills, learn administrative procedures, and gain new experiences every day. My experience working with CMVC was truly a blessing, and I’m grateful for the opportunity I had through Operation EmpowHER with Girls Inc.”

The impact was equally evident to employers.

Maureen Akpaka of R/C Family Lawyers shared, “Mailyn has been outstanding! She picks up things so quickly and has contributed great input. She went from sending emails and taking client calls to drafting legal court documents, with my supervision of course, in one summer! I watched her confidence soar. She started off a bit timid but by the end of the summer, she was speaking up in team meetings and zealously talking about client stories and court room antics! Mailyn will make an amazing attorney, advocate, and professional in any arena she chooses and I cant wait to see where life takes her. I will always be in her corner.”

At Avert Network Services, CEO Thai Truong emphasized the importance of creating pathways into technology careers for young women: “We enjoyed seeing Adebimpe’s interest in technology and giving her a real-world look into the IT and cybersecurity industry. The technology industry needs more women bringing their perspectives and talents into the field, and we hope this experience encourages her to continue exploring opportunities in IT and cybersecurity.”

Employers Invest in the Next Generation of Women Leaders

These internships represent more than a summer job. They provide girls with the confidence to pursue ambitious goals, the opportunity to build professional networks, and the experience to see themselves thriving in careers where women continue to be underrepresented.

Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas is deeply grateful to every organization, mentor, and supervisor who invested their time and expertise in this year’s interns. Together, we are helping girls build the skills, confidence, and connections needed to create bright futures.