Why Campus Cleveland?
Campus Cleveland helps build a strong pipeline of engaged leaders who will be anchored and invested in Cleveland long-term by highlighting Cleveland’s urban core renaissance and providing an eye-opening view of the city’s vast opportunities for young professionals.
Connecting college students and interns to Cleveland for good
Campus Cleveland is a leadership development and community immersion experience for college students (undergrad or graduate), interns, and law students spending the summer in Cleveland. Programming runs through the Civic Leadership Summit and the Summer Associate Leadership Summit, both anchored by candid, personal conversations with CLC alumni about their career and community journeys, plus a lineup of partner events across the city. Together, these experiences help participants build invaluable professional connections while discovering the projects shaping Cleveland’s future.
Click on the accordions below to learn more about the Summits and Partner Events.
- Civic Leadership Summit
📆 Thursday, June 17, 2027
🕗 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
💵 $300 per intern/student (early-bird pricing through March 5)The Civic Leadership Summit is a full day experience where college students learn how to:
- Better understand what kind of leader they are and strive to become.
- Learn when and how to take risks to achieve professional, personal and leadership goals.
- Acquire tools to better communicate and demonstrate their value to employers and beyond.
- Grow their confidence in taking the initiative and stepping out of their comfort zones.
- Discover what professional qualities and characteristics employers want in the talent they hire.
- Better connect with and meet new college students and established professionals.
- Experience what it’s like to live, work, and play in Cleveland as a young professional.
Program Highlights
Leadership Training & Assessment
Students complete a personal assessment designed to illuminate their personal values, strengths, and leadership styles, increasing their self-awareness to make them more effective professionals from day one.Skill-Building Breakout Sessions
Students participate in workshops that strengthen the skills that carry into any career: professional presence and personal branding, confident communication and public speaking, navigating feedback and disagreement, and working across different styles and generations.Lunch with Leaders
Students engage in candid conversations will CLC board members and alumni who will share how they built their own paths in Cleveland and offer students insight into how they can play a role in building a Greater Cleveland.Behind-the-Scenes Community Tours
Students step inside the organizations and places helping shape Cleveland’s identity, growth, and future. Through guided site visits and conversations with community leaders, they see firsthand how these institutions operate, the role they play in the region, and the challenges and opportunities they encounter along the way.Beyond the Summit
End-of-Summer Social
Students connect with Cleveland’s top leaders and develop connections within the civic and business community that help them establish roots in our region. - SUMMER ASSOCIATE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
📆 Friday, June 4, 2027
🕗 8:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
📍Cleveland Metro Bar Association
(1375 E 9th ST, STE 2, Cleveland, OH 44114)
💵 $200 per personIn today’s legal landscape, law firms and legal departments need attorneys who can lead, build authentic relationships, and understand the broader business and civic environment. The Campus Cleveland Summer Associate Civic Leadership Summit equips law students with practical leadership skills, access to C-suite perspectives, and meaningful peer networks that will enhance their long-term effectiveness. Grounded in Cleveland, the experience will also deepen their connection to the community, fostering more engaged, informed, and impactful professionals.
Program Highlights
Leadership Training & Assessment
Law students complete a personal assessment designed to illuminate their personal values, strengths, and leadership styles, increasing their self-awareness to make them more effective professionals from day one.Skill-Building Fireside Chats
Participants will engage in candid conversations with seasoned leaders, creating opportunities to strengthen skills that separate good lawyers from great ones, including: effective communication, intentional relationship-building, time management, navigating workplace dynamics, work-life integration and more.Exclusive C-Suite Access
Through both curated conversations and a networking lunch, law students will meet CEOs and C-suite executives, the same decision-makers who may one day become their clients. Executives will share how they built both their careers and their organizations, while also describing what they look for when engaging legal counsel.Beyond the Summit
End-of-Summer Social
Law students connect with Cleveland’s top legal and business leaders at a social designed to reinforce why building a career here is worth it, making your offer much more compelling. - Partner Events
Cleveland Leadership Center is proud to be a Partner of the Cleveland Talent Alliance, a regional collaboration to attract and retain talent and strengthen Greater Cleveland’s competitiveness. As part of this effort, Campus Cleveland connects college students with Partner events and opportunities that help them discover Cleveland as a place to live, work, and build a future, including:
Summer in the Land
A free welcome party for all Cleveland area interns at Progressive Field. Hosted by the Cleveland Talent Alliance.Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) Mixer
A can’t-miss opportunity for students and professionals to network, get headshots, and enjoy workshops in an iconic setting
CollegeFest
Students connect with employers, discover career opportunities, meet other students from across the region, and explore all that Greater Cleveland has to offer!Engage! Cleveland Young Professionals Week
A series of more than 25 events hosted morning, afternoons, evenings, and weekends. Hosted by Engage! Cleveland
Are you interested in learning more about being part of Campus Cleveland or know someone who would make a great candidate? Complete the referral form to indicate your interest or to refer someone.
The CC difference
Campus Cleveland is a gamechanger for any college student looking to amp up their professional and personal skills, while also learning why Cleveland is one of the best places in the nation to work, live, and play.
Here’s what some of the 2026 participants shared:
“This was a great experience overall! Being able to connect with other interns from the area and well-known professionals was an incredible opportunity I am very grateful for, and I look forward to sharing my experience with others.”
“This experience allowed me to meet and engage with peers who have similar goals and experiences as me which is very valuable and inspiring.”
To learn more about CC, email Maya Smith or call (216) 659-1289.
