IOC Menino Fellow to Work in National League of Cities in Washington, DC

The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce Sana Johnson (Boston University Class of 2017) as the first National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Johnson is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. Through this Fellowship, Johnson will spend the fall semester paired with a faculty member in an on-campus Directed Study program. She will spend the 2016 spring semester in Boston University’s (BU) Washington DC study abroad program, where she will take classes and participate in a paid internship in the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families.

Through her Directed Study and her internship with the NLC, Johnson plans to research juvenile justice reform, particularly the experiences of young women of color in the juvenile justice system. Johnson will investigate how cities implement gender responsive strategies, what role the federal government plays in those efforts, and how those strategies address the unique hardships experienced by young women of color.

Johnson is an experienced advocate, having recently completed a semester-long internship with Mina’s List, a nonprofit that strengthens the voice and representation of women in national governments around the world. In this role, Johnson helped organize a listening session in Dubai with Afghan women parliamentarians.

On campus, Johnson is a Student Ambassador at the Center for Career Development and Educational Research Center where she regularly plans and leads workshops that assist BU students in developing their professional skills. Johnson is also an active participant in both the Umoja Black Student Union and the Sister’s United Black Women’s Association, and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

The National League of Cities Menino Fellowship is a joint effort by the Initiative on Cities and the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families. It is named in honor of IOC Co-Founder and former Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino. Mayor Menino was dedicated to serving the youngest members of urban populations and in 2000, he helped found the Institute for Youth, Education and Families. The NLC Menino Fellowship upholds that commitment.