Welcome to part one of episode seven of Brain Drain, a Midstory podcast that explores the city of Toledo through the eyes of the people who’ve left it behind. In this episode, we bring back the Midstory interns for a special conversation about what makes a city like Toledo worth living in and fighting for.
Midstory’s ThinkLab programs bring students from around the world to explore and tell stories about Toledo and the Midwest with a creative and critical eye to reimagine and reinvent what this region can be. You’ve heard from a number of them throughout this series, and in this episode we bring them all together to hear from them once again as young people who are part of the brain drain story in Toledo.
In the last eight years, Midstory has brought over 200 bright, young people from across the nation to Toledo, Ohio, through our internship and fellowship programs. They’re from the Harvards and the Princetons, the Northwesterns and the UCLAs. Some of them grew up here, some of them had never stepped foot in the Midwest — let alone Toledo. They’re smart. They’re visionary. They’re exactly the kind of young talent Toledo can’t keep.
They spent a summer imagining what a Toledo that included them might look like — and comparing that to the city that was in front of them. As you can imagine, their impressions didn’t always line up with the perspectives of proud Toledoans. They may only stay in the city for two months or a year — and their experiences may be limited — but maybe it’s the right time to hear what they have to say about our city. Because, whether you agree or not, their perspective is something we can learn from.
Welcome to the first part of the season finale of Brain Drain. In this episode, we bring the Midstory interns back into play to talk about what would make a city like Toledo worth living in and fighting for.
Learn more about Midstory’s interns and fellows, where they come from and their impressions of Toledo in the gallery below.
You Will Do Better In Toledo
Midstory’s ThinkLab Programs
Midstory’s ThinkLab Programs
Since 2019, over 250 interns and fellows have participated in Midstory’s ThinkLab Program, with many of them spending their summer in Toledo, Ohio.
51% are from hometowns outside the Midwest and 52% attended school outside the Midwest.
Universities Represented
Universities Represented
Midstory’s interns and fellows come from 46 universities and 10 high schools.
75% come from the top 50 ranked universities in the U.S.
Hometowns
Hometowns
These interns and fellows come from across the world, representing 166 hometowns spanning 30 U.S. states and 10 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, England, Germany, Greece, India, Latvia, Mongolia and South Korea.
Academic Background
Academic Background
Midstory’s college interns alone represent over 70 disciplines, with popular majors including journalism, history, english, public policy, creative writing, mathematics and computer science.
Storytelling for the Region
Storytelling for the Region
Our interns and fellows have contributed over 88,000 hours towards storytelling for Toledo and the Midwest.
Over $250,000 in scholarships and university funding have been invested in supporting these students to reimagine and reinvent our region’s future.
Impression of Toledo and the Midwest
Impression of Toledo and the Midwest
At the end of their internship program, college interns were surveyed about how working with Midstory shaped their impression of Toledo and the Midwest.
93% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the internship had improved their impression of Toledo, and 98% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that it had improved their impression of the Midwest.
You Will Do Better In Toledo
Midstory’s ThinkLab Programs
Midstory’s ThinkLab Programs
Since 2019, over 250 interns and fellows have participated in Midstory’s ThinkLab Program, with many of them spending their summer in Toledo, Ohio.
51% are from hometowns outside the Midwest and 52% attended school outside the Midwest.
Universities Represented
Universities Represented
Midstory’s interns and fellows come from 46 universities and 10 high schools.
75% come from the top 50 ranked universities in the U.S.
Hometowns
Hometowns
These interns and fellows come from across the world, representing 166 hometowns spanning 30 U.S. states and 10 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, England, Germany, Greece, India, Latvia, Mongolia and South Korea.
Academic Background
Academic Background
Midstory’s college interns alone represent over 70 disciplines, with popular majors including journalism, history, english, public policy, creative writing, mathematics and computer science.
Storytelling for the Region
Storytelling for the Region
Our interns and fellows have contributed over 88,000 hours towards storytelling for Toledo and the Midwest.
Over $250,000 in scholarships and university funding have been invested in supporting these students to reimagine and reinvent our region’s future.
Impression of Toledo and the Midwest
Impression of Toledo and the Midwest
At the end of their internship program, college interns were surveyed about how working with Midstory shaped their impression of Toledo and the Midwest.
93% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the internship had improved their impression of Toledo, and 98% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that it had improved their impression of the Midwest.
Stay tuned for more deep dives in our following episode.
