WATCH: ERASE Racism Talks 'Intensive' Intern Program For 5 LI Students

LONG ISLAND, NY — The organization ERASE Racism, for the first time, has selected five Long Island high school students for an internship program that started this summer.

Outgoing president Elaine Gross, a guest on "Patch AM," talks about the initiative.

"The program has an intensive portion, which is six weeks during the summer where they are engaged with us three days a week," Gross said. "All of the work during the summer is to prepare for their school year work."

Gross said it equips the students to understand structural racism and address ways to change racism in their own communities.

Given the cultural shift in the last few years, Gross said ERASE Racism her group's job has gotten more difficult.

"As we know, there have been individuals who are saying just the opposite from what we're saying. They're saying 'Don't talk about race.'"

The students who were selected for the Equity Internship Program are:

• Alli Alvarez, who lives in North Bellmore, is a senior at Mepham High School.
• Cateyann Bernhard, who lives in East Northport, is a senior at John H. Glenn
  High School.
• Serenity Bivens, who lives in Long Beach, is a junior at Long Beach High School.
• Mariah Harry, who lives in Copiague, is a senior at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School.
• Pooja Kumar, who lives in Roslyn Heights, is a senior at Herricks High School.
  

You can watch the full "Patch AM" interview with Elaine Gross below.