Creating a Quality Internship

Elements of a strong internship program should include:

• Provide compensation or credit: If you are deciding between paid and unpaid internships, it is important to know if the US Labor Standards Act applies to your organization.
• Communicate expectations: Identify specific goals and objectives for the intern to accomplish. Provide structure for an intern with a balance between “big” projects and daily tasks.
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and teaching: Assign a supervisor who will familiarize him or herself with the organization, communicate clearly, and provide assignments. 
• Assign challenging, meaningful work: Provide learning opportunities for an intern to use analytical skills and reflection to apply new ideas gained from experience to their classroom learning.
• Involve interns in networking and professional development opportunities: Encourage interns to be part of the team, participating in team-building or social activities. Provide networking opportunities for interns to interact with other staff and interns.
• Provide housing, meals, or transportation, if possible.

For questions on internships, please contact Tyson Tate.