Career Center Internship Funding Program

Internships offer the practical engagement so critical to developing self-awareness, career-field knowledge, confidence, and skills--a critical combination for students making important decisions about their future pursuits.

The Internship Funding Program aims to reduce the financial challenges associated with participating in a wide range of low-paying or unpaid internships, thereby achieving the following objectives:

• Facilitating student participation in experiential career exploration and
• Expanding the diversity of internship opportunities in which Duke students participate
  

Through the generosity of corporate, individual, and class donors, we are able to offer grants ranging from $600 to $2,500 for students who accept unpaid or low-paying internships.

Application Deadline:    March 1, 2009

Award notification:          April 1, 2009
Award distribution:         April 30, 2009

Information Sessions (Choose One - Required*):

Wednesday, February 4, 12:30 - 1:30pM (106 Page)
Thursday, February 12, 12:00 - 1:00pm (201 Flowers)
Wednesday, February 18, 4:00 - 5:00pm (201 Flowers)

*Please contact Leslie Calihman Alabi (leslie.alabi@duke.edu) if your schedule cannot accommodate one of these meetings.

Student Eligibility:

To be eligible for a Duke Career Center Internship Funding Program award, applicants must:

1. Be enrolled as a rising sophomore, junior, or senior at Duke University;
2. Be pursuing funding for an internship(s) that meets the criteria for eligible internships listed below; AND
3. Submit a completed application (see details below) to the Career Center on or before the application deadline.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE SECURED AN INTERNSHIP IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR FUNDING.

Eligible Internships:

1. Provide experiential learning with at least 240 supervised hours during the summer (equivalent to 6 weeks at 40 hours per week);
2. Provide supervision from a professional in the organization who agrees to:

• Uphold the program guidelines above and
• Submit a report to the Career Center at the conclusion of the internship;
  

3. Are unpaid or funded at less than $1,000 (gross pay);
4. Will be completed by August 21, 2009;
5. Provide an opportunity for intellectual growth, thus enhancing skills developed through a Duke education; to develop knowledge and skills specific to a career or setting; to explore career options and understanding career pathways; and to acquire professional skills (e.g., communication, coping with ambiguity, teamwork, time management, interpersonal skills, goal setting);
6. Address the applicant's specific learning goals as relate to enhancing academic skills/knowledge, furthering career exploration/development, and advancing self-knowledge; and
7. If applying for a service internship, offer an opportunity to contribute to an identified community service goal.
APPLICANTS MAY APPLY FOR CONSIDERATION OF UP TO 3 QUALIFYING INTERNSHIPS.

Experiences that DO NOT QUALIFY for an award:

• Volunteer programs that require a fee
• Programs that require students to raise funds that are pooled (e.g., telemarketing, phone-banking)
• Non-credit courses or training programs without a significant experiential learning component

Application Process:

Applicants must complete a two-part application process:

1) Submit a complete application package, detailed in the Internship Funding Program's "job" listing in Duke eRecruiting (search for Internship Funding under Employer Search and click on Jobs).

TIP: Visit eRecruiting early -- the application process entails a number of components!

2) Submit an online application form at:
http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/d/?p=b8vq

NOTE: In order to submit application materials in eRecruiting, applicants must have obtained interactive access to that site.
More information

Selection Process:

Applications will be evaluated by a committee of Career Center counselors, Duke faculty and other Duke administrators. Evaluation will be based upon how well an eligible student's internship experience would meet the above internship eligibility criteria and advance the objectives of the program along with how well the student demonstrates an understanding of the link between her/his goals and the opportunities afforded by the internship(s) in question.

Awards Available (listed by designation):

Unrestricted (support unpaid internships in any field)
Service Funds (support internships in service/non-profit sector)
Health Service Funds
Durham Service Funds (support service internships in Durham)