Paid Internships Available!!

Greetings -

There was an article in today's Chronicle of Higher Education on the donor who paid off the student debt of the 400 Morehouse graduates. I was intrigued to learn he played a key role in setting up a foundation that funds a program to help link students from underrepresented populations  in science and technology fields to paid internships. Below is a short cut and paste of information that describes the internX program. Here's a link to the article https://www.philanthropy.com/article/Billionaire-Robert-Smith/246352?utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en&cid=pm   if you would like to check it out. 

Here is a link to the program website where students interested in participating can sign up  https://internx.org/ The target group for this program is rising sophomores with at least a 2.8 GPA from ethnically underrepresented groups. 

Though my sense is that this program is still a work in progress I wanted to flag it for folks knowing that many of our students really need paid internships. Please share with students and others who you think might be interested. Thanks! KP

The Fund II Foundation, which Smith had a key role in creating, is hoping to get thousands of students involved in internX. The new program centers on an internet site where students studying science, technology, engineering, or math can connect with companies looking to ensure their interns are drawn from a diverse pool of students.

Students with at least a 2.8 grade-point average from ethnically underrepresented groups can upload their resumes on the internX site and are given a skills assessment. Fund II is in the process of putting together a system to prepare students for interviews, improve technical skills, and fine-tune their resumes.

The foundation sends text reminders to students who haven’t completed the form or to remind them about upcoming interviews. Wilson said she is putting together a team of her own interns who will work in a call center to do those same reminders on the phone.
The foundation would like to place 1,000 students this year, and 10,000 by 2020. So far, 86 companies, including AT&T and PricewaterhouseCoopers, have signed on to participate. The foundation has put $3 million toward the creation of internX. Wilson says the foundation is prepared to spend more to increase training available to participating students, and broaden the site’s reach.

Kris Pierre

Director - Career Development & Community Partnerships

(Pronouns: she/her/hers)

Division of Student Affairs

Northeastern Illinois University

5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625

Phone: (773) 442-4607
Fax (773) 442-4605

k-pierre@neiu.edu