The Hostos External Internships Program (HEIP) aims to support unpaid internships from well-respected organizations that will help our students develop new skills and build professional competencies that will prepare them to succeed in today’s workforce. These internships not only increase their chances of landing a job in their area of interest right out of college, but also to increase their starting salaries. These opportunities are seldom available to community college students, and low-income students cannot afford to take part in unpaid internships, regardless of how prestigious the firms offering them are. HEIP is intended to be a corrective to this inequity. The participating organizations will continue to run their programs the same way they do, but Hostos will assist our students in taking advantage of important networking and work experiences by providing students the funding that allows them to accept those important unpaid internships and at the same time meet their family obligations. By participating in this program for six to eight weeks over the summer, students will receive a stipend and gain valuable work experience that will make a difference in their career trajectory.
Goals:
- Increase students’ access to career development opportunities through community-based internships with organizations that provide real-world work experience.
- Increase Hostos’ community engagement by establishing and developing new partnerships with community-based organizations.
- Support (unpaid) internships to students at well-respected community organizations by providing a stipend to compensate for loss of revenue during the internship, and transportation assistance to offset travel/commuting costs.
During summer 2022, Hostos supported five students’ participation in an external internship with community-based organizations including After-School All Stars NY, Argus Community, Inc., Every Day is a Miracle, Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, and Part of the Solution. Students gained valuable work experience working for non-profit organizations that address critical community needs including health education, food insecurity, legal assistance, and youth development.
Applications will be available in January 2024 for organizations and students interested in participating.
Hostos External Internship Survey - Students interested in participating in an external internship should complete this online survey to provide feedback on the type of internship experience you are seeking.
Program Contact: Dr. Sofia Oviedo, Research Programs Director, (718) 518-4309, soviedo@hostos.cuny.edu