Office of Student Success | Colin Powell School
Office of Student Success | Colin Powell School
The Colin Powell School Career Fellows program amplifies public service internship opportunities and works with sites to develop and offer full-time experiences as well as “micro-internships” for short, specific projects and administrative support you need that will also train students in key professional skillsets.
We make it simple.
Internships can start at any time; they are not tied to the school calendar and the schedule is negotiated between the site and the student. There are no minimum or maximum number of hours. Additionally, there is no MOU or contract required, and no tax implications for the site.
What defines an internship? In addition to project responsibilities, the organization provides a dedicated Site Supervisor who sets and tracks learning goals that allow students to gain entry-level exposure. Thus, under these criteria, organizations may also post qualifying volunteer opportunities.
We do believe it is important and equitable for students to be compensated for their contributions. We also understand that it can be challenging for organizations to pay a stipend for internships. Internships with targeted training (along with course credit offered by the Colin Powell School), while currently unpaid, will provide students with invaluable hands-on experience to prepare them to be “career-ready” by graduation. Thanks to a generous grant, unpaid internships are eligible for a stipend of $18/hour for up to 300 hours.
More than 150 organizations from all sectors engage in the program annually, rating the program experience and student participation an average of 4.7 out of 5.
Through your internship, your organization makes an investment in the future leadership of New York City and beyond.
You are warmly welcome to post an internship using the Internships Announcement Form.
If your internship program operates on a cohort model with start/end dates, you can indicate that in the posting. You have the option to post a website link or attach an internship description.
When it is approved (usually within a day or two), the internship announcement is immediately visible in our Public Service Paid Internships Database to all students and promoted in our eight Fellowship programs, which include a summer internship component.
The internship description can be paused once the seat is filled for a term, and can easily be reactivated for the following term just by letting us know, so no need to fill out another form or send in a new one unless something changes.
Sites are eligible to host up to five interns at one time.
Hybrid and in-person internships are preferred given that these provide all-important experiential learning; however, remote is acceptable as well.
When a student identifies your opportunity as one they wish to apply for, our Career Coaches work with them to prepare a resume and an introductory email. The student and the site are connected via email, and the next step is for the site to set up an interview date. If you would like a cover letter, writing sample, or other written materials as part of the application, you may request them in response to the connection email.
During the interview, student and site will negotiate the schedule, hours, learning goals, and responsibilities.
Student will then complete an internship commitment form, which triggers an automated email to go to the person they identify as the Site Supervisor to confirm the internship.
When both forms are received, student and site will receive a final confirmation email.
We ask that you designate a staff member to oversee the student’s work and ensure that the experience is a learning opportunity. For most of our students, these internships are one of their first professional development experiences. They may require a bit of extra guidance to understand the systems and processes of your workplace. Like any internship, a successful engagement will require thorough onboarding, clear expectations, regular check-ins and both periodic and cumulative evaluations. We seek to partner with organizations that include deliberate learning objectives and professionalization practice.
Students and sites report on the number of hours completed, progress on projects, and skills growth through surveys at the midpoint and endpoint of the internship.
During the course of internship, students meet with the Office of Student Success staff periodically for training and progress updates. We will be in touch should any questions arise; likewise, please do not hesitate to reach out if your experience with our students or the partnership is anything less than optimal.
Upon successful completion of the internship, you will be asked if you would like to host another intern, adjust your internship announcement, or pause/delete the posting. Thank you for your partnership1
The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership is home to CCNY’s social science division, as well as the core leadership development and public service programs of City College. Majors include Anthropology, Economics & Business, Gender Studies, International Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Women’s Studies. Our mission is to diversify the professions and train new leaders.
Any undergraduate social science major with 30+ credits is eligible to apply for an internship. There are no restrictions or limitations based on status, age, or previous experience.
Colin Powell School Students are bright, curious, and interested in pursuing challenges; they have diverse identities across race, ethnicity, age, gender, and sexual orientation and come from varied socioeconomic, educational, work, geographic, and political backgrounds.
Of the 4,000 students we welcome on campus each year, more than 50% are immigrants from 100+ countries, speaking 90+ languages. More than 70% are the first in their families to attend college, and more than 80% are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Many students have retail and service work experience, bringing strong relational communication skills and a high level of energy and excitement. Since for many an internship at your organization will be their very first professional step, our students offer a “fresh-eye” perspective that will benefit their internship projects and your organizational culture.
The Career Fellows program is designed with the intention to give students who have never had an internship before, or an equivalent professional experience, the opportunity to gain experiences which will enable them to pursue even more rigorous and rewarding opportunities.
The Colin Powell School majors are:
Let's meet and build a mutually beneficial partnership!
2023 Exemplary Models Award
This award recognizes outstanding examples of leadership that demonstrate creative solutions to common problems in higher education.
The American Association of University Administrators is a non-profit professional organization for higher education leaders and administrative personnel.
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