St. Edwards University (Austin,
TX)
The
HEB Community Internship Project
Summary
Building on prior community relationships, the St. Edward’s University
Career Planning Office developed a distinctive community internship program
funded by HEB, a family-owned Texas grocery company. The program links
ten internship students a year with local nonprofits.
The Practice
The HEB Community Internship Program links the university, the business
community, and local nonprofit organizations. It is one of many community-based
programs sponsored by the company. HEB provides funds ($10 per hour) to
compensate ten St. Edward’s University undergraduates who intern
at local nonprofits each year. In its first five years, the program placed
37 interns in 32 nonprofit agencies and provided more than 5,900 hours
of service.
Each fall and spring, the St. Edward’s internship coordinator requests
proposals from area nonprofits. Agencies indicate special projects for
interns; training, supervision, and evaluation methods that will be used
with the intern; and the potential community impact of the internship.
University expectations of the nonprofit are clearly articulated.
A University committee ranks applications based on academic rigor and
opportunities for students to apply theories from their major fields of
study. The ranking is forwarded to a corporate committee at HEB, which
selects the nonprofit participants.
CPEL then posts internship opportunities through its internship database
and advertises them around campus. Interested students submit a cover
letter and resume to the internship coordinator addressing their academic
achievements, leadership skills, community service, and volunteer experience,
and interest in working with a nonprofit. The CPEL director and internship
coordinator evaluate applications in consultation with faculty members,
and they interview students who meet minimum selection criteria. After
the initial interview process, candidates are interviewed by the nonprofits,
which make the final hiring decision.
Once selected for the program, each intern maintains a journal detailing
experiences and accomplishment of learning objectives; produces a mid-term
and final evaluation (as a result of meeting with the on-site supervisor);
produces a portfolio (such as business and marketing plans, press releases,
letters, and research); writes a paper linking what he or she has learned
during the internship and the theory learned in the major discipline;
meets periodically with the faculty intern supervisor for reflection seminars;
and attends an end-of-semester luncheon, hosted by HEB and St. Edward’s
University, to present a portfolio of his or her work.
Effectiveness
All program partners are realizing benefits. As part of its educational
mission, St. Edward’s actively promotes community-based experiential
learning. This practice includes the business community as a partner in
these efforts, and several businesses are considering this practice model.
Resources
Click
here for more information on the University’s internship programs.
Contact Information
David Uribe
Internship Coordinator
Office of Career Planning
St. Edward’s University
3001 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
Phone: 512-464-8870
davidu@admin.stedwards.edu
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Effective
Practices Exchange
