• Be in good academic standing with UF at the beginning of the fall semester
• Have completed at least two semesters of coursework at UF by the beginning of the fall semester
• Teams of three IA students must represent at least two different majors
• Teams of 4-5 IA students must represent at least three different majors
• Be available to work approximately 10-20+ hours per week throughout the fall semester on the IA Internship Project
• Be available to attend the IA Internship Showcase at the beginning of the spring semester
• Complete the UF Career Resource Center’s Certified Gator Professional online training after acceptance

• Enroll in and earn 4 credits of IDS 4941
• Enhance leadership abilities, teamwork, and communication skills
• Be part of a diverse team and accumulate evidence of personal abilities and strengths
• Gain real world professional work experience while exploring areas of interest
• Network with local entrepreneurs, businesses, and community leaders
• Opportunities to make connections with professionals and potential employers
• Develop skills and strategies to innovatively solve social, environmental, and economic problems

Students are recommended to apply as a team, however, students who are interested in participating but do not have teammates can submit the online application and will be matched with a team of similarly-interested students.

Team Information:

• Each team will consist of 3-5 IA students, only students enrolled in the IA are eligible to participate.
• Teams of three students must be comprised of students from at least two different majors. Teams of four or five students must be comprised of students from at least three different majors.
• Teams can be comprised of students from different years (first year, second year, etc.).

Application Information:

• Students will be required to submit an online application describing why their team is ideally suited for the Internships in which they are interested.
• We recommend that students apply as a team, however, if students are interested in participating but do not have team-mates, they can submit the online application and we will help match them with a team of similarly-interested students.

Team Experience:

IA Internship Experience Teams will work with their Venture Partners on projects such as market research, developing a social media campaign, writing a business plan, public relations and brand development, helping with grant applications, planning fundraisers, creating marketing and promotional materials, developing new projects and initiatives, and many other activities depending on the needs of the partner organizations. Exact responsibilities and goals will be discussed during the first meeting between the Student Team and their Venture Partner.

Applications for Fall 2024 open TBD and close TBD.

2019 Syllabus

1. Will I receive credits?
   Students who participate in the IA Internship Program will earn 4 credits
2. What is the start date? Do students arrange this?
   Your internship officially begins when the Fall semester begins. Your actual start date will need to be worked out with your Venture Partner. Depending on their preference and availability, we hope that you will begin with your first in-person meeting with them the first week of the fall semester, so that you can submit your signed Venture Contract by the deadline in the beginning of September (the specific date is still to be determined).
3. Where should I go on the first day?
   Again, this is up to you to decide with your Venture Partner. Some teams may be expected to work in person at their VP’s site, and others may have more flexibility to work from another location (home, the library, a local coffee shop, etc.) with weekly check-in meetings (that may be in person or online using google-hangout, Skype, or a web-conferencing platform, depending on what your VP prefers). Your Venture Partner’s expectations for where you will work should be discussed at your first meeting or in your first email correspondence. We only require that your first meeting be in person and the Venture Contracts be completed at that meeting (or soon thereafter by the deadline.) There may be a rare exception where its simply not possible to meet in person with your Venture Partner.
4. Who will be my supervisor at my internship site?
   Much of this is up to your Venture Partner. In many cases the VP is the president/CEO, but in other cases the best contact is another employee who has been assigned the task of directly oversee the intern team.
5. Will I get paid?
   No. This internship has been set up to give you incredible access to some of Gainesville’s most innovative and exciting for-profit and non-profit businesses. You will be receiving 4 credits on your UF transcript for this experience and will be gaining valuable experience at places that don’t ordinarily take early undergraduate interns. Please be mindful of the fact that they are allowing you to learn with them, and they were not told to provide any financial remuneration to you, their intern team.
6. Can I ask if they can pay me?
   Please don’t. Asking for money, especially if it is not brought up by your VP, is inappropriate and unprofessional. However, if your VP brings it up themselves and is willing to pay you, that is fine, but remember you need to prove your worth before expecting anything beyond experience and exposure to the company. Often times Internships lead to paying positions in the future—but only after the internship has been successfully completed. You are receiving 4 credits on your transcript for this experience, so perhaps it helps for you to think of that as your compensation.
7. How often will we meet?
   This depends on the needs of VP. Some VP’s may expect you to work in person and others may be more flexible with working outside their site. If you’re not working on-site on a regular basis, we ask that you please check in with your VPs at least once every two weeks, in person (and more often by email/phone/skype/etc.). Again, since you are receiving 4 credits for this internship experience, it has been reiterated to your VPs that you should be working about 20+ hours per week on your internship project, depending on the needs of the project. Be sure to go over the specifics of these expectations when filling out your Venture Contract.
8. Will the internship accommodate any classes I am taking?
   We hope that most VPs will be willing to accommodate your schedule. If you have an idea of your scheduling needs, this might be a good thing to bring up (professionally and politely) at your first in-person meeting, when setting goals for what you will accomplish as well as a plan for the semester. If you have any issues, you can contact Charlie Cummings for assistance. Please note that if your classes will not allow you to spend the required 20+ hours per week on this program, you may need to consider if you have the time to make this internship the incredible experience we hope it will be. You only get back as much as you put in, and time is an important component of what you will be able to do to help your VP this Fall.
9. If all classes in fall for IA students are supposed to be online, why do we have to meet 3 times?
   Because we want to insure that this experience is absolutely outstanding, and while interacting online is great, we want to give you the added bonus of face-time with each other and with Charlie Cummings and our TA. Our in-class meetings are brief (and scheduled at times that will hopefully work well for everyone). Again, the meetings are short and are mostly to give you a chance to learn important information about how to be a superstar Intern and to speak to Charlie Cummings in person while networking with your teammates and other interns.
10. How do you determine which team and internship site I will be assigned?
    When assigning the teams, we do our best to place you with companies that we think could benefit you from your skills/experiences and with whom we think you would be a good fit, based on your responses to the questions on the application. We hope that this experience will be a positive one, for learning and growing as an IA student and as a young professional. If you do have issues, we highly encourage you to talk to Charlie Cummings or to your TA, either by email, in person, or by Google Hangout. They will both be having office hours for the fall and are happy to help in any way. We also hope that you will go into this experience with an open mind—it may not be what you expect, but we hope that you will have a valuable experience.
11. If I choose to participate, what is this internship going to do for me?
    In the tweaked words of JFK, “Ask not what this internship can do for you, but what you can do for this internship!” As mentioned earlier, the more you put into the experience, the more you will get back (often in greater quantities). As much as you are here to learn and gain insight, you are also meant to be providing massive value to the companies you are working with, and proving that you are worth more than a line on your resume, a recommendation, or a job offer—that all rests squarely on your shoulders, no one got a gold star for showing up. We have worked hard to give you the best possible opportunity to make an impact, it’s up to you to do so. As Thich Nhat Hanh said, “because you are alive, anything is possible.”