Do “CCD Funded Internships” sound familiar? Maybe you’ve heard about them from a participating friend of a friend. In short, the CCD Funded Internships are a resource to support students in unpaid internships.
For too many students, the challenge is to weigh the desire to work in a fulfilling internship that makes a positive difference in the world with the need to earn money during an internship. This is where the CCD Funded Internships come in. By making it possible to receive a living allowance stipend for an unpaid internship, they open more students to the possibility of meaningful internship experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.
Funding for the CCD Funded Internships is generously provided through the Yawkey Nonprofit Internship Program, part of the Yawkey Foundations. This program supports students who pursue unpaid internships at nonprofit organizations. Over the past five years, hundreds of students have used CCD Funded Internships to engage in exciting work at great organizations – from conducting pathbreaking research in medicine and public health, to developing dance curricula with the Boston Ballet, to supporting girls and women in the developing world.
Why nonprofits? The Yawkey Program exists at the intersection of two of the Yawkey Foundations’ focus groups: undergraduate students + nonprofits. Not only do nonprofit organizations provide immense value and critical work for causes and populations in need, but their staffing and workflow structures expose interns to variety of work styles and demands.
What support do Yawkey Interns receive? The Yawkey Program provides a living allowance stipend to its participants in order to defray the cost of living during their internships. This support is intended to remove financial barriers so that students do not have to choose an internship/part-time job solely because it pays.
In addition to financial support, students receive mentorship and other career development assistance from the CCD. Your mentor will work with you and your internship supervisor to develop learning objectives and an action plan for your internship, and even check in to make sure everything’s going smoothly. At the end of your CCD Funded Internship, you’ll engage in focused reflection to make sure you take away from the experience valuable experiences and lessons you can apply in your future career development.
Many CCD Funded Interns have found that the experience of working with a nonprofit sharpened their career aspirations. Some have even changed their goals based on their time with a nonprofit organization and gone on to full-time nonprofit careers after graduation!
How can I learn more and apply? Students interested in learning more about the Yawkey program and its application requirements should visit our website or email yawkey@bu.edu with questions.
BU + Beyond 