Nonprofit Internships

Bringing Service to Pre-Professional Leadership

The nonprofit internship program through the Foley Community Service Center at Spring Hill College offers students an opportunity to explore service and pre-professional experiential learning within a professional service-provider environment. The internship is a prearranged, credit-bearing service experience which allows a student to achieve learning objectives which are aligned with the goals of a supervising professional in an nonprofit organization. Internships provide opportunities to develop skills in service, service, leadership, and capacity building all the while exploring career options and test career choices within a chosen field.

A Foley Community Service Center sponsored internship takes place at a nonprofit social, health or educational service that serves a marginalized population defined by poverty, disabilities, elderly status, and/or significant health needs. Foley Center internships will take place at an approved community partner as determined by the Director of the Foley Center.

The typical Foley Center sponsored internship requires 80 hours of onsite work over the course of one semester (8-10 hours a week – 1 day or split over 2 days). The interns will receive 2 credit hours. The intern has the option of completing 120 hours for 3 credits. The interns hours should be balanced among three areas of competency:

  1. Direct Service: Understanding the social context of clientele and the benefit of the services provided;

  2. Service Leadership: Recruiting or coordinating volunteers, program management, event planning, etc.

  3. Capacity Building: Contributing to organizational effectiveness through a special project; e.g., survey assessment, data management, fundraising, grant writing, marketing materials, social media, etc.

Examples of internship placements include (but are not limited to): USA Children & Women’s Hospital, The Little Learning Tree, Legal Services, South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Association, Dwell Mobile, Lifelines Counseling, Mobile Baykeepers, L’Arche Mobile, Trinity Family Ministries, and YMCA Moorer.

Eligibility

Edibility for interdisciplinary internship is determined by

  1. Completion of at least 60 earned hours, or 24 Spring Hill College earned hours if a transfer student,

  2. Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above

  3. Approval by the Director of the Foley Center.