South Bend-Elkhart Region: Your Launchpad for Meaningful Internships
The South Bend-Elkhart region is a vibrant hub brimming with opportunities for young professionals seeking to gain invaluable experience through internships. A collaborative spirit permeates the region, with various organizations dedicated to providing meaningful and impactful internship experiences. From bolstering local economic development to fostering personal and professional growth, internships in South Bend-Elkhart offer a unique chance to live, work, and play while embarking on your professional journey.
The Power of Partnership: A Collaborative Ecosystem
The mission to empower talent to build stronger communities cannot be achieved alone. It takes a village to craft opportunities and build the tomorrow we envision for future generations. That is why we collaborate with local organizations who are just as passionate about providing you with ample internship opportunities. The South Bend-Elkhart region thrives on collaboration, with organizations actively partnering to cultivate young professionals and provide them with diverse internship opportunities. The South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership and the Center for Civic Innovation at Notre Dame are two examples of dedicated programs committed to providing internship opportunities that are both meaningful to young professionals and the employers that hire them. These partnerships ensure that interns have access to a wide range of experiences and resources, enhancing their overall development.
enFocus Internship: Shaping Your Vocational Journey
As a part of the enFocus internship, you will be paired with project sponsors and gain valuable professional experiences to shape next-steps of your vocational journey. The enFocus internship experience is unique and provides an opportunity for you to explore your professional interests. The 8-week, full-time summer internship offers hands-on experience, allowing you to bolster your skills and resume while supporting local economic development through organizational sponsorship.
Regional Internship Program: A Gateway to Diverse Opportunities
One organization that has been making strides to bring opportunities to young professionals is the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership. The South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership is a collaboration of the economic development partners from 47 smart connected communities in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. The South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership focuses on a long-term systemic approach to advance the region’s economy by aligning the efforts of various stakeholders and organizations across the region. The Regional Internship Program, formerly known as LIFT Internships, allows you to apply to multiple employers through one application. Students can review the job description database of employers, fill out their application, and select up to five employers to apply to at once.
As a Regional Internship Program intern, you will gain 300+ hours of paid work experience over the course of your internship. You will receive a high-quality experience and your employer will gain benefits from hosting you as an intern. Many of their current internship offerings are in STEM related fields. Interns like Paul Geiger speak to the rewards of the program. Paul elaborates that you not only make a difference in the organization you match with, but you also have the opportunity to connect with other interns through social events. In the past, they have attended events like the Plymouth Motor Speedway race and concert, South Bend Cubs games, and private tours of the Studebaker National Museum. Their partnership with Intern Summer Connect also provides professional development opportunities like community engagement panels and a financial literacy workshop. The comprehensive experience hopes to make the most of your time as an intern and help you form connections for an unforgettable summer. Alicia Einfalt, Regional Internship Manager, elaborates on the South Bend-Elkhart region's efforts in offering robust resources for students and interns over the summer months. She shares, “the Regional Internship Program provides students with a unique, holistic experience that introduces them to the hometown feeling of the South Bend-Elkhart region. Our interns are able to get valuable professional experience with one of our phenomenal partners, while also experiencing the area as a local with their peers.”
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Center for Civic Innovation (CCI): Fostering Community Engagement
Another collaborative partner that has helped cultivate young professionals in our community is the Center for Civic Innovation (CCI) at the University of Notre Dame. The CCI Internship program hires interns each summer to work both in South Bend and Elkhart, Indiana. The interns work on projects directly through the CCI and can gain experience in Data-Informed Decision Support, Health and Well-being, Safe and Affordable Housing, Urban Environmental Sustainability and Resilience, STEM+, and Broader Impacts. The connections they have with existing community partners, new community members with project ideas, civic connections with city officials, and industry partners provide an array of experiences an intern can receive based on their professional interests.
Like enFocus, the Regional Internship program, and other intern employers in the region, they participate in the South Bend Regional Chamber Intern Summer Connect program to enhance the professional development they provide to their interns. CCI also provides training in leadership, project management, design thinking, and other topics interns might find relevant as they enter the workforce. Unlike the Regional Internship program and enFocus, CCI internships are also open to interested high school students. College and high school interns come together over the course of their 8-week internship and work 30 hours a week on their projects. Early decision applications for internship applications are due January 8, 2024.
Diverse Internship Opportunities Across Industries
Beyond enFocus, the Regional Internship Program, and the CCI, the South Bend-Elkhart region offers a diverse range of internship opportunities across various industries. Throughout the region, you have access to a variety of internship opportunities available through local healthcare systems, manufactures, educational institutions, and other organizations dedicated to change. This wide array of options allows students to explore different career paths and gain experience in their fields of interest.
Maximizing Your Internship Experience
Internships are a great way to gain job experience, develop professional networks and put your coursework into action!
Here are some ways to find an internship:
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- Contact a Faculty Internship Coordinator
- Consult the Community Partner Directory
- Contact the Career Services Office
If you are completing an internship for college credit, please complete a Learning Agreement Form in addition to registering for the internship course and talking with your internship site supervisor. IU South Bend Intern Learning Agreement Form. You can also apply for funding if you intern at a non-profit organization. This is a competitive program.
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