Applications are closed for 2020 Summer Whitman Internship Grant

Overview

The Whitman Internship Grant provides funding for students who submit strong applications to participate in unpaid internship experiences at both for-profit and non-profit organizations. 

Legal Criteria for Unpaid Internships

Please ensure that any unpaid opportunity passes the Fair Labor Standards Act test for an internship before proceeding. 

For Employers/Organizations

Handshake logoIf you would like to host a Whitman Internship Grant recipient, post your internship opening to Handshake, an online job board used by Whitman students. This document contains suggestions for information that an internship posting might include.

Please note that a student must secure their internship with you before applying for the grant. We encourage organizations to post their openings for summer internships as early as January so that students can apply to the first dealine (if their grant proposal is rejected, a student can revise their application and submit to the second and final deadline). Finally, a note that there is generally a limit of two Whitman Internship Grant interns per organization at one time (during a given semester or summer). You are welcome to host as many Whitman interns as you like, but the Grant can only fund a maximum of two students. 

Linda King Brewer Internship Endowment

The Linda King Brewer Internship Endowment provides grant support for unpaid internships relating to students' studies or future career plans.  The Student Engagement Center chooses recipients for this endowment as a part of the Whitman Internship Grant program.

First Generation Internship & Career Endowment 

The First Generation Internship and Career Opportunity Endowment provides funding for first-generation students entering into their junior or senior year to partake in summer internships-with a preference for internships relating to finance, investment management or law. This endowment also may include funding for additional expenses for travel, housing, and business attire. The Student Engagement Center chooses recipients for this endowment as a part of the Whitman Internship Grant program. 

First years, sophomores, and juniors (and seniors who will complete courses in December) can apply for the Summer Internship Grant, which provides $3000 for students to participate in unpaid summer internship experiences that last the majority of the summer.  Students are expected to contribute significantly to the organization and must have secured the internship prior to applying for funding. Additional funding is available for students of high financial need and Pell-eligible students.

This is a competitive program; each application will be reviewed primarily on the merit of the internship and the value of the experience in the context of the student’s academic or career goals.

The 2020 Whitman Summer Internship Grant applications are closed. 

Note: In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Whitman College is working to address the many ways students access programming and learning through our campus and our community. Therefore, in the college’s best efforts to keep our students and community members safe (please see Whitman’s new Social Distancing and Wellness resource page here) any college sponsored activities and programmings moving forward must be aligned with public health/social distancing best practices. 

As we work to align the Whitman Internship Grant with the college's policies, we are asking that applicants submit an addendum to the application addressing the following question: “Can this internship be carried out with all appropriate public health and social distancing practices required? Please explain. (200 words max.)”

For questions, clarification, or alternative applications, contact Mitzy Rodriguez at rodrigmy@whitman.edu. 

Through a competitive process, we can award stipends of $5000 for internships outside of the US. Students applying for an international grant must be available March 12th and/or 13th for interviews. Additional funding is available for students of high financial need and Pell-eligible students. 

This program targets older students with demonstrated experience or existing relationships with organizations or individuals outside of the United States.

Whitman students' safety and security are of foremost importance, and the application process is designed to minimize foreseeable risks associated with the internship.

In addition, consistent with this focus on students' safety and security, the internships will be more likely to be successful if the organizations, businesses or government agencies chosen:

  1. Are established and financially secure and have websites that instill confidence in the reader, AND
  2. Have a connection to Whitman (via a member of Governing Board, staff, or faculty, or alumni or parent)

Applicants must be in good academic and conduct standing before they can be approved. 

The 2020 Summer Whitman Internship Grant is closed.

For an alternative application, contact Mitzy Rodriguez at rodrigmy@whitman.edu. 

The Whitman Internship Grant can provide funding for students to participate in unpaid internship experiences at for-profit, non-profit, and governmental organizations in Walla Walla during the Fall and Spring semesters. 

Possible examples of local organizations include: Blue Mountain Action Council, Friends of Children, Planned Parenthood, Red Cross, Trilogy, the YMCA, and the YWCA. To explore more possibilities, check out Handshake "WIG eligible" labled internships. Click here to view a list of local organizations by industry. 

In order to apply, you must secure an unpaid internship first.

The FINAL deadline for the 2019-20 Spring Whitman Internship Grant Application is Sunday, December 15, 2019. 

Applications are now closed.

Please note: you will still need to print out the instructional packet. The online Google Form Whitman Internship Grant Application is linked in the document. You will have the chance to upload completed and signed documents within the Google Form. 

If you are an international student interested in applying (re: not a domestic U.S. student), click here. 

Please read through the informational packets carefully. If you have any questions regarding the application, to request an alternative application or internship eligibility contact Mitzy Rodriguez at rodrigmy@whitman.edu or contact your Student Career Advisors, Malia Brooks and/or Emma Saas to make an appointment.