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Your Internship, Your Community.

For nearly a decade, College for Social Innovation has specialized in internships in the social impact sector.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

  • Internships work best when you have a dedicated, caring mentor

  • Internships work best when you have a unique, meaningful project

  • Internships work best when they are tied to your academic or professional interests

We use all that learning to build internships that serve you and serve your community.

Here’s how it works:

When you apply to our program, we learn about you: your academic background, your interests, and your passions.

  • We then reach out to our network of social impact organizations (including nonprofits, government agencies and social mission businesses) to see which of them has a project that might be interesting to you

  • Working with that organization, we identify a mentor there who can guide you and define the projects you’ll work on and skills you’ll build

  • We let you and your mentor meet to confirm the match

  • We continue to support you and your mentor throughout the semester with updates, check-ins, and feedback

A pie chart showing the distribution of work percentages: 50% General Capacity Building Work, 40% Special Project, 10% PD/Observation.

Special Projects

Our internships are designed to deliver projects that are meaningful to you, and to your organization.

  • You will have a Special Project, covering about 40% of your hours in the program, that you will help define and then deliver on over the course of the semester

  • Check out some example poster projects students have done at internship sites in our Boston-based Semester in the City program below:

Flyer promoting Leading Cities' cyber security startup competition and the AcceliGOV pilot projects in Blacksands, with photos of groups of people holding awards and certificates.
Infographic for FamilyAid Boston showing the organization's mission, what they do, and key statistics, including their focus areas and links for donations.
Flyer for Victory Programs promoting recovery, hope, and community engagement through urban farming, meal support, and volunteer opportunities, featuring illustrations of hands holding a plant, a plate with utensils, and a person practicing yoga.
An announcement poster for the Boston Half Marathon event on April 16, 2020 at Boston Common, 6:30 PM, organized by 826 Boston, a nonprofit supporting underprivileged students in storytelling and communication skills, with registration details at the
Flyer for financial education classes hosted by The Neighborhood Developers. The flyer features text, a notebook with a red pen, and writing utensils on a green background.
A poster for the GroundTruth Project with a green and white color scheme. It emphasizes their mission to restore journalism in America by supporting young journalists through field reporting. The poster includes statistics on reporters served over ti
Infographic for Union Capital Boston showcasing community engagement, employment gains, and partnership organizations with photos of people participating in community events.
Poster titled 'Center to Support Immigrant Organizing' with images of immigrant community gatherings, a globe logo, description of the organization's mission and goals, and a call for donations.
Graphic about climate resilience hubs, showing a building with a decal that includes icons for weather safety, health, and community, with descriptions and requirements for creating public climate resilience hubs.
A promotional flyer for Green City Growers highlighting community gardening, local food production, and environmental sustainability initiatives. It features images of a person harvesting vegetables, fresh tomatoes in baskets, and green cityscape gar
Flyer for the Cambridge Women's Center with text about services, support, and contact information, including a quote about homeless experiences.
Flyer for St. Stephen's Youth Programs featuring a microphone icon, details for an event called 'Comedy for a Cause' with 'Don't Tell Comedy,' scheduled for April 30 at 6 PM at Boston Design Center, and a purple logo with a person reaching for a star
Poster titled "Boston Uncornered" discussing youth involvement in gangs, shootings, and social impact in Boston. Features a black and white photo of a young man wearing glasses and a checkered shirt, standing in profile. Contains statistics, core com

Internship Structure

Throughout the semester, students work with an organization that aligns with their passions and career goals, allowing them to engage in hands-on work that makes a tangible difference.

Fellow's receive extensive support through dedicated mentoring, reflective activities, and a weekly seminar designed to enhance their learning experience and
make a difference in their community.

A chart showing the percentage of time spent on different types of work, including professional development, special projects, and general tasks, with weekly hours and total hours for each, summing up to approximately 30 hours per week and 400 hours overall.

For any questions, please contact Kate LaVigne at kate.lavigne@collegeforsocialinnovation.org