Public Service Center Grants

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Paul and Priscilla Gray
Value-Added Internships

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Announcements

  • The deadline to apply for IAP internships is noon on Friday, October 23rd!
  • Applications for semester-time internships can be submitted at any time

The Paul and Priscilla Gray Value-Added Internships are intended to help MIT students develop capacity-building service projects while working as interns within community organizations such as non-profits, government offices, international aid agencies, schools, and grassroots groups. Interns may also work within for-profit businesses if the business is using a social-entrepreneurship model to address the needs of an under-served community.

Sometimes, organizations take on interns to assist them with their general operations. In these circumstances, we expect interns to also explore and develop personal projects that make good use of their skills and knowledge to add value to the organization and/or the community they are serving. In other cases, organizations ask interns to help them develop their operations, expand their services, or assess their effectiveness. Projects of this type are a great fit for the Value-Added Internships program!

Community partners often suggest projects or challenges to us that could become Value-Added Internships. In the next few weeks we will begin posting all these projects on a special “opportunities” page on the PSC website – check back soon! For examples of some community organizations that have internships programs you could apply to, click here

MIT students can request support and funding for Value-Added Internships over the summer, IAP, or during the semester. Learn more about funding and program requirements, timeline, and selection criteria. Access application materials.

Applicants can propose internships tackling any issue faced by underserved communities around the world. (If you are planning an international internship, check the MIT travel policy and travel warnings at http://informit.mit.edu/epr/3.0travel.html)

Before applying for support from the PSC, you will need to secure an internship position with a service organization. Your community partner must understand that you have a commitment to use your skills, experience, and passions to contribute more to their work by developing a capacity-building project during the course of your internship. You will need to submit a letter of commitment from your community partner as part of your application.