Back by popular demand, the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships has announced the return of the Statewide Internship Program, offering UVM students a chance to explore rural communities in Vermont, while engaging in resilience efforts supporting the state. The program will return for a second year to the Northeast Kingdom, and expand into the White River Valley, where they will focus on community school efforts. The program offers competitive compensation, with students earning $18 per hour for 20 hours a week, along with free housing provided for the duration of the program.
“We’re trying to make these internships accessible to all students,” says Kristen Andrews, Internship Outreach and Engagement Professional at the Leahy Institute. “The positions have decent pay, and housing covered. There’s a cohort of students, all working in one area, sharing transportation and other support, and there’s opportunity to come together once a week to share experiences and get help from the career center; that all helps when you come to a new community that you’re completely unfamiliar with.”
The program has grown significantly since its first year. Students would commute from Burlington to Washington County, sometimes only working remotely, which impacted connection with the local community. Last year, the program provided housing on the Sterling College in Craftsbury, allowing students to immerse themselves in community resilience efforts without taking away housing from other residents.
This year, with the assistance of the College of Education and Social Services, the program expands into the White River Valley. These internships were designed specifically to align with the Catamount Community Schools Collaborative, part of a national effort to integrate community resources – and community members – into local schools and have them function more as community centers. “They are happening all over the country,” says Andrews. “In Bethel, they have a vibrant community school program connected to a lot of organizations that really could use help. All of the White River Valley offerings are with organizations directly benefitting the community schools program.”
Arguably the most critical piece to the program’s success is the fully funded housing provided to students. Interns will reside at the Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, and at Vermont State University in Randolph.
“We don’t want to take housing away from anyone, we live in a state where housing is a serious problem,” says Andrews. “By going to Vermont State College and Sterling College, they have student housing available in the summer, so it’s helpful that we rent these dorms, we’re building relationships with them.”
The program is looking for students who possess a “spirit of adventure” and an eagerness to work alongside local Vermonters to support rural communities in the state.
