Statewide Summer Internships

Creating high quality internship opportunities for UVM students that boost the resilience and economic strength of Vermont's rural communities

Applications are now open for Summer 2025 internships

Summer 2025 Overview

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In summer 2025, the Leahy Institute, with support from the Ford Foundation, will send interns to help strengthen communities in two regions of Vermont.

Students in both locations will have FREE housing for the 10-week internships. 

Northeast Kingdom:  Picking up from the success of our 2024 cohort, students will return to the Northeast Kingdom. The interns will once again have free housing at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, and will work at internships throughout the region.

White River Valley:  Students in this cohort will be based in Bethel, and will work in a variety of internships in the White River Valley. Students will have free housing at Vermont State University in Randolph.

*See below for information about each cohort, and to apply for the positions*  

Goals of the Internship Program

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To develop and support cohorts of UVM interns working in Vermont communities by
  • Paying interns a livable wage;
  • Coordinating and supporting local housing for interns ;
  • Facilitating cultural competence training for students working in rural communities; 
  • Bringing UVM student skills and talent to rural Vermont.
To support rural employers by addressing common barriers to hosting interns   
  • Offer internship program development and management resources; 
  • Provide wage subsidy for interns;
  • Co-facilitate reflection and professional development workshops for the interns;  
  • Introduce UVM students to a vibrant rural economy.

Northeast Kingdom Opportunities

Overview

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As a follow-up to the successful 2024 NEK Community Resilience Summer Internship program, The Leahy Institute will fund housing at Sterling College for up to 12 Summer 2025 NEK interns. 

Travis Reynolds, UVM Community Development and Applied Economics faculty member, will serve as an ongoing participant in the program. Community members and intern hosts will work with Travis to plan and present a pre-service orientation and weekly intern cohort gatherings throughout the summer. 

 Kristen Andrews, UVM Internship Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at the Career Center and the Leahy Institute, will support employers throughout the process as they develop intern job descriptions, post the positions, choose candidates, host their interns, and provide feedback.   

  Leahy Institute staff will provide assistance in identifying and applying for grants to cover intern wages.  

Summer, 2025 Northeast Kingdom Intern Opportunities below:

Local Food and Farmers Market Communications Intern

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Host: Center for an Agricultural Economy/Hardwick Farmer's Market 

Summary: Maintain our new website, help to build & create content for our social media channels, and be present at all farmers markets throughout the course of the internship to help with various tasks, projects, and data collection efforts. 

Apply for this internship on Handshake

Community School Summer Intern - Hazen Union School

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Host: Orleans SW Supervisory Union 

Summary: Play a key role in planning and executing summer programming for students, engaging in community organizing, and fostering relationships with local partners to deepen and sustain our work.  

Apply for this internship on Handshake

Community Garden Food Security Intern - Glover Equity

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Host: Glover Equity 

Summary:  Work with volunteers to plan, cultivate and promote community garden space designed to support local food security. 

Apply for this internship on Handshake

Camp Counselor - Rural Arts Collaborative

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Host: Rural Arts Collaborative  

Summary: Shape the culture of a group of campers and to be THE PERSON that kids fondly remember when they think about their summer camp experience.

Apply for this position on Handshake

Summer Camp Activity Expert - Rural Arts Collaborative

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Host: Rural Arts Collaborative  

Summary: Do you love working with kids? Do you have a special set of skills that you would like to teach children in grades 1 - 7 this summer? The nature-based, creative enrichment summer camp, WonderKids Summer Enrichment, wants you to join our team! 

Apply for this position on Handshake

Camp Health & Safety Coordinator - Rural Arts Collaborative

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Host: Rural Arts Collaborative  

Summary: Ensure that all appropriate safety precautions are taken and that children’s health and safety needs are met during the Summer Enrichment Program.  Stocks, manages, and staffs the First Aid station. 

Apply for this position on Handshake

Camp Administrative Site Coordinator - Rural Arts Collaborative

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Host: Rural Arts Collaborative  

Summary: Collaborate with, delegate to, and lead Behavioral, Health and Safety, and Enrichment Site Coordinators, Counselors, and Jr Counselors to ensure the program runs smoothly and all safety and reporting requirements are met. 

Apply for this position on Handshake

Summer Camp Enrichment Coordinator - Rural Arts Collaborative

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Host: Rural Arts Collaborative  

Summary: On-site point person responsible for all aspects of the summer camp enrichment program. Delegates tasks to the Experts, Counselors, and Jr. Counselors to ensure smooth operations.   

Apply for this position on Handshake

Rural News Reporter - Hardwick Gazette

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Host: Hardwick Gazette  

Summary: Provide coverage of government, school and community meetings, along with some arts and educational activities as well as in-depth reporting on areas in the Gazette’s primary coverage area.

Apply for this position on Handshake

Journalism Intern - Barton Chronicle

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Host: Barton Chronicle  

Summary:  Gather accurate information about special events, interview people to confirm stories, write on a deadline, work with the editor and productions staff team to refine and improve draft copy, take photographs to go with stories. 

Apply for this position on Handshake

Early Childhood Farm to School Intern

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Host: 4 Seasons of Early Learning Childcare Center   

Summary:  Preparation and implementation of hands-on, farm-to-school educational opportunities for preschoolers, including the development of a new preschool farm-to-school curriculum, garden planning and maintenance and, daily care and assistance with educational activities for children ages 2 - 5 years.  

Apply for this position on Handshake

Rural VT People’s Agroecology School Intern

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Host: People’s Agroecology School

Summary:  The intern will support three main activities within the People’s Agroecology School of VT, including a series of farm-based work brigades, the 2025 Short Course in People’s Agroecology, and the pilot season of the Food Sovereignty Growers’ Project.  

Apply for this position on Handshake

White River Valley Opportunities

Overview

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As a follow-up to the successful 2024 NEK Community Resilience Summer Internship program, The Leahy Institute will fund housing at Sterling College for up to 12 Summer 2025 NEK interns. 

Travis Reynolds, UVM Community Development and Applied Economics faculty member, will serve as an ongoing participant in the program. Community members and intern hosts will work with Travis to plan and present a pre-service orientation and weekly intern cohort gatherings throughout the summer. 

 Kristen Andrews, UVM Internship Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at the Career Center and the Leahy Institute, will support employers throughout the process as they develop intern job descriptions, post the positions, choose candidates, host their interns, and provide feedback.   

  Leahy Institute staff will provide assistance in identifying and applying for grants to cover intern wages.  

Summer, 2025 Northeast Kingdom Intern Opportunities below:

Child Nutrition Intern - White River Valley schools

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Host: White River Valley Supervisory Union 

Summary: Work to support the community's mission ensuring that all children have access to nutritious food, fostering their physical and cognitive development, and promoting their overall well-being.  

Apply for this internship on Handshake

Community Trail Work Intern - White River Valley schools

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Host: White River Valley Supervisory Union 

Summary: Assist with final implementation steps of the Bethel Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) grant.  Primary focus will be on Bethel School Forest and Bethel Woods/Athletic Fields Multi Use Trail System tasks.  

Apply for this internship on Handshake

Makerspace Intern - White River Valley schools

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Host: White River Valley Supervisory Union 

Summary: Create "How to Guides" for our equipment including 3D printers, Laser Engraver, Sewing Machines, and Vinyl cutter & press based on models from other maker spaces. Develop and teach Maker Space trainings based on workshop models gleaned from Generator.   

Apply for this internship on Handshake

Communications and Outreach / Data Intern - White River Valley schools

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Host: White River Valley Supervisory Union 

Summary:  Work to help the school system better tell its "story" by  helping to publish a school newsletter. Work on a data integration project to help support teaching and learning across 10 towns and schools.  

Apply for this internship on Handshake

One Planet Summer School Camp Intern - White River Valley schools

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Host: White River Valley Supervisory Union 

Summary:  The Enrichment Program Leader is responsible for designing and implementing high quality enrichment programming to campers. Programming will be based around a weekly theme chosen by Director and Site Coordinator. 

Apply for this internship on Handshake.

One Planet Summer Camp Teaching Intern - White River Valley schools

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Host: White River Valley Supervisory Union 

Summary:  Assist in the execution of enrichment programs with academic, physical, and/or enrichment focus for elementary school aged children. 

Apply for this internship on Handshake.

Journalism Intern - White River Valley Herald

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Host: White River Valley Herald 

Summary:  Learn about composition of news stories, get a look inside local government, conduct interviews throughout rural central Vermont. 

Apply for this internship on Handshake.

Farm to School Intern - Vital Communities

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Host: Vital Communities 

Summary:  Work within the Upper Valley Farm to School Network to bring together educators, farmers, and community members to build and maintain farm to school efforts in the classrooms, cafeterias, and communities of our region.

Apply for this internship on Handshake.

Agroforestry and Garden Intern - Regeneration Corps

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Host: Regeneration Corps 

Summary:  Work under our Nursery and Project Manager to assist with maintenance of our nurseries, our Food Justice Garden, where we grow and distribute annual vegetables to local food shelves as well as helping to maintain some of our community food forest sites. 

Apply for this internship on Handshake.

Library Communications Intern - Bethel Public Library

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Host: Bethel Public Library

Summary:  Create a website that serves a community based non-profit organization. Work with a team of library staff/trustees to prioritize goals for the summer. Research free/low cost cataloging programs that would service the needs of a small rural library. 

Apply for this internship on Handshake

Public Health and Educational Equity Intern - Bethel Health Center

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Host: Bethel Health Center 

Summary:  Support the Health Center to improve school attendance and the link to health through data collection and analysis,  communications, and data sharing and coordination of care. 

Apply for this position on Handshake.

Community Solutions Design Intern - Bethel Strong

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Host: Bethel Strong

Summary: The Community Solutions Design Intern will focus on understanding community needs and designing effective systems or creative solutions in areas like communications, public spaces and events, volunteer recruitment, access to information, accessibility, and community development, and building community connections and partnerships. 

Apply for this position on Handshake

Summer interns in Northeast Kingdom

Putting Community First: UVM Summer Interns Live and Learn in the NEK

Read about the experiences of the students who worked in the Northeast Kingdom in Summer 2024.

Read the story
two interns and mentor

Interns respond to trying times in the summer of 2023

In Summer 2023, UVM interns in the central Vermont Pilot Project helped central Vermont businesses during a summer that featured heavy rains and flooding in the region.

Read the story