Internships

A primary way that the L.A. Term makes a positive, long-term impact in the host community is through the internship program. All students participate in a weekly 12-hour internship with community “partner” organizations. Here, they come into relationship with the pains and predicaments, as well as the hopes and struggles, experienced by many local residents. Students choose from more than 30 different community organizations sponsoring projects related to economic development, community health, urban education, environmental justice, and immigration, among others.

Students receive a list of pre-screened internships before the semester, with contact information and websites. During the first week of the L.A. Term, students set up at least two interviews with community organizations. Students interview the following week, and begin the internship during the second week of classes. The internship lasts for the duration of the program. After securing the placement, students meet with their internship supervisor to formulate a plan of service, or learning contract that will meet both the agency’s current needs and the students’ interests. Throughout the semester, both community partners and program participants become teachers and learners, beneficiaries and contributors. Together they form mutually beneficial service relationships directed toward improving the quality of local life. The partnering organizations benefit by gaining access to the time and talents of undergraduate students for their community-building efforts. Program participants benefit through the opportunity to transform abstract concepts (related to issues like poverty and school failure) into real lives with real faces within real communities.