The Portland Internship Experience connects undergraduate UO students with a select group of Portland-based small businesses, nonprofits, and community and educational organizations. Students will receive a $5,000 philanthropically funded stipend from the UO, which will support their participation in an unpaid internship in the Portland area during summer 2023.
The program focuses on social justice, community building, racial equity, and economic recovery. Building on the success of last year’s program, we will be able to serve more students this year. Over fifty internship sites have been selected with a wide range of focus areas such as communication, business, public policy, education, and more.
Interested students must apply by February 10. In early March, students selected to advance to the next stage of the program will be invited to apply to individual internship sites and offered support with writing cover letters and resumes. The internship sites will then decide which students to interview and offer their position to a chosen student. Thus, not every student accepted into the program is guaranteed an internship.
The students who accept internships will work up to 40 hours per week for 10 weeks between late June and early September. Students will identify career competencies that they want to focus on during their internship and be supported in achieving those goals. Students will also receive an orientation, as well as professional development and support services from the university and will have the chance to participate in social gatherings and events with other students in the program this summer.
Key goals of the program are to remove barriers and provide access and support for organizations that may not have the budget for a paid intern and students who would greatly benefit from a professional opportunity but need funding support.
Students can learn more about the program in many ways:
- The Portland Internship Experience website includes an FAQ section.
- We are hosting a booth at the UO Winter Career & Internship Expo in the EMU ballroom on February 2 from 12 to 4 p.m.
- Virtual info sessions are scheduled for:
