The Edge Internship Program helps rising juniors and rising seniors at Colorado College apply their liberal arts education and skills in the corporate sector through paid summer internships which provide enriching projects and assignments with the responsibility to produce tangible outcomes.

Colorado College's unique academic model, the Block Plan, equips our highly inquisitive and motivated students to learn quickly, manage complex projects, deliver high-quality work, and provide new perspectives to organizations.

The program is enhanced by an educative application and screening process on campus, pre-internship training sessions to strengthen professional development and workplace readiness, support from alumni mentors, reflection assignments to deepen students' learning and self-discovery, and faculty mentoring to facilitate integrative learning and classroom connections.

Edge Program Overview

• The Edge Program director consults with prospective sites to understand an organization's needs, explore ways in which an Edge Program intern can add value, and identify potential projects and responsibilities.

• Beginning in October, organizations confirm their needs for a full-time, paid summer intern lasting at least 8 weeks between early June and mid-August.

• Internship sites provide details regarding the organization, position and qualifications which will be shared with students as part of Edge Program marketing.

• Rising juniors and rising seniors complete an intensive application process on campus which helps campus staff assess students' self-leadership, maturity, commitment, and overall workplace readiness.

• Edge Program candidates are referred to one or more internship opportunities and apply per employers' application processes. Employers commit to giving thoughtful consideration to CC students who apply in conjunction with a referral from the Edge Program; however, there is no expectation of guaranteeing a placement. The Edge Program director advises students and host organizations throughout this process.

• Prior to summer, Edge interns attend a series of professional development seminars on campus, and are paired with a faculty or staff mentor with whom they will complete reflection assignments throughout the summer. Students are additionally connected with alumni for advice and support during the summer.

Considerations for Prospective Internship Sites

• Do you have the capacity to host a paid intern between early June and mid-August? The Edge Program expects students to work full-time for a minimum of 8 weeks during the summer.

• What are your needs? What is the nature of the work or project(s) an intern could assist in completing at your organization? What specific knowledge, skills and abilities are essential for this work? The Edge Program director can help you determine these details and craft a position description.

• Who can serve as a supervisor and mentor in your organization (may be the same person) to work closely with the intern, provide performance feedback, and deepen the intern's understanding of the profession, organization and industry?

• What compensation can you provide to the intern? We ask for all Edge internships to be paid; however, hourly rates are determined by site hosts. For comparison, the mean hourly wage for undergraduate interns in 2019 was $19.05 according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Interested in Hosting an Edge Intern?

Please contact Brett Woodard, Director of the Edge Internship
bwoodard@coloradocollege.edu