The American Humanics Nonprofit Certificate Program is improving our internship program by a) updating our internship opportunities, b) placing opportunities online for easier access to our students, and c) assisting students in reducing educational debt by providing stipends, scholarships and compensation for work. We invite Houston area nonprofit organizations to join with us in this effort by becoming one of our "Nonprofit Partners".
If you are interested in your organization becoming a Nonprofit Partner, please click here to complete the information form. We will mail you the documents required to formally affiliate and email other forms you may complete and return electronically. Included among those forms will be an online "Nonprofit Partner Profile" for you to complete and email back to us. We will then post your opportunity on our website for American Humanics students to access when researching for their senior, capstone experience!
In addition to these administrative updates, allow us to alert you to the many exciting things that are happening in the American Humanics community.
- The David M. Underwood (DMU) Chapter, American Humanics Nonprofit Certificate Program at the University of Houston was awarded the national 2007 Program EXCELLENCE Award at the annual American Humanics Management Institute held in Washington, D.C. This honor is awarded to just one AH program each year. The winner is the program that out-performs all other 70+ campus AH programs in meeting the national standards of academic and experiential programming required for students to earn certification. This award is the culmination of 14 years of hard work on behalf of our students, alumni and local nonprofit partners.
- At the national level, American Humanics Inc. (www.humanics.org) is developing a plan to assist our students and alumni in combating rising levels of "educational debt". Educational Debt has become a crucial factor influencing college graduates' career decisions. As an entry level nonprofit employee, many graduates have debt equaling a year or more of their annual salary. (Please see our fact sheets enclosed.)
- Through a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, American Humanics, Inc. will be awarding over $5 million dollars to our "Next Generation Leaders" over the next five years in the form of internship stipends. This effort is the first in a long-term plan to assist and encourage college students in considering nonprofit careers, and to engage national and local nonprofits as partners in this goal. These competitive stipends will be given to students who exhibit outstanding leadership skills and are beginning internships to meet the requirement for AH certification. In the first year, six UH students were chosen and awarded stipends of $4,500 each to support their internships with Houston-area nonprofit organizations that provide additional compensation.
- Directly related to the Educational Debt crisis, the DMU Chapter has received a generous endowment contribution of $350,000 from Hope Center Youth & Family Services to generate internship stipends and academic scholarships for students who will carry on the work of the organization with at-risk youth.
- AH, Inc. has teamed up with AmeriCorps, a national tuition assistance program, to create ProCorps, an initiative administered by American Humanics, Inc. that places students and alumni of AH-affiliated campuses in paid nonprofit positions. Participating AH students are eligible for stipends and tuition reimbursement if their internship concentrates in either volunteer management or with at-risk youth. Nonprofit organizations apply to American Humanics, Inc. to become a host site.
The internship experience is the capstone experience of American Humanics and is the vehicle leading to employment. We hope you will read the materials enclosed, watch for the email for information about your affiliation status, and join us in making it possible for more college graduates to prepare for and choose a career in nonprofit organizations without the added burden of educational debt. Please don’t forget to return the interest form so we can update our records and include you in future communications. Thank you for all you do for the community and for our students and graduates.
Sincerely,
Margaret O'Donnell, LCSW Lori Godwin, B.S., AH Certified
Program Director Program Coordinator
With the Hope Center Endowment and student support from AH, Inc., we will be able to supplement student stipends and scholarships for years to come. We believe, and have observed, that when students are compensated for their internships, they are able to reduce hours spent in full or part-time jobs, depend less on student loans, and concentrate their time and attention on their education and internship responsibilities. They also feel and become more responsible to their employers.
What can you and your organization do?
FIRST: Offer quality internship opportunities that help your organization meet its goals and that meet our students' requirements for certification by
- becoming affiliated or renewing your affiliation with our program as an internship site. Complete the interest form and return it to us. We'll send you the Affiliation Agreement to complete and mail back to us. We will also email to you the Nonprofit Partner Profile which will describe your internship opportunity. Your opportunity will be posted on a password protected page on our website (http://www.uh.edu/humanics/) for AH students to review as they are considering possible internships for their AH requirement.
NEXT: Commit to providing compensation for internships by
- establishing an hourly pay rate (minimum wage or above) for American Humanics interns, or
- providing a stipend* per semester, or
- contributing to the University of Houston to send your intern to the national Management Institute, a requirement for certification, and
- reimbursing interns for expenses incurred on the job.
What is in it for you?
REAL WORK: AH students at the University of Houston must complete 480 hours, usually over two semesters. To be eligible for the internship, an American Humanics student must be a senior or post-baccalaureate and have completed or be enrolled in the required courses preparing them for nonprofit management.
Hosting an AH intern means you will have a well-prepared senior student at the equivalent of a part time employee for up to nine months – time enough for you to train them, give them real responsibility, and mentor them toward their first professional nonprofit position (perhaps in YOUR organization!)
DINNER FOR TWO: We want you to be there when your intern "walks across the stage" to receive their hard-earned certificate. When you host an intern and provide a form of compensation as described above, your organization will receive two tickets to the annual Recognition Dinner during May commencement week. Your organization will also be listed in the program as a participating partner.
* There is no "typical" stipend amount. Our highest paying internships offer about $10.00/hour or about $2,500.00 each semester. Your organization is not required to provide compensation to be eligible as an internship site. Providing compensation does contribute to making internships more competitive in attracting students.