I’ve been busy collecting research projects on special fellowships, internships, and career opportunities that students of the Native American/Indigenous population might find interesting. This week I researched the Fors Marsh Group Indigenous Internship Program.

Fors Marsh Group (FMG) is a research and strategy firm based in Arlington, VA that offers custom processes and provides a more rigorous approach to discovering breakthroughs and solving problems. FMG “applies behavioral and data science to improve organizational processes, business solutions, and customer experiences. This work is conducted within seven core U.S. markets: health, defense, technology, finance, homeland security, policy, and consumer. As a certified B Corporation, FMG’s business practices create positive impact beyond our client portfolio, extending into the community through pro bono service to nonprofits that are aligned with FMG’s corporate values.” And they are committed to providing opportunities to students who might otherwise be marginalized.

The internship guidebook states: More importantly, Fors Marsh recognizes that our organization is firmly situated in a system that has strategically privileged and built wealth for some, while depriving others, including Indigenous peoples, of that same opportunity. As a company that sits on Indigenous lands, we have a moral and ethical obligation to repair the damage caused by 500 years of continued colonization. Our intent for the Indigenous Internship Program (IIP) is to build relationships with Indigenous institutions of higher education, provide paid opportunities for Indigenous students, and offer on-the-job learning that will set interns up for future success— whether they choose to pursue careers within their tribal communities or corporate America.

The FMG Indigenous Internship Program offers six internship tracks: Human Resources and Administration, Marketing and Communications, Project Management, Business Development, Finance and Accounting, and Information Technology.

FMG has developed a comprehensive internship experience for Native American/Indigenous students including understanding indigenous history, operating with reciprocity, and maintaining accountability. This is a remote, paid internship which requires full-time participation in the summer and part-time during the semester. Interns receive on-the-job training as well as career development and coaching. In addition, FMG provides a laptop, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

In order to qualify, students must be an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe, a current student of a college or university, and provide a letter of recommendation from an Indigenous professor, tribal elder, or ceremonial leader. The application window is open from March 1-30 each year with applicants notified of decisions by April 15 and June 1 with the anticipated start date.

You can find more information in the Indigenous Student Internship Guide. As of the time of this publication, the new guide had not yet been published. For more information, please contact Rhyannon Curry, Chief of Staff, rcurry@forsmarshgroup.com, (202) 760-0830.