Greater Good Internship Fund

SCHOLARSHIP DESCRIPTION 

The objective of the Greater Good Internship Fund is to provide O’Neill students the opportunity for career exploration and to gain practical work experience by funding unpaid summer internships in the non-profit, public, or private sectors.

• Scholarship for students who secure unpaid summer internships in the non-profit, public, or private sector
• Internships must be a minimum of six weeks or 120 hours
• The program will award up to 25 scholarships of $1,200 each (posted to the student’s bursar account)
• Students will be selected through an application and committee review process

ELIGIBILITY

• Full time O’Neill undergraduate or graduate students in good academic standing
• Candidates must have a graduation date on or after December 2021
• If an internship begins before summer or extends past summer, a student is eligible to apply for the GGIF as long as the internship includes at least 6 weeks during the summer

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Completed applications must be submitted via e-mail to the O’Neill Career Hub (careerhb@indiana.edu) no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, April 16, 2021

• Candidates will be notified if they received a GGIF award via e-mail by the award announcement date
• Please submit a complete application packet containing all of the following documents:
  • Completed application form
  • Current resume
  • Personal essay (max 600 words) explaining how this internship will enrich your career exploration, practical experience, professional development, and enhance your academic studies
  • Copy of the internship job description
  • Copy of the internship offer letter from the employer
• In addition, a letter of recommendation from an IU faculty member is required – it may be e-mailed from his/her IU e-mail address to careerhb@indiana.edu. We prefer that letters of recommendation come from O’Neill faculty members, but letters of recommendation from any IU faculty member will be accepted with application.

SELECTION PROCESS

• A committee comprised of O’Neill staff, faculty, and administration will make the selections
• Awards are based on these criteria: personal essay (50%), faculty recommendation (25%), and resume (25%)

NOTE:  Applicants are encouraged to make an appointment with an O’Neill Career Hub advisor to review your documents and ensure you are competitive for the GGIF.

STEPS FOR APPLYING

1. Secure an unpaid internship with a non-profit or public sector organization
2. Complete and submit a packet of all the following documents:
   1. Application form
   2. Current resume
   3. Copy of internship job description
   4. Copy of the internship offer letter from the employer
   5. Personal essay (600 word max – include your name and date at the top of the page)
   6. send via e-mail to: careerhb@indiana.edu by 5:00pm on Friday April 16, 2021
3. Obtain a letter of recommendation from one IU faculty member-this may be e-mailed from the faculty
   member’s IU e-mail address to careerhb@indiana.edu. Recommendation must be received by the April 16, 2021 deadline.

NOTE: Applying for the GGIF is separate from the O’Neill internship approval process. If you are also using this internship to meet the O’Neill degree requirement, submit an internship approval request through O’NeillCareers.

TIPS FOR WRITING THE PERSONAL ESSAY

Explain in detail why this internship is important to you:

1. How it will enrich your career exploration
2. What practical experience it will provide
3. Why it will contribute to your professional development/career goals
4. How it will enhance your academic studies
5. Demonstrate good writing skills-correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar; express thoughts in a clear and organized way

TIPS FOR OBTAINING A FACULTY RECOMMENDATION

Request the recommendation from an O’Neill faculty member who knows you well and can address how you demonstrate some or all of these attributes:

• When asking for a recommendation via email, write “Request for Recommendation” on the subject line
• Explain what you are applying for (O’Neill Career Hub Greater Good Internship Fund) and why
• Provide the faculty member with a copy of your resume and internship job description
• Don’t wait until close to the deadline to request a recommendation, give the faculty member as much notice as possible – 2 weeks is typical
• Be sure to write a follow-up note or e-mail to the faculty member thanking him/her for helping you