Inclusive Internship Project Partners With Be Well Madison

Madison, Wis. (February 7, 2022) - Undergraduate students at Edgewood College have the opportunity to both serve the community, and gain enriched learning experiences through the Inclusive Internship Project. This program helps support student interns for the work they do at unpaid internships. 

Since Fall 2019, the Inclusive Internship Project has partnered with nearly 80 non-profit organizations throughout the Dane County area. One example is Be Well Madison, an organization that aims to help underserved people in the community to gain access to resources that improve health and wellness.

“From the very start of launching Be Well Madison, Edgewood College, through its Inclusive Internship Program, has been an open and supportive partner,” said Jamie Pekarek Krohn, Director of Be Well Madison. “This program has provided us with 5 (soon to be 6!) amazing students who came on board with a combination of intelligence, compassion and curiosity that have helped bring our mission to life.”

Over 110 students have benefited from this program. Thanks to the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation’s gift, this program is able to provide stipends, up to $2,500, to undergraduate students while participating in internships.

“Students who have interned at Be Well Madison have described their experiences as supportive, motivating, inspiring, and enriching, among many other definitions,” said Richelle Kasten, Inclusive Internship Project Coordinator. “Jamie and her team have worked with Edgewood College interns from multiple academic backgrounds, and regardless of their area of study, has supported interns through important hands-on work by providing individualized experiences and a snapshot into the inner workings of non-profit organizations.”

Because of this program and the stipend, students have been able to take a break from part-time jobs and are able to focus more on their internships experience; many students have been hired after graduation by the organization at which they interned through this program.

Organizations also benefit because they are able to have an extra set of hands on the job to complete programs/projects, to bring in fresh ideas and perspectives, and to start new initiatives they otherwise would not have had the time for without the help of an intern. 

###

_{Jamie Pekarek Krohn, Director of Be Well Madison                                Richelle Kasten, Inclusive Internship Project Coordinator}