Seven Summer Internship Funding Opportunities You Might Not Know About

Summer is a great time to think about life after Princeton, but, with the abundance of options, planning and funding a summer internship can feel overwhelming. As a Peer Career Adviser, check out my top picks for summer funding.  Each funding opportunity has their own deadlines and applications, so be sure to plan accordingly.

The SSII Fund offers financial support for unpaid social impact internships. You can apply for either a part-time "micro-internship" stipend) or a full-time internship stipend. Internship lengths are flexible (6-12 weeks) which is nice if you have other summer commitments. In the fall, you'll share your work at the Service & Social Impact Internship Showcase event hosted by the Center for Career Development. It's a great opportunity to show off your hard work and practice presenting.

The Pace Center for Civic Engagement provides a variety of funding sources for undergraduates to participate in paid summer internships or projects in hometowns or other locations, including international ones. If you complete an opportunity funded through Pace, you can regularly participate in conversations with Pace Center staff, community members, and other service-minded students. These discussions and workshops throughout the summer can help you learn about and reflect on how to enact systemic change in ways that will complement your academic and personal life.

OURSIP allows undergraduates to design research projects with the help of a faculty member. You learn what it's like to take ownership of a project. I have participated in this program and it is a unique opportunity typically reserved for graduate school or Junior or Senior Independent Work. You would also have the chance to participate in the Summer Research Colloquium, which offers weekly workshops on topics including communicating research to a general audience and navigating academia.

The Streicker International Fellows Program, established by John H. Streicker '64 in 2015, provides fully funded undergraduate internships in any part of the world outside of the U.S. Whether working in a biology lab in Beijing or learning about architecture in Europe, you can tailor your experience to both your academic and geographic interests. Summer is also a great time to immerse yourself in a different culture without committing to a semester abroad.

In the eLab Summer Accelerator, student teams develop startup ventures with the support of the Keller Center faculty, staff and successful entrepreneurs. At the end of the summer, you'll present your work to an audience of investors and other experts with the potential to secure additional funding and/or support. Through Tiger Challenge, you'll address societal issues in a hands-on, innovative way by working with a matched team and a nonprofit or government community partner.

The Lewis Center for the Arts (LCA) provides undergraduate funding for projects in creative writing, dance, theater, or visual arts. I know students who have worked on building up their portfolios for graduate school applications or written scripts for plays to be produced during the school year. You can apply to several different funds through the LCA and the Alex Adam '07 Award is open to all first-years, sophomores, and juniors, even without prior coursework experience in the arts.

The High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) provides funding for interdisciplinary and impact-driven environmental projects. You don't necessarily have to be a STEM major. During my HMEI internship after my first year, I had the opportunity to research with an Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Lab, host educational workshops for the public at a local nature preserve, and participate in an Art & Media Workshop through HMEI where I learned about environmental photography.

Some of the items in this list are part of the LENS initiative.  Learning and Education through Service (LENS) ensures that every Princeton undergraduate student has the opportunity to secure a funded service or social impact summer internship before graduation. Each funding opportunity has their own deadlines and applications. You can learn more about these on their websites and through the Learning and Education through Service (LENS) directory.