SEI Impact Internship Program - Call for 2014 Student Applications

Introduction

The Social Economy Initiative (SEI) is an important vehicle through which McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management integrates social entrepreneurship and social innovation into its teaching, research and outreach activities. The SEI is an undertaking of the Marcel Desautels Institute for Integrated Management (MDIIM). The Institute’s mandate is to foster an integrated approach to management.

The goals of the SEI are threefold:

• Teaching: to prepare a dynamic workforce to lead and serve organizations within the social economy by providing a world-class education.
• Research: to conduct leading-edge research into the social economy for the purpose of actionable knowledge.
• Outreach: to provide catalyzing experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom for our students by engaging with individuals and organizations active in the social economy.

What is an Impact Internship?

A high-quality internship is a carefully monitored work or service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what she or he is learning throughout the experience. Internships promote academic, career and/or personal development and are a proven way for students to gain relevant knowledge, skills and experience while establishing important connections their field of interest. They also greatly increase the chances that a student will gain full-time employment after graduation. An “Impact Internship” does all of the aforementioned, with one notable exception: the work contributes to social impact and positive social change.

About the SEI Impact Internship Program

The SEI Impact Internship Program (SEI IIP) is a high-quality, carefully monitored internship program in which a group of exceptional students are selected through a competitive process to apply what they have learned in the classroom to professional settings and projects within the social economy. Students are expected to take on meaningful and challenging tasks throughout their internship. Their mandate should utilize skills and knowledge developed during their studies and is not intended to be clerical in nature.

The objectives of the Impact Internship Program are to:

• Help students gain relevant knowledge, skills and experience while establishing important connections within their field of interest;
• Enhance the capacity of our partner organizations to deliver on their respective missions, thereby increasing their social impact;
• Provide paid internships to students, thereby diminishing the risk of forfeiting an opportunity to work in the social economy as a result of financial pressure(s); and
• Forge new relationships and deepen existing ties between Desautels/McGill and the community

“My internship affirmed my decision to pursue a career within the social economy.” – Amy, 2013 SEI Impact Intern, Center for Social Innovation

“During this internship, I learned many things about the social economy and even more about myself.” – Sean, 2013 SEI Impact Intern, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

“This was a unique opportunity: I got an insider’s perspective on what matters most when planning for the long-term viability and sustainability of a non-profit organization.” – Julian, 2013 SEI Impact Intern, Jeanne Sauvé Foundation

Application deadline: March 2, 2014

To apply, please click here. 

Questions about the program? Contact the MDIIM Project Coordinator at ariane.guay-jadah [at] mcgill.ca.