Host Organizations
The Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation at Grove City College provides a unique opportunity for nonprofits, startups, and small businesses in the Western Pennsylvania area to receive much needed help without the financial burden of hiring traditional interns or employees by placing highly driven students at internships with local organizations. Students are paid by (and employees of) the Center for E+I during their internship, meaning there is no cost to the host organization! Host Organizations determine their areas of need, and E+I Fellows are placed at the organization to help in those areas. The number of E+I Fellows placed will depend on the size of the Host Organization.
Special consideration will be given to nonprofit and commercial entities that are deemed to have a positive impact on the local region through social innovation or economic opportunity. A limited number of host organizations will be selected to participate in the program.
For an organization to receive consideration for acceptance as a host for the E+I Fellows program, they must be located within two hours of Pittsburgh, PA. Due to restrictions related to insurance, hybrid or in-person formats can only visit one work site.
How it Works
Submit application
E+I selects Host Organizations cohort
Conduct E+I Fellows interviews
Select candidate(s) and create project description and plan
Attend orientation meeting for project kick off
E+I Fellows is funded by a grant from The Richard King Mellon Foundation and an anonymous donor.
Your Commitments
So, you want to be a Host Organization? Fantastic! Here is a breakdown of the expected commitments.
Project Plan Meeting
Host Organizations will work with E+I Staff to create a detailed work plan, goals, and learning outcomes for the E+I Fellow for their open fellowship position(s).
Pre-Placement Survey
Host Organizations are responsible for completing a survey at the beginning of the placement to collect and analyze progress and impact on both parties as well as impact on the local community.
Preview Night
Host Organizations are required to attend the E+I Preview Night on-campus. This is where Host Organizations can meet interested students to gauge interest and encourage applications. This is a way to fast-track the application and interview process.
Interview
Host Organizations work with a member of the E+I staff to interview student candidates for their open fellowship position(s).
Onboarding + Orientation
Host Organizations attend an orientation meeting with E+I staff and the E+I Fellow to discuss the project plan, role expectations, and the definition of success for both parties.
Communicate with Fellow on Regular Basis
Host Organizations are required to communicate with the E+I Fellow(s) on a regular basis throughout the 8-week internship experience. They will discuss their meeting and communication preferences with the Fellow during the project planning meeting with E+I staff.
Check-In Meetings
Check-in meetings will occur with the Host Organization during Week 2, Week 4 (Midpoint), and Week 6 of the 8-week internship experience to monitor progress toward pre-established goals.
Project Wrap-Up Meeting
Host Organizations are required to participate in a wrap-up meeting with E+I staff to provide feedback on their E+I Fellow and their overall experience with the program and its structure.
Post-Placement Survey
Host Organizations will complete a survey at the end of the program to collect and analyze the progress and impact of the E+I Fellow on their organization, as well as the impact on the local community.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours are E+I Fellows expected to work?
E+I Fellows are expected to work anywhere from 5-20 hours per week. Freshman are limited to 10 hours per week, and sophomores, juniors, and seniors are limited to 20 hours per week. This includes a combined total of all on-campus employment. For example: if a student works 5 hours as a Teacher’s Assistant, they would only be able to work 15 hours as an E+I Fellow that week.
What is required of me as a Host Organization?
Interested host organizations will submit an application that includes details regarding their mission, constituency, and anticipated impact of hosting the E+I Fellow. Organizations are required to list how many fellows they’d like to host, roles to be filled, tasks, projects, and/or initiatives, reporting structure that will be assigned to the Fellow.
Once accepted, Host Organizations will work with the Center for E+I to create a detailed Project Plan with the job description, a work plan that includes a timeline for goals, role expectations, and definition of success for both the organization and the Fellow to use throughout the whole internship experience.
Next, the Host Organization will complete a Pre-Placement Survey so The Center for E+I can collect and analyze the goals and inputs of the project on the organization and the local community.
The Host Organizations are responsible for interviewing student candidates for their open internship positions.
There will be an Onboarding + Orientation Meeting that includes E+I, the Host Organization, and the E+I Fellow to discuss the project plan, role expectations, and the definition of success for both parties. The student will learn more about the Host Organization here and complete any onboarding tasks prior to starting their work with the Host Organization.
E+I will have three required Checkpoint Meetings with the Host Organization to monitor progress toward pre-established goals. These will be held at Week 2, Week 4 (Midpoint), and Week 6.
The Host Organization will make sure the student is wrapping up their assignments during the last week of the internship program to ensure effective hand-off and wrap-up to the Host Organization staff.
The Host Organization is required to participate in a Wrap-Up Meeting with E+I to provide feedback on program structure, their experience, and feedback on the E+I Fellow.
Lastly, the Host Organization will complete a Post-Placement Survey so The Center for E+I can collect and analyze the progress and impact of the project on the organization, the community, and the fellow.
Is there any cost to the Host Organization?
There is no cost! In fact, The Center for E+I will pay $25/hour to each fellow so Host Organizations can focus on increasing their chances of success and impact in the local community in the long run. We want to help you by providing students’ contribution and expertise.
Which Grove City College students are eligible to become an E+I Fellow?
All students (freshmen through seniors) in good academic and social standing with Grove City College, are eligible to become an E+I Fellow. The program is open to students of all majors.
What is the time duration of these internships?
The timeline of the Fall 2024 semester program is 8 weeks.
What types of opportunities are we looking for?
The Center for E+I is looking for opportunities for students of all majors! In our pilot program, we had opportunities in:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Social Media
- Business Development
- Business Analysis
- Operations Management
- Software Engineering
- Film Production
However, we’d like an even wider audience of students and interests, so we are looking to add opportunities for students in supply chain, human resources, operations, event planning, and more. If you have a specific need for your organization, let us know as we target specific majors to the find qualified and talented students to fill the roles to best serve you!
Note: this program is for undergraduate students only. Please make sure to structure positions around capabilities of undergraduate college students balancing a full courseload.
Learn More About the E+I Fellows Program
Are you interested in hosting an E+I Fellow?
For an organization to receive consideration for acceptance as a host for the E+I Fellows program, they must be located within two hours of Pittsburgh, PA.
Once accepted into the program, Host Organizations will work with E+I staff to create a detailed position description and a work plan that includes a timeline and goals for the duration of the internship.
Host Organization applications for the Fall 2024 cohort have closed. If you are interested in getting on the interest list for the Spring 2025 cohort, click below to fill out the form. We will reach out to you when applications open!