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 + headquartered within two hours of Pittsburgh, PA, regardless of the role’s remote, hybrid, or in-person status. Due to restrictions related to insurance, hybrid or in-person formats can only visit one work site.

To increase the likelihood of acceptance into the program, organizations with a need for remote roles are strongly encouraged to apply, as there is significant student interest in remote opportunities.

GET ON THE INTEREST LIST FOR FALL 2026

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

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

Accepted 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.

Weekly Check-In Meetings with Fellow

Host Organizations are required to establish a weekly check-in with the E+I Fellow(s) throughout the internship experience. They will discuss their meeting and communication preferences with the Fellow during the project planning meeting with E+I staff.

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.

Host Organizations will attend Preview Night. This is a career-fair like event on the Grove City College campus for Host Organization to meet student candidates interested in positions for the ability to fast-track the interview process.

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.

The Host Organization is required to meet with their student(s) once per week for their weekly one-on-one meeting to go over progress and questions. 

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.

What is the time commitment per week for a selected Host Organization?

The time commitment varies depending on the number of student interns you host. At a minimum, host organizations are expected to hold a weekly check-in meeting with each intern and be accessible throughout the week via email, phone, text, or virtual meeting to provide guidance and answer questions. Participation in this program involves preparing for the intern’s arrival, offering mentorship, and supporting their ongoing work, which requires a meaningful investment of time and engagement. 

Is there any cost to the Host Organization?

There is no cost! In fact, The Center for E+I will pay $20/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 E+I Fellows internship is structured as a 16-week experience across the full academic year. Fellows engage with their host organization for 8 weeks during the fall semester and 8 weeks during the spring semester.

This extended timeline allows for greater continuity, deeper project development, and more meaningful contributions, enabling both students and host organizations to build stronger working relationships and achieve more impactful outcomes over the course of the year.

 

Can students earn academic credit for participation?

We do not offer academic credit for students participating in the E+I Fellows program. If you organization can offer a not-for-credit internship, we highly recommend you considering applying to be a host organization!

Can I apply for remote work if I am located outside the two-hour Pittsburgh radius?

Due to our funding requirements, organizations outside the two-hour radius of Pittsburgh are not eligible to apply for remote work. This guideline applies regardless of whether the role(s) are remote, hybrid, or in-person. Eligible organizations must be headquartered and established in the Pittsburgh region.

Can a student visit my business location for onsite work?

Students may visit your business location for onsite work, provided your headquarters is located within a 30-minute radius of Grove City. All onsite visits must be approved in advance by the E+I staff and must comply with the Grove City College Insurance Policy. Students are not permitted to travel to offsite client locations or worksites other than the primary business headquarters.

Due to funding limitations and student travel logistics (including whether a student has access to a car on campus), students may visit your business location up to three times during their internship. Mileage reimbursement is available for approved onsite visits.

Please note that requiring onsite visits may reduce the pool of student applicants during the application and interview process.

What Types of Roles Are Students Interested In?

We collaborate with students of all majors across Grove City College. Each accepted host organization role varies in scope and focus. 

For the 2026-2027 cohort, E+I Fellows is placing an increased emphasis on projects that align with entrepreneurship, innovation, and startup-oriented work. Host organizations will be encouraged to structure roles around strategic, high-impact initiatives that allow students to engage in meaningful problem-solving and value creation.

Examples of these projects may include:

  • Go-to-market strategy development
  • Customer acquisition planning
  • Channel analysis
  • Market research for new initiatives
  • Other exploratory or growth-focused efforts within startups, small businesses, and nonprofits.

This refined focus more directly reflects the mission of the Center for E+I: to equip and catalyze students who are entrepreneurial-minded, and ensures that both students and host organizations benefit from work that drives innovation and forward-thinking outcomes.

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.

Below are examples of the most common roles we’ve had in the past five cohorts.

         

        Marketing / Social Media / Graphic Design

        • Sample Roles
          • Designing logos and brand identity materials
          • Developing marketing materials for print or digital use
          • Planning and creating social media content

        User Experience / User Interface (UX/UI)

        • Sample Roles
          • Create wireframes, prototypes, or mockups using Figma or Adobe Creative Cloud products
          • Analyze user feedback and behavior to identify pain points and opportunities
          • Assist in designing intuitive user flows and improving overall user experience

        Event Planning

        • Sample Roles
          • Researching event venues in local area
          • Initiating contact and pricing with venue
          • Developing materials and resources for event use

        Web Design / Development

        • Sample Roles 
          • Building new websites using platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, or Shopify
          • Redesigning existing websites to improve UX/UI
          • Creating basic mobile applications or web platforms using HTML/CSS/JavaScript or other programming languages

        Data Analytics

        • Sample Roles:
          • Organizing customer data and identifying patterns
          • Migrating data between systems or databases
          • Creating simple dashboards to visualize key business metrics

        Business Development / Sales

        • Sample Roles 
          • Support customer discovery and sales outreach efforts
          • Create content for various business needs
          • Assist with product development and testing
          • Prepare or edit presentation materials for stakeholders

        Project Management

        • Sample Roles:
          • Track project timelines, deliverables, and team progress using tools like Basecamp, Asana, or Notion
          • Help identify potential project risks or bottlenecks and propose solutions
          • Create or update dashboards and reports to keep stakeholders informed

        Supply Chain Management

        • Sample Roles:
          • Create new supply chain policy for supplier and vendors
          • Analyze ingredient cost and build master spreadsheet for leadership use
          • Source suppliers and manage vendor communications
          • Track shipments and update internal systems with logistics information
          • Support cost analysis and help identify areas for efficiency gains

        History

        • Sample Roles:
          • Conduct in-depth research on specific time periods or events to support ongoing projects
          • Compile and organize primary and secondary sources into accessible research briefs
          • Assist in creating timelines, narratives, and annogated bibliographies for internal or public use

        Research

        • Sample Roles:
          • Organizing customer data and identifying patterns
          • Migrating data between systems or databases
          • Creating simple dashboards to visualize key business metrics

        Finance 

        • Sample Roles:
          • Review financials and identify opportunities for profitability 
          • Analyze pricing strategies and benchmark performance 
          • Creating pricing calculator with material cost and COGS 

        Human Resources / Recruiting

        • Sample Roles:
          • Review and revamp company job descriptions for hiring 
          • Engage in competitive research and analysis of what competitors pay for salary/hourly wage to improve competitive benefits and perk packages
          • Source, contact candidates for job openings using an ATS and LinkedIn and Indeed to recruit job candidates.

        Market Research

        • Sample Roles:
          • Conduct stakeholder interviews to develop understanding of market dynamics, decision makers, and financial potential  
          • Synthesize key pain paoints and formulate customer profiles 
          • Conduct secondary research on size of market and viability with competitor landscape 

        Copywriting

        • Sample Roles:
          • Provide fresh, creative input on brand voice and visual assets
          • Draft email campaigns with body copy, subject lines, CTAs, etc.
          • Contribute to video scripts and lead magnets

        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 + headquartered within two hours of Pittsburgh, PA, regardless of the role’s remote, hybrid, or in-person status. 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.

        To increase the likelihood of acceptance into the program, organizations with a need for remote roles are strongly encouraged to apply, as there is significant student interest in remote opportunities.

        The application period for Spring 2026 has closed. Interested for Fall 2026? Get on our Interest List below to receive the application when it first becomes available.

        GET ON THE INTEREST LIST

        Questions? Click here to contact E+I.