$447k grant eases financial cost for organizations to offer internships
(MINNEAPOLIS) — Twin Cities businesses and nonprofits are invited to partner with Augsburg College as part of the institution’s three-year, Career Ready Internship Grant made possible by a grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation. The partnership seeks to create more than 220 new, paid student internships during the 2015-18 academic years.
The College’s Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work will collaborate with organizations to offer the internships beginning in January 2016. The more-than $447,000 in grant funding will be used for student internship wages, transportation and administrative support.
“We’re excited to build new partnerships with Minnesota businesses and nonprofits to provide the kind of internships organizations want and that students need,” said Keith Munson, director of the Strommen Center. “We know that Auggies are ready to apply and practice what they are learning in the classroom. These are juniors and seniors who know how to work across disciplines and with persons of varied backgrounds and faiths. And, with a student body that is more than 35 percent students of color, we can help businesses continue the important work of diversifying their workforce.”
Munson credits the success of the first grant to the formation of a cross-campus implementation team. The Strommen Center worked with staff and faculty from Business Administration, STEM Programs, Sabo Center for Citizenship and Democracy, Masters in Business Administration, Graduate Admissions, Alumni Relations, Corporate and Foundation Relations, and the Office of Institutional Advancement to identify prospective employers.
Augsburg was one of 33 colleges and universities in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin that garnered a combined $12 million in 2015-18 Career Ready Internship Grants from Great Lakes to make internships more equitable for students with financial need. The College previously received a $150,000 grant that created nearly 60 paid internships for students with financial need in 2014-15.
To learn how a business or nonprofit can partner with Augsburg, please visit the Strommen Center website.
About Augsburg College
Augsburg College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campuses located in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and in Rochester. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.
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As finals week for the fall semester approaches, the end is in sight for seniors who are planning to graduate in the spring.
In today’s economy, prospective students and their families are searching for clear evidence that a college education is a worthwhile investment. Thanks to the dedication of a generous donor and the good work of members of the Augsburg community, the College is able to demonstrate the real-world value of liberal arts and professional education in ways not before possible. 
Just what does “meaningful work” mean to you? During the week of Nov. 15-19, Augsburg students are invited to explore this idea through a series of events. Strommen Meaningful Work Week will include the annual etiquette dinner and daily open-house opportunities for students to talk with employers from a variety of disciplines.
Through the dedication of our generous donors and the good work of many members of the Augsburg community over the past year, the College is beginning a new phase in the development of the Centers of Commitment that have been established to lift up Augsburg’s core values and live out our institutional vocation. It is with gratitude and great anticipation that we announce the creation of the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work and the expansion of the Martin Olav Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning. The Strommen Center is the newest of the four Centers of Commitment that include the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning, Center for Global Education, and Sabo Center.