Denison University has been selected to receive a grant of more than $300,000 to provide paid internships for its students with financial need. Denison is one of 33 colleges in four states, including 11 in Ohio, awarded a Career Ready Internship Grant from the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation. At Denison, the grant will be administered through the college’s Center for Career Exploration.
“Internships are a proven path into the professions,” said Richard T. Berman, dean of career exploration. “At Denison, we have students from across the financial spectrum. This grant will help those students who are least able to afford to take an unpaid internship the opportunity to explore a profession and grow their skills specific to any field or discipline. We are absolutely delighted that our students will have new opportunities to explore and grow along their career pathways.”
The Career Ready Internship Grant will take place over three years. Great Lakes has committed a record $12 million to fund 7,000 paid internships – 220 for Denison students. Appreciating an increasing workplace emphasis on teamwork, Denison’s grant proposal focuses on forming multiple small cohorts of students working at a variety of alumni-sponsored internship sites in the greater Columbus area.
“Paid internships benefit students, colleges and employers,” said Richard D. George, Great Lakes President and chief executive officer. “Students gain meaningful workplace skills and are more likely to earn degrees and use their internship experiences to help secure good jobs upon graduation. Colleges will see increased graduation and job placement rates, and employers gain a pipeline to fresh talent. It’s a win-win-win.”
Denison is amplifying its approach to career exploration; grounding all support with a students-as-colleagues approach, strengthening its connection with alumni and parent networks, creating a wide range of exploratory programs with varying durations, launching online skill-specific modules and seminars throughout each calendar year, and offering post-graduate support for its alumni.
About Great Lakes: Dedicated to making college education a reality since 1967.
Knowing that education has the power to change lives for the better, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates was established as a nonprofit group focused on a single objective: helping students nationwide prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education and student loan repayment. As a leading student loan guarantor and servicer, Great Lakes has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance and repayment planning to more than 8 million borrowers—as well as assistance to colleges and lenders nationwide. The group's earnings support one of the largest and most respected education philanthropy programs in the country. Since 2006, Great Lakes has committed nearly $154 million in grant funding to promote higher education access and completion for students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students. For additional information, visit home.mygreatlakes.org.
November 5, 2015
