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Highlander Works

Highlander Works Grant Program

The Highlander Works Grant Program, funded by the C.E. Richardson Benevolent Foundation (supporting students from Pulaski County, VA) and the Enterprise Mobility Foundation, offers undergraduate students an opportunity to apply for funding to help reduce the financial barriers associated with internships and work-based learning opportunities.

Highlander Works Grant Program

Highlander Works Grant Program funding is provided by the C. E. Richardson Benevolent Foundation (supporting students from Pulaski County, VA) and the Enterprise Mobility Foundation. It is available for students enrolled at Radford University, and is open to all undergraduate majors. Students may apply to this grant prior to confirming the internship or work-based learning opportunity, but funding will not be provided until the Center for Career and Talent Development receives the Employer Verification form. Requests can be funded in part or in full.

Eligibility
Degree-seeking undergraduate students currently enrolled full-time at Radford University with at least a 2.0 GPA are eligible to apply, with priority given to students pursuing their first internship or work-based learning opportunity at the college level. To apply for funding, students are required to receive academic credit. Internships or work-based learning opportunities can be domestic or international.

Students are required to register in a course for academic credit and complete the following:

  • Application
  • Faculty recommendation
  • Employer verification
  • Highlander Works Grant Program Waiver
  • Complete required institutional documents such as the RUICEA workflow, Field Experience Placement Policy, or clinical placement documents.
  • Internship or Work-Based Learning Reflection  (Submit the form at the conclusion of the internship or work-based learning experience.)

A committee will review application materials using a rubric addressing the following categories: quality of application answers, explanation of budget proposal, GPA/good academic standing, and faculty recommendation.

Once selected, students must submit employer verification prior to fund disbursement.

Funding will be paid at 50% midway through the internship or work-based learning opportunity and 50% at the conclusion of the internship or work-based learning opportunity and after the receipt of the completed Reflection.

If you have any questions, please email Debbie Fenderson dfenderson@radford.edu.

NACE Internship Definition

“An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent." 

If the following criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship:

  1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
  2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
  3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
  4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
  5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
  6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
  7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

 

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