You can help create transformative experiences for Humanities undergraduate students. The Employing Humanities initiative connects what students learn in the classroom to real-world impact. From hosting an intern to becoming a mentor to sharing your own humanities-powered career story, opportunities abound for you to get involved. This page shares partnership opportunities for both alumni and employers. The buttons below will lead you to more information about our programs, including our Humanities EXCEL internship program and our HumLaunch mentorship program for alumni. Are you a UCSC Humanities alum interested in helping current students discover what’s possible? Inspire and inform students with your career journey. Employers and Community Organizations Are you excited to give a student an enriching opportunity in your workplace? UCSC Humanities students offer fresh perspectives and highly transferable skills. Find out how to bring our students into your teams. Host a Humanities EXCEL intern Humanities EXCEL is our internship program that places UCSC Humanities undergraduate students in paid positions with partnering off-campus community organizations. Partners benefit from an intern’s support, and Humanities EXCEL interns strengthen professional skills while experiencing the humanities in action. If eligible, the internship may be funded by UCSC. Humanities EXCEL runs programs during the academic year and regionally during the summer. Program Details Humanities EXCEL Summer Humanities EXCEL Santa Cruz County and beyond Los Angeles area In-person, hybrid, or fully remote In-person or hybrid Internship Term October–June or January–June (10 hours/week) June–August (10 weeks, 285 hours) Job description required, which may include ongoing support or routine duties and/or time-bound project(s) Time-bound project deliverable; no job description required Contact: Kylie Rachwalski, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning, at krachwal@ucsc.edu Benefits of Hosting Interns Fresh Perspectives Undergraduate students can bring new ideas, perspectives, and insights to your organization, helping create a dynamic, creative work environment. Increased Productivity Adding an intern to your staff helps you accomplish more. Internships can be especially beneficial for short-term or project-based work. Community Engagement Interns are a great fit for outreach initiatives or for bridging to the UCSC campus. A Collaborative Process We work with you to develop a paid internship for students and facilitate the hiring through our campus student employment or scholarship units. If your organization is eligible, the internship may be funded by UCSC. To qualify as a rich learning experience, internships must provide meaningful work for students to contribute to initiatives that will nurture their career-readiness skills. Program staff stay connected to students and partners throughout the internship cycle for support every step of the way. Showcasing a few of our Humanities EXCEL Community Partner Organizations Become a Mentor in HumLaunch HumLaunch is a summer program (August–September) that pairs UCSC Humanities undergraduate students with alumni for short-term mentorship experiences. HumLaunch offers two engagement options: Job Shadow Program Students shadow alumni in person for 1-5 days to gain industry exposure and meet professionals. Project Program Students complete virtual projects lasting 1-4 weeks with alumni across the country. These experiences offer students mentorship, career exploration, and professional development while allowing alumni to grow leadership skills and make a meaningful impact in students’ lives. Mentors must be alumni of a UCSC Humanities undergraduate or graduate program. You may sign up to be a HumLaunch mentor through either or both our Job Shadow program and our Project program. Program Details HumLaunch Timing

August–September August–September Virtual, although alumni may choose to offer an in person option Development Process Job shadowing period identified based on alum availability and strategic timing for an educational experience Projects developed based on a set of pre-built templates that align with student skills Contact: Meredith Pelrine, Assistant Director of Strategic Programming, at mpelrine@ucsc.edu Benefits of Becoming a HumLaunch Mentor Professional Growth Supporting a student supports your own professional development. Mentors practice communication, coaching, and leadership skills. Industry Enrichment Becoming a mentor to an undergraduate student strengthens your field, by inspiring students to pursue careers in your industry or area. Positive Impact By joining HumLaunch, you provide an impactful opportunity for a current student that can profoundly shape their professional trajectory. Mentor Matching Whether you offer a job shadowing or project-based experience, the program coordinator will work with you to develop your HumLaunch opportunity. We will match you with a student with a major or minor in the Humanities Division based on factors including alumni and student interests, relevant background, and, for the Job Shadow Program, location. Once you are matched with a student, the program coordinator will facilitate scheduling the HumLaunch experience and provide orientation resources to both alumni and students. Please note that, although student participants may be interested in your organization, HumLaunch is not a recruitment program. Share Your Career Story We are constantly creating new opportunities for students to learn from alumni career paths, from live events to written spotlights and testimonials. Your story can jump start a student’s journey. Share your updates and stay in touch! Share your contact information and professional milestones so that we can celebrate your successes and inform you of opportunities. Interested in appearing in an alumni feature? Contact Meredith Pelrine, Assistant Director of Strategic Programming, at mpelrine@ucsc.edu . I want to get involved, but I am based outside of the Santa Cruz area. What can I do? All of our partnership options offer remote possibilities. For hosting a fully remote internship, see Humanities EXCEL . For participating as a mentor, see the Project Program in HumLaunch . For asynchronous as well as remote possibilities, contact Assistant Director of Strategic Programming Meredith Pelrine ( mpelrine@ucsc.edu ) about participating in an alumni feature. Based in Los Angeles County? Check out Summer Humanities EXCEL: Los Angeles , our regional internship program connecting Humanities undergraduates with nonprofit organizations and public agencies across Los Angeles County for 10-week, project-based summer internships. How are students compensated for participating in these programs? Eligible opportunities may be funded by UCSC. We believe in providing paid experiential learning opportunities to ensure that students get equitable access to transformative extracurricular experiences. Students in Humanities EXCEL during the academic year are hired by UCSC and are paid biweekly at $20/hour. Students in the regional Summer Humanities EXCEL program receive a $4,000 scholarship through UCSC. Our program staff work with prospective partners to determine eligibility. Students in HumLaunch receive a scholarship equivalent to $100 per full day, funded by UCSC. What are the expectations I should consider when choosing to host an intern at my organization? The internship host serves as the student’s primary point of contact for work projects and navigating the workplace. At a minimum, hosts will: Submit a mid-year and final evaluation of the intern’s performance, along with a brief program survey. Provide orientation on the organization’s mission, project scope, team norms, tools, technology, and workplace culture. Meet weekly with the intern for at least 30 minutes one-on-one (or 60 minutes in a group setting) to check in, delegate tasks, and provide feedback. Review the intern’s Onboarding Toolkit and Goal-Setting Form within the first five weeks of the internship. Share progress updates and concerns with the UCSC Coordinator; notify promptly if performance issues arise. Participate in a mid-year check-in with the UCSC Coordinator and intern. What happens if a student’s internship placement doesn’t end up being a good fit? UCSC Humanities staff will check in with community partners early on in the internship term to troubleshoot any challenges. If challenges persist, the program utilizes a time-bound Growth & Development plan to support students and hosts. The plan may result in changes to job duties, adjusted hours, or an early closure of the internship. I want to support UCSC Humanities students’ professional growth, and I don’t know which program is best for me. Who can I talk to? Please contact Kylie Rachwalski, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning ( krachwal@ucsc.edu ), and/or Meredith Pelrine, Assistant Director of Strategic Programming ( mpelrine@ucsc.edu ). The Humanities EXCEL program is led by the Humanities Division with strategic support from the Humanities Institute and funded by the Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, the Humanities Division, The Humanities Institute, and private donors.