Contact Details
Sarah Farbo
Associate Director, Community Engaged Leadership, Learning & Research
Shepherd Poverty Internship Program
Explore your professional and personal interests this summer through the SHECP Summer Internship Program, a community-focused learning experience. The Shepherd Poverty Internship Program coordinates and supports an eight-week Summer Internship Program where cohorts of interns live together and work full-time with community partners engaged in anti-poverty work.
Bucknell offers these experiences in conjunction with the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP), with placements available across various urban and rural locations and sectors in the country. The SHECP internship is designed to be one component of a curricular and co-curricular education in understanding and addressing the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality while respecting the dignity of every person.
Shepherd internships are for undergraduate students from all majors. Alongside the vital hands-on experience, interns engage in a variety of academic and professional development programs throughout the summer to strengthen their connection with practitioners, local communities, and their peers.
Visit the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty website to learn more.
Questions? Reach out to Sarah Farbo, SHECP Internship Director at sef020@bucknell.edu
Application Timeline
| Application schedule | Dates |
|---|---|
| Application window | Now until Jan. 21, 2026 |
| Interviews (tentatively) | Jan. 26–30, 2026 |
| Deadline for candidates to accept/decline an offer | Feb. 9, 2026 |
| Intern placement conversions with SHECP staff | Jan. 1–Feb 28, 2026 |
| Zoom information session for selected students | Feb. 15, 2026 |
| Intern matching begins | March 1, 2026 |
| The Internship Academy | June 1–4, 2026 |
| On-site internship | June 8–July 30, 2026 |
| Annual conference | July 31–Aug. 1, 2026 |
Requirements
Program attendees will be required to:
- Attend one Bucknell cohort meeting prior to the internship
- Attend the Internship Academy prior to internship
- Attend and present at the annual Conference
- Develop a Community Learning Agreement (CLA)
- Attend practitioner insight events over the summer and submit written reflections
- Attend cohort-based events
- Participate in activities and submit reflections over the course of the internship + a post internship reflection
- Attend a monthly check-in with Bucknell Internship director
- Help with recruitment of future interns
Benefits
In an effort to make this opportunity accessible to all students regardless of financial status, the following expenses will be covered by the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty:
- Summer housing for in-person internships
- Modest living stipend: $1,250
- Internship academy and closing conference
- SHECP covers cost of travel to Annual Conference from internship location
Bucknell can offer some financial assistance with a travel stipend, and interns receive a modest education award upon completion of their internship requirements.
Program Themes & Locations
The Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty connects students with poverty-focused nonprofits and agencies in 12 geographic locations.
Students will be matched with a program in one of the following areas:
- Clinical medicine & health outreach
- Law, advocacy & public defense
- Food & housing security
- Public & behavioral health
- Education
- Immigration & refugee support
Interns will be placed across 12–15 cities, including:
- Atlanta and Savannah, Ga.
- Louisville, Ky.
- Baltimore, Md.
- Boston, Mass.
- Camden, N.J.
- Utica, N.Y.
- Greensboro, N.C.
- Austin, Texas
- Burlington, Vt.
- Lynchburg, Roanoke and Richmond, Va.
- Washington, D.C.
- Charleston, W. Va.
Reach out to former Bucknell SHECP Students to learn more about their experiences:
Summer 2025 Interns and their placements:
- Malika Ali '26, International Relations, Roanoke Public Defender’s Office, Roanoke, Va.
- Myleen Amendano '26, Biology, Spanish Minor, Bradley Free Clinic, Roanoke, Va.
- Emily Avila '28, Political Science & Spanish, Travis County Public Defender's Office, Austin, Texas
- Saniya Cheatom '27, Economics, History, Foundation Communities, Austin, Texas
- Vuochnea Taing '28, Anthropology, Spanish Minor, Huntingdon Area School District, Huntingdon, Pa.
- Monwabisi Qeki '28, Neuroscience, Free Clinic of Central Virginia, Lynchburg, Va.
Bucknell SHECP Alumni:
- Surrender Atukunda, '27
- Dani Perdomo-Chavez '25
- Dani Kuck '27
- Jack Royal '27
- Katie Schadler '26
- Luke Spumberg '26
- Da’Mirah Vinson '26
- Marina Anglo '25
- Linh Nguyen '25
My internship at the Bradley Free Clinic was an experience that not only deepened my understanding of public health and health disparities but also taught me important lessons about myself, the community I served, and the role I hope to play as a future physician.
Myleen Amendano, 2025 SHECP intern with the Bradley Free Clinic