Shepherd Poverty Internship Program

Prepare for a life of service while aiding communities in need. The Shepherd Poverty Internship Program places students in eight-week internships with nonprofit and government-funded agencies in a variety of human service sectors throughout the U.S.

Bucknell offers these experiences in conjunction with the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, which assists disadvantaged communities by combining academic programs with service opportunities.

Shepherd internships prepare students from all majors for lives aimed at diminishing poverty and enhancing human capability through professional and civic efforts.

Helping Hand

Become a Shepherd Intern

Apply

Program Information

Students who are accepted into this program will be matched with one of several organizations in the U.S. that help disadvantaged communities and teach interns about social justice initiatives. Summer 2023 program is in-person.

Application Timeline for Summer 2023

Application window: Now until Jan. 18, 2023
Interviews (tentatively): Jan. 23–27, 2023
Deadline for candidates to accept/decline an offer: Feb. 10, 2023
The opening conference: June 1, 2023 and takes place virtually
The closing conference: July 29, 2023 and will be in person

Requirements

Program attendees will be required to attend virtual opening and closing conferences, provide a brief weekly email reflection on their experiences and present a closing conference presentation with a program assessment. Every program consists of a two-day orientation, an eight-week internship and a three-day closing conference.

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 food stipend
  • Orientation and closing conference

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:

  • Community building
  • Economic development
  • Education
  • Environmental justice
  • Health care
  • Homelessness
  • Housing access
  • Hunger and nutrition
  • Immigration services
  • Legal advocacy
  • Youth outreach
  • Women’s advocacy

Interns will be placed in the following locations

  • Phillips County, Ark.
  • Atlanta, Ga.
  • Brunswick, Ga.
  • Savannah, Ga.
  • Louisville, Ky.
  • Baltimore, Md.
  • Boston, Mass.
  • Clarksdale, Miss.
  • Camden, N.J.
  • Pennsauken, N.J.
  • Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
  • Greensboro, N.C.
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Shamokin Dam, Pa.
  • Austin, Texas
  • Burlington, Vt.
  • Lebanon, Lexington and Richmond Va.
  • Roanoke, Va.
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Charleston and Fayetteville, W.Va.

Sherab Dorji '22

I want to help people while working to make the world more sustainable and equitable, and I wholeheartedly believe that this experience is an important steppingstone for that path.

Sherab Dorji '22, past Shepherd intern

Civic Engagement

Location

119 Bertrand Library

Contact