Information for Community Partners and Donors

All community partners will now have access to post internships via the Handshake platform. If you are new to the program, please contact Kenyon’s Career Development Office (CDO) at cdo@kenyon.edu to request information on becoming a partner. Current partners should log in to their Handshake account to post internships. There are two primary hiring cycles: August (fall and spring internships) and February (summer internships).

Though the CDO will promote your position, we cannot guarantee that a student will have the availability, interests or requirements that match your needs. The CDO also provides resources and support for managing interns throughout the process.

For each applicant, you will receive a resume and cover letter (if requested). Through Handshake, partners can manage whether they receive application materials on a rolling basis (after each submission) or when the application period closes.

We encourage a phone, virtual or in-person interview to determine fit and to allow partners to analyze applicants more fully. Partners should identify top candidates of interest and review that group before the deadline listed on the annual timeline. *KCIP is open to sophomore, junior and senior students; first-year students are not eligible for community internships.

We encourage partners to pay their interns. The U.S. Department of Labor provides guidance on the situations in which unpaid internships for employers. Nonprofits can apply for funding awards through Kenyon to fund their interns (see links above).

Thanks to the generous support of donors, the program has limited funds to cover student awards at a handful of nonprofits each year. Organizations may apply for award consideration by posting their “unpaid” internship to Handshake, then completing the Funding Assistance Application. Please note that a position posted to Handshake is required. If you plan to apply for funding consideration, you may contact the CDO to get preliminary feedback on your job description before submitting your official request.

Funding applications are reviewed by committee, and organizations will be notified of funding decisions on the award notification date on the key dates page.

Academic year interns typically work 5-10 hours each week, but interns in non-grant awarded internships may work more if agreed upon by the intern and the partner. Remember that students will have many other commitments during academic year internships, so we recommend erring on fewer hours to ensure the intern is able to maintain steady participation throughout the experience. Summer interns often work between 24-40 hours a week for approximately 10 weeks.

Contact the Office for Community Partnerships (communityinfo@kenyon.edu) or the Career Development Office (cdo@kenyon.edu). 

Area Development Foundation

Ariel-Foundation Park Conservancy

Center of Hope

City of Mount Vernon

City of Mount Vernon - Engineer’s Office

City of Mount Vernon - Human Resources Office

City of Mount Vernon - Parks and Recreation Department

Experience Mount Vernon

Food for the Hungry

Habitat for Humanity

Knox Community Hospital

Knox County Board of Elections (BOE)

Knox County Chamber of Commerce

Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau (KCCVB)

Knox County Head Start

Knox Educational Service Center

Knox Public Health

Kokosing Valley Arts Alliance

Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival

Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County

The Freedom Center

The Ohio Eastern Star Home

United Way of Knox County

Village of Gambier

Thanks to the generous support of donors, the program has been able to provide funding awards for internships at several nonprofit partner organizations. 

Knox County Foundation

Mark and Denise Ramser 

Park National Bank