Design a Project

You can design a Hive Internship Project by unbundling a long-term internship and separating out an individual project that can be completed remotely. Students benefit from working on a real-world project, while your company or organization will gain timely support from students. 

Project Content

Per Department of Labor and Hive Internship guidelines, Hive Internship Projects should be work that complements, rather than replaces, responsibilities typically completed by paid staff, while providing significant educational benefits to the student. Educational benefits might include building or refining skills, learning about the industry field or project focus, and practicing professional competencies such as teamwork and communication. 

Projects should have a concrete goal that can be completed in the set timeframe. Some examples of project goals are provided in the sample projects listed above (e.g., completing an annotated bibliography).

In addition to the completion of a professional task, Hive Internship Projects are learning opportunities for students, supported through your guided mentorship. Projects should be designed to ensure adequate time for that mentorship to take place. Career Education has written a resource to help you navigate how to both supervise and support the student’s professional development through your project.

Project Schedule

Hive Internship Project opportunities should last 40 hours between January 4 and January 29, 2021. The specific schedule for the student’s work within that time period can be determined according to what works best for you, the student, and the nature of the project (e.g., 10 hours/week for 4 weeks, 20 hours/week for 2 weeks, etc.).

The total of 40 hours should be fulfilled through a combination of different activities that will contribute to the student’s educational benefit. In addition to time spent working on the assigned project, some of the hours should be dedicated to activities like mentorship conversations, informational interviews with other members of staff, and shadowing colleagues in meetings or on projects. Hive Internship Projects are educational experiences for students, and these types of activities will help them to practice networking, learn about your industry, and develop general professional competencies.

Project Compensation

January Hive Internship Projects are unpaid by Wellesley College, though employers are welcome but not required to pay students per internal HR guidelines and practices. Students will receive nonacademic credit upon successful completion of the Project. 

Tips for Writing a Hive Internship Project Description

Hive Internship Project descriptions should be as detailed as possible so students fully understand the scope of work, outcomes expected upon completion, and how the project fits into the larger workflow of your organization. Project descriptions should include the following information:

• A brief summary of your company or organization, including details about its mission and core values
• An overview of project responsibilities, tasks, and projected end goals
• Particular skills or knowledge students will need to complete the project
• The anticipated student learning outcomes upon completion of the project, articulating the skills and knowledge that a student can gain from the experience

Below you will find two examples of effective Hive Internship Project descriptions as a guide: