Information for organisations

About the internship program

The McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s internship program is the first of its kind in Australia.

We have established partnerships with more than 400 not-for-profit, community, government and non-government organisations to provide a structured and high-quality internship program for UWA students.

Our award-winning internship program allows UWA students the opportunity to contribute meaningfully towards a project in a community-minded organisation, supporting our vision to foster caring, connected and socially engaged citizens who actively contribute to the wellbeing of their communities.

More than 2,500 students have undertaken internships through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship, contributing over 270,000 hours of community services across the Centre’s programs.

Feedback on the program is overwhelmingly positive with 97% of interns and 96% of supervisors agreeing they would recommend the program to others.

We accept a diverse range of intern projects, including but not limited to social impact analysis and research projects, marketing and events, data modelling and 3D imaging.

For sector-specific internship stories, you can explore student and supervisor experiences in the booklets below:

If you would like to host an intern at your organisation, you will find all the key dates, eligibility criteria and next steps below. If you have any questions, please contact us at internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au or call (61) 8 6488 7553.

Strategic partnerships

We are also proud to have established strategic partnerships with many peak bodies, which allow us to reach more organisations and broaden the impact of our internship program.  Our current strategic partners are:

Internship periods & key dates+

We offer four internship rounds per year:

  • Semester 1 – late February to late May
  • Winter – mid-June to late July
  • Semester 2 – early August to early November
  • Summer – mid-November to mid-December

Please refer to the table below for our 2023 internship key dates.

November 2022 - end of January 2023 Accepting internship roles  
Monday 27 February - Friday 16 June 2023 Internship period (approx. 1 day/week)  
January 2023 - May 2023 Accepting internship roles  
Monday 19 June – Friday 21 July 2023 Internship period (approx. 3 days per week)  
April 2023 - July 2023 Accepting internship roles  
Monday 24 July - Friday 20 October 2023 Internship period (approx. 1 day per week)  
July - October 2023 Accepting internship roles  
Mid-November 2023 to Mid-December 2023 Internship period (approx. 3 days/week)  

Eligibility to host an intern+

To be eligible to host an intern, you should fulfil the following criteria:

  • Your organisation is a not-for-profit or government organisation with regular staff members who can supervise an intern.
  • You have a meaningful project/activity that adds value to the organisation and allows the intern to understand the link to the broader community impact.
  • The project/activity equates to a minimum of 100 hours of work by the intern.
  • You can provide an appropriate work environment so that the student is embedded in the organisation and able to work safely.
  • You can provide the student with supervision and the opportunity to receive feedback on their work.
  • You can commit to providing a short evaluation on the intern’s performance and the program at the end of the internship period.

How it works & getting started+

Internship process

  • Organisations express interest in hosting an intern for an upcoming internship round, and then work with McCusker Centre for Citizenship staff to design a 100-hour internship role.
  • UWA students apply for the program and successful applicants are carefully matched to roles by the McCusker Centre for Citizenship team based on the quality of their application, skills, experience and areas of interests.
  • Students undertake our structured pre-internship activities, including seminars on active citizenship and Aboriginal cultural awareness.
  • Interns commence their roles and complete 100 hours of service over the internship period, supported by a supervisor in the host organisation.
  • If you would like to know more, you can also watch our helpful internships information webinar recording.

Getting started

  • If your organisation would like to host an intern in an upcoming round, you can express your interest by contacting the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au or on (61) 8 6488 7553.
  • A signed Student Service Learning Agreement is required to set up the partnership between your organisation and the McCusker Centre for Citizenship.
  • Once this is completed, we will provide you with a unique URL that you can access to create and submit your intern role/s.
  • If you need support, our internship team can assist you in designing roles and answering any questions.

Resources for host organisations+

These online resources have been created to assist our partners with hosting a McCusker Centre for Citizenship intern and can be downloaded at any time.

Outstanding Intern Award+

Do you have an outstanding intern?

In response to requests from our partner organisations, The McCusker Centre for Citizenship has established the Outstanding Intern Award.

This award recognises McCusker Centre for Citizenship student interns who have significantly contributed to their host organisation and community during their internship placement. Host organisation supervisors are encouraged to nominate their outstanding interns for the award.

How to nominate

Outstanding Intern Award nominations for Summer 2022 and Semester 1, 2023 interns are currently open. If you would like to nominate your intern, please send through the nomination form below by Friday 25 August 2023.

For more information, please contact the Centre directly on + (61) 8 6488 7873.

Nominate now

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