Intern Foundry

The Intern Foundry (IF) program is an intentionally designed partnership between the Foundry and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Honors Program to address the “brain drain” in Nebraska by pairing the University's highest achieving students with meaningful work-based learning opportunities addressing critical areas of high community need. By building the critical bridge between high-achieving talent and local organizations in need of capacity, the IF program helps build a strong pipeline of future talent capacity, and quality work needed to complete essential projects in Lincoln and Nebraska.

Connect high-achieving students with organizations to meet community need

BUILD CAPACITY

Address critical areas of high community need
BRAIN GAIN

Develop stronger future talent, leadership, and volunteers
MEANINGFUL WORK

Student-led, significant work-based learning

Intern Foundry Employer Interest Form

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Meaningful Experiences

Interns and their matched organizations, whether they are non-profits, public sector organizations, or purpose-driven businesses, report that the experience was beneficial for all.

"Like similar organizations, we are very busy multitasking and wearing many hats. The fact that our intern is able to work independently, and has from Day One, is so valuable. Our intern has exhibited superior skills in project management, setting her our timelines and goals. Her independence allows us more time to focus on providing feedback, guidance, and experience enhancing transferrable career skills." -Participating Intern Foundry Supervisor

Critical Talent and Capacity

95% of participating nonprofits in 2022-2024 report that the talent and capacity provided by their intern was critical to the completion of essential projects.

"As a small nonprofit organization, the IF students add critical capacity and provide valuable support on some of our most pressing projects." - Participating Nonprofit Executive Director

Quality Work

100% of participating nonprofits in 2022-2024 report that the quality of the intern’s work in the Intern Foundry program was quality.

"As a new nonprofit, our intern is making a huge impact already. Her dedication, enthusiasm, and professionalism is invaluable. The research she has already provided is setting us up for long-term success!” - Participating Nonprofit Co-Founder

Past Cohorts

The IF program launched in 2022 with 9 students interning at 8 nonprofits, and grew to 30 students interning at 20 nonprofits in 2024. To date, 70 students have been served by the Intern Foundry program with new cohorts each semester.

Intern Foundry Spring Slideshow

2025 Spring Cohort

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Example Projects

For more examples of our work, please view our project description portfolio.

Linked2Literacy’s annual EMpowerME event serves as an effort to collect $50,000 in funding for the organization through sponsorships and ticket sales. The role of the intern was to assist in the planning and organization of this vital event. Planning, marketing, communication, and execution were all crucial steps in the success of the event and a great baseline for any future endeavors of the intern.
OutNebraska

As OutNebraska worked to grow their resource directory to encompass resources from across Nebraska, the intern provided additional research and website updates. The intern was able to connect with a variety of existing organizations to grow their network throughout the project as they worked to help LGBTQ+ community members across the state in accessing resources to improve quality of life.

What former interns say...

“While working with Intern Foundry, I learned that professional development is so much
more than individual career achievement. It’s also learning how to best leverage the
strengths of coworkers and how to build strong relationships so that every person is able
to succeed in the workplace. The teamwork skills I developed while working with Intern
Foundry have been critical to my professional success.”

Matt Price – 2023 intern and 2024 coordinator

“The most important lesson I've learned through the Intern Foundry program is the value
of seizing opportunities, whether that involves deepening relationships with supervisors,
taking on challenging projects beyond your comfort zone, or networking with folks from
organizations that share your values. This, in my experience, is the key to meaningful and
successful experiences.”

Ethan Clinchard, 2022 intern and 2023 coordinator

“I currently work in an acute behavioral clinic in Omaha. I can definitely draw
connections between my time in Intern Foundry and my work now. My time as an intern
and coordinator helped equip me with the interpersonal skills needed to handle
patients.”

Zuha Qadeer, 2022 intern and 2023 coordinator

“One of the most important things I learned through the Intern Foundry program was
how to blaze my own trail. The experience challenged me to step out of my comfort zone,
trust my instincts, and take ownership of my work in a way that felt both daunting and
empowering. I discovered how to approach leadership with confidence while remaining
open to new ideas and perspectives. The program fostered my creativity and taught me
the value of resilience when navigating challenges. These lessons have stayed with me,
shaping how I approach my career and the impact I stive to make every day. I’m so
grateful to the Foundry for helping me build that foundation.”

Drew Baldridge, 2023 intern and 2024 coordinator

“I would say the most impactful thing that IF taught me is that I can be confident as a
software engineering major despite being from rural Nebraska and beginning college with
no coding experience. IF set me up for a lot of success in Design Studio between learning
how to communicate with non-technical stakeholders and understanding the business
priorities of a nonprofit organization.”

Drake Hermansen, 2024 intern