We love our interns! The Improve Group has hosted interns for the past 10 years. Having an internship program brings added excitement to the work we already love to do. It supports our value of collaboration and inclusiveness, strengthens our growth through mutual learning, and contributes new perspectives to our team. We regularly take a look at our internship program for relevance and value, and in this our 15th business year, we are making plans to further enrich the experience.
“Our internship program really demonstrates our commitment to ongoing learning and preparing people for the field of evaluation. I love the opportunity it presents to learn alongside each other! It makes for a very successful experience.” – Samantha Hagel, Improve Group Chief Administrative Officer
Creating a valuable intern experience
At the Improve Group, we commit to ongoing learning, professional development and internal growth opportunities extending beyond our staff to our interns. Our internships give space to work with one another and to share ideas and challenges in a supportive, welcoming environment. We make it a goal to help them as they navigate the field of evaluation and answer some career questions: do they want to be an evaluator, what areas excite or challenge them, what relationships are they building now that will lead to opportunities for a future in this field or others?
Shared Benefits
The internship program at the Improve Group has mutual value for the intern and for us as an organization. Interns bring fresh new ideas and perspectives, a great deal of energy, and commitment to their work. In addition, we have the chance to lend our skills and experience to help prepare future leaders with analytic, creative skills. Because we value the contributions they make we are always striving to provide a rich learning environment.
These internships provide individuals with valuable exposure to real work environments, allowing them to grow and meet challenges through hands-on experiences with various client projects. Some of our interns joined the IG team (see photos below and read our series on: Advice from valued interns who transitioned to essential IG staff); others have developed into vital staff for innovative organizations across the U.S. and internationally. We feel great joy in their success and hope we have contributed to it through their time spent with us.
What’s coming?
Our internship program is one strategy that supports our goal of creating a vibrant and diverse field of evaluation. Through community partnerships and outreach we are expanding our program to include interns from a variety of backgrounds, degree programs and interest areas. You may visit our Careers Page to learn more about upcoming internship opportunities.