Internships
Objectives
As interns, honors students develop career readiness as they apply their learning to real-world, professional experiences. Students emerge from their internships having strengthened core competencies, as defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), and made progress on the program's Enhanced Learning Experience requirement.
Current Opportunities
- Application due date: Nov. 14, 2025
- Position start date: Jan. 20, 2026
- Award amount: $1,800
Located in Lawrence, the Baker University Wetlands is a 927-acre preserve and visitor center that offers trails, wildlife viewing, and experiential learning about ecosystem dynamics and conservation. It serves students, researchers, and the public alike.
The organization is currently seeking one intern for the spring semester. Interested applicants should review the position description PDF before applying through the honors internship application portal.
- Application due date: Nov. 14, 2025
- Position start date: Jan. 20, 2026
- Award amount: $1,800
Based at the University of Kansas, Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute accelerates research translation and supports investigators across Kansas and western Missouri with training, funding, and collaborative infrastructure.
The organization is currently seeking one intern for the spring semester. Interested applicants should review the position description PDF before applying through the honors internship application portal.
- Application due date: Nov. 14, 2025
- Position start date: Jan. 20, 2026
- Award amount: $1,800
Just Food is a food bank and pantry in Douglas County serving individuals and families in need through fresh produce, dairy, meat, and pantry staples, operating with dignity and choice at its Lawrence location.
The organization is currently seeking one intern for the spring semester. Interested applicants should review the position description PDF before applying through the honors internship application portal.
- Application due date: Nov. 14, 2025
- Position start date: Jan. 20, 2026
- Award amount: $800 (in addition to $25/hour wage provided by KAC)
Kansas Action for Children is a non-partisan, nonprofit advocacy organization that uses research, policy analysis and collaboration to improve early education, healthcare and economic outcomes for children and families across Kansas.
The organization is currently seeking two interns for the spring semester. Interested applicants should review the position description PDF before applying through the honors internship application portal.
Note: Applications to KAC also require a writing sample and two references uploaded as a single document. (International students applying to this internship should also note that an F-1 CPT and corresponding course enrollment may be required.)
- Application due date: Nov. 14, 2025
- Position start date: Jan. 20, 2026
- Award amount: $1,800
Housed at the University of Kansas, Monarch Watch focuses on education, conservation, and research related to the monarch butterfly, its habitats, and its migration, and engages community science efforts in Lawrence and beyond.
The organization is currently seeking one intern for the spring semester. Interested applicants should review the position description PDF before applying through the honors internship application portal.
- Application due date: Nov. 14, 2025
- Position start date: Jan. 20, 2026
- Award amount: $1,800
University Press of Kansas is a scholarly publishing house located in Lawrence that publishes books on American politics, history, culture, the Midwest, and Kansas, serving as a consortium of the state’s public universities.
The organization is currently seeking one intern for the spring semester. Interested applicants should review the position description PDF before applying through the honors internship application portal.
- Application due date: Nov. 14, 2025
- Position start date: Jan. 20, 2026
- Award amount: $1,800
Situated in a historic 1888 Romanesque-style building in downtown Lawrence, the Watkins Museum of History presents exhibits, programs, and resources that explore the heritage of Douglas County from its settlement to contemporary times.
Interested applicants should review the full position description (PDF) before applying through the honors internship application portal.
Qualifications
The opportunities listed here share common qualifications that interested students should possess:
- Active status in the program, and good academic standing as defined as a 3.25 cumulative GPA and demonstrated progress on completion requirements
- Excellent communication, organization, and time-management skills
- Ability to work remotely and independently, and to multitask effectively
- Dependability, positivity, and a sense of humor
- Proficiency in Microsoft and Google productivity software, as well as social media platforms and tools
Organizations may also seek applicants with majors related to their mission or position.
Compensation
The honors program is able to support students pursuing the above experiences with Honors Opportunity Awards (HOAs) designated for nonprofit internships. Some additional compensation-related considerations:
- All scholarships are awarded through the University of Kansas Awards & Scholarships Hub. In order to receive the scholarship associated with these internships, you must complete the general application within this portal before submitting your internship application.
- Financial support related to an internship may have implications on cost of attendance. Students should meet with their financial aid counselor to check before applying.
- Students selected for an internship who have concurrent, pending HOA applications may have those applications reprioritized.
- Based on the needs of the internship site and available funding, an internship might be extended a semester, but students are limited to two total semesters of HOA funding for any honors-coordinated internships.
- Individual internship opportunities may also include additional financial support provided by the organization.