The HD internship program gives students the opportunity to translate what they learn in the classroom into meaningful, real-world experience while contributing to organizations and communities throughout the region. In 2025 alone, 79 HD students completed internships and contributed a remarkable 13,840 hours of service and professional experience. Participation spanned the entire year, with 44 students completing 7,761 hours in spring, 19 students completing 3,477 hours in summer, and 16 students completing 2,601 hours in fall. Through these experiences, students build professional skills, explore career pathways, develop relationships with community partners, and put their knowledge of human development into practice, preparing them to become effective professionals while strengthening the communities they serve.
Those hours take HD students into an extraordinary range of professional settings. With a network encompassing more than 1,000 internship locations, students gain experience in organizations such as child and family service agencies, Head Start programs, schools, youth programs, residential treatment centers, community action organizations, disability services, and programs serving older adults. These placements do more than provide valuable hands-on experience; they often launch careers. Among HD alumni, 79% have found employment in the human development field following their internships, including 41% who went on to work for the same organization where they completed their placement.