Central Connecticut State University’s Center for Community Engagement and Social Research is offering up to $3,000 per semester to CCSU students enrolled in unpaid internships off campus.
This semester’s Community Engagement Experiential Learning Stipend application closes Friday, Sept. 22. But there will be opportunities each semester, and over the summer, for students to apply.
“Some students don’t have the pleasure to take an internship that’s not paid,” Anthony ‘Tony’ Moreno, a student worker for CCESR said. “We really want to allow for money to not be a reason that you don’t take that opportunity.”
Moreno, a senior Marketing Major at CCSU, markets CCESR through social media, the CCSU website, and a newsletter.
CCESR offers a weekly student newsletter and a monthly faculty newsletter for those interested, Moreno said.
“I send that out to people who are signed up for it,” Moreno said. “If you’re not signed up for it, you won’t get it. However, we are working on getting it out to everybody.”
CCESR’s goal is to get their newsletter sent to all faculty and students, commuters and residents alike, Moreno said.
The CEEL stipend has a straightforward application process. Interested students can go to the CEEL website, click on “Internship Stipend Program” under the “For Students” tab and fill out a basic form.
“It’s basically a Google Doc type of form,” Moreno said. “It’s quick and easy information just to fill out.”
Aside from the website, CCESR has begun to grow a social media presence to direct traffic to its website.
“Lately I’ve been posting either twice or three times a week,” Moreno said. “So, Instagram is definitely a good place to go.”
CCESR’s Instagram includes a LinkTree that contains direct links to its website, newsletter, announcements, and LinkedIn profile.
Before taking his student worker position, Moreno had never heard of the CEEL stipend, he said. Aside from his marketing job, Moreno uses his involvement on campus to advocate for this stipend, he said.
Moreno is a Residence Assistant at Mid-Campus Hall, President of the Latin American Student Organization, and Vice President of Central’s Marketing Club
“I’m involved in all these clubs and I’m also an RA,” Moreno said. “We have to do suite checks and I’m always talking to (the residents) about the CCESR department and a huge thing that I’ve talked about lately is this stipend program.”
Moreno advertises this stipend to students even outside of his work because he understands many students may need the extra help, he said.
“They can use me as a resource,” Moreno said. “Some of us, we need that money. We’re college students.”
Although the deadline is rapidly approaching, the CCESR will continue to market the stipend after the due date to encourage students to apply in upcoming semesters.
“The due date is this Friday, but it comes around every semester,” he said. “So next semester you will be able to apply for that one and also during the summer.”
https://www.ccsu.edu/communityEngagement/community-engagement-experiential-learning-stipend-ceels
