Edgewood College: Major gift helps launch inclusive internship project

Contact: Ed Taylor, Director of Strategic Communications 608-663-2333

 

Madison, Wis. (February 13, 2019) – A major gift from the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation will help launch the Inclusive Internship Project at Edgewood College. This new initiative, which gets underway with the start of the 2019-2020 academic year, will support paid internships for students, especially those in liberal arts majors, or from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

“The Rennebohm Foundation has been a remarkable supporter of Edgewood College over the years, and we are grateful for this most recent investment,” Scott Flanagan, President of Edgewood College, said. “This program aligns with our strategic framework perfectly—it has an impact on student learning, it ensures inclusion of folks across the socioeconomic spectrum, and it will have a positive impact on the community. This will provide an important opportunity for students to complement their classroom learning experiences with intentionally designed work experiences that will help them make a successful transition to their careers.”

 

The project will create 40 paid student internships per year. For students with financial need, extra part-time jobs and family demands may mean participation in an internship program is either not possible or is a hardship. Research shows experiences like internships, while valuable to all students, allow students in underrepresented populations to make particularly large gains in their learning.

 

“This gift allows us to build off momentum and plan intentionally to support and grow internship opportunities,” Sara Hanson, Director of Career Development and Internship Coordinator at Edgewood College, said. “Students will have access to internships that enable them to gain relevant experience and grow valuable connections that assist in their career trajectory. The benefits of the program will be exponential for students, and for the communities they’ll serve.” 

 

Student interns will serve in a broad range of local business and organizations, including small and mid-sized companies and non-profits. The impact on the Greater Madison community will be significant; most undergraduates at Edgewood College are from Wisconsin (89%); most who will obtain post-graduate employment will do so in Wisconsin (87%).

 

The $450,000 gift is the latest example of the extraordinary history of partnership and support of the Oscar Rennebohn Foundation. The Foundation has supported Edgewood College with $6 million over more than 37 years, including funding for the Center for Healthcare Education & Simulation, the Oscar Rennebohm Library, and the Sonderegger Science Center. 

 

About Edgewood College

Located in Madison, Wis., Edgewood College is a liberal arts Catholic college in the Dominican tradition. We serve approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students at our Monroe Street and Deming Way campuses, and online. The College offers more than 40 academic and professional programs, including master’s degrees in business, education, and nursing, and doctoral degrees in educational leadership and nursing practice. For more information about Edgewood College, please visit www.edgewood.edu, or call Ed Taylor in Marketing & Strategic Communications at 608-663-2333.

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