ENG 495 (01): Internship – Kristin M. McAndrews, PhD – Facilitator
ENG 495 gives students the opportunity to get hands-on professional experience in a field related to English studies. The Department of English matches a student intern with an appropriate host organization, and depending on the host’s needs, the intern spends the semester assisting with writing, editing, copyediting, research, public relations, and other communications-oriented tasks.
Interns commit to working 8-12 hours each week for their host organizations. These are unpaid internships; students in the program earn three academic credits, and the internship experience counts as one of the 400-level electives for the English major. Students who qualify for the internship program are usually in the final semesters their degree programs at the university.
To qualify for the internship program, applicants will submit a four to six page essay for review. No creative writing will be accepted for consideration. If the essay meets expectations for writing, editing, and research, we will have a meeting to discuss internship possibilities.
The host organization plays a direct supervisory role with the intern, assigning work and giving feedback as necessary. The UHM-based supervisor of the internship program remains in contact with the students throughout the semester and is always available if questions or concerns arise. Interns send the supervisor weekly reports on their activities, and they write a mid-semester and final report on their experience. They also compile a portfolio of work they have completed during their time with the host organization.
Sponsoring an intern requires hosts to devote time to orienting and supervising a temporary staff member, so we strive to place only the strongest students with our community partners. Students must first interview with the UHM-based supervisor and submit a sample of their writing. The host organization will then interview the prospective intern, and may decline to take on students how appear to be unsuitable for the position.
Internships offer invaluable experience with the day-to-day operations of the kind of publications, businesses, and organizations in which English majors and minors typically seek employment. An internship on your resume and a strong letter of recommendation from your host will give you an advantage when you’re applying for jobs.
You will need an override to enroll in ENG 495. Please contact Kristin McAndrews at mcandrew@hawaii.edu if you’d like to pursue an internship this coming semester. A few weeks before Fall 16 semester begins, you will submit an essay
In addition to the hosts listed below, you may organize your own internship with an organization you identify yourself. All internship arrangements must be approved by the UHM supervisors of the internship program.
Current Host Organizations for UHM English Department Interns
The organizations listed below have either hosted interns from the UHM English Department in the past or have expressed an interest in hosting an intern this semester.
The Blue Planet Foundation, an organization working toward a 100% clean energy goal for Hawai‘i, is looking for an intern who can help oversee and create content for the foundation’s social media initiative.
DAHI Project
Ka Ipu o Lono Native Hawaiian Digital Humanities Project requires hands-on experience in creating content building a Native Hawaiian digital encyclopedia of authors, texts, major themes and issues. Hawaiian language experience is not required. Includes planning, creating short, research-based essays, proofreading, editing, seeking permissions from publishers, gathering, creating visual and audio content. A secondary project inputting, researching, and proofreading songs and chants from the vast Pele and Hi`iakaikapoliopele traditions published in the mid-19th century – early 20th century newspapers is also an option.
With a senior audience in mind, an intern is needed for writing, research and editing of articles.
Hawaii Book and Music Festival (Spring semesters only)
The Hawai‘i Book and Music Festival employs two UHM interns to help plan this large-scale event, which takes place in May. Interns write biographies of participants, contribute copy to the festival program and Web site, maintain the festival’s presence on social media, and help in other ways with promotion for the event.
This magazine devoted to remodeling, architecture, and landscaping in Hawai‘i has been an excellent host for several UHM interns, who get hands-on experience in magazine publishing and writing. Each intern has been assigned articles that have appeared in the publication, so this internship is a great way to start building a portfolio
This organization promotes literacy among adults and children throughout the community through various programs, a book mobile, and libraries located in public housing projects in Honolulu. Interns assist with event planning, publicity, grant writing, and the operations of the libraries.
Hawai‘i Language Roadmap Initiative
A partnership between UHM and the Governor’s office, the Hawai‘i Language Roadmap Initiative seeks to promote language education and advocacy to build the state’s multilingual workforce. Students conduct interviews with community stakeholders, write articles, and contribute to the initiative’s social media campaign.
This publisher focuses largely on visitors to Hawaii, with publications like the Hawaii Drive Guides and Spotlight’s Hawaii Guides. The internship involves writing, proofreading, editing, image editing, layout, and design.
Working for the UHM campus newspaper gives you the opportunity to publish work quickly and to gain writing, copyediting, and interviewing experience.
Mānoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing
Published by UH Press, this journal publishes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction from throughout the world. Interns gain hands-on experience with the proofreading, editing, planning, and production processes that go into producing a high-quality literary periodical. Please note that Mānoa requires a proofreading exam as part of the interview process.
This print and online publication offers interns a chance to gain experience with writing, proofreading, and editing for a magazine with a focus on fashion, lifestyle, travel, and food.
Nella Media Group/FLUX Magazine
Nella Media Group publishes the lifestyle magazine FLUX along with Innov8, the Go! Mokulele in-flight magazine, the Chinatown Newspaper, and Lei. Interns with NMG get access to all the dimensions of magazine publishing and are assigned articles that appear in NMG publications.
Pacific New Media, UHM Outreach College
This program runs workshops on Web design, photography, social media, and other media-intensive topics. Interns work on event planning, social media writing, video production, and other support activities. The staff at PNM is supportive and dynamic, and the internship will put you in touch with media and technology leaders here in Hawai‘i and throughout the US.
An organization devoted to encouraging adults to read aloud to children run by former Hawai‘i First Lady Lynn Waihee, Read to Me is a new internship partner for us. Tasks would include writing, editing, event planning, and public relations. For example, Haku Mo`olelo (Write Stories) is a project designed for female inmates at WCCC Prison. The Inmates write their own children’s story that is published for them to read aloud (on a tape recorder) to their child. The book and CD are mailed home to their child.
These magazines focuses on the lifestyle of stand-up paddling for women; Standup Paddle Magazine is a waterman’s magazine with an emphasis on travel and adventure. Interns help with copyediting, proofreading, production, and event planning and gain experience with publishing a magazine with international distribution.
Interns will help product a comprehensive history of the Hawai`i Jewish Congregation of Sof Ma`arav. Tasks involve assisting with the organization, recording, and transcription of oral histories; conducting archival research; compiling demographic, organizational, membership, and leadership information; and providing technical assistance to the project.
Working closely with O‘ahu chapter coordinator Stuart Coleman, interns at the Surfrider Foundation help support the ocean-focused public education and advocacy work of the Surfrider foundation. Stuart is a successful writer with years of experience in publishing and freelancing.
This press publishes books of experimental poetry, often focused on the Pacific region, broadly defined. Interns help with copyediting, proofreading, production, and event planning and gain valuable experience with the world of small presses.
Trim is a magazine devoted to the history and culture of surfing around the world. Interns research and write articles, transcribe interviews, and are involved in the copyediting and design of the publication. Students with Hawaiian language skills are especially encouraged to apply, as some of the research involves Hawaiian-language materials.