The proposal submission period has concluded. We appreciate all participants who submitted proposals. We invite you to stay up to date with Confluencenter for upcoming events and funding opportunities.
Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry is launching its Fronteridades undergraduate internship program. The program offers UArizona undergraduates the opportunity to develop their professional skills, strengthen their career paths, and gain meaningful experiences with local nonprofit and grassroots organizations directly working with marginalized communities.
Established in 2019 to challenge mainstream narratives by elevating the voices of the people living in and crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, Fronteridades aims to bridge disciplines, sectors, and communities to deepen our understanding of the borderlands. Selected interns will receive $15 hourly to work in a local organization on projects that advance border knowledge and advocate for vulnerable communities.
About the Internship
The program is designed for undergraduate students from the University of Arizona who are interested in developing their professional skills, strengthening their career paths, and gaining meaningful experiences in research and creative endeavors in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Undergraduates should commit to working in a local non-profit, grassroots organization, or government office, collaborating directly with and within marginalized communities along the U.S.-Mexico border to elevate their voices, challenge mainstream narratives, raise awareness, and advance learning.
An academic advisor will assist interested students in pairing them with the proper organization or government office according to the student's interests and skills.
The internships are open for the spring 2024 semester. Interns should expect to work at least 8-10 hours per week. Undergrads will have the opportunity to extend their internship for the summer after a case-by-case performance evaluation and depending on the availability of resources.
The Confluencenter will provide a stipend of $15 per hour. The awarded undergraduate students will be considered employees of the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry. Please note the University of Arizona will withhold taxes under state and federal law.
Eligibility
Domestic and international undergraduate students from the University of Arizona with a declared major in an art, humanities, or social science program are eligible to apply. Students must have completed at least 24 credits at the time of being awarded.
Students must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credit hours for the 2024 spring semester. Students must enroll in a course to credit their internship. Please reach out to your advisor or department head.
The deadline to submit applications is November 15, 2023, at 12:00 midnight MST
The proposal submission period has concluded. We appreciate all participants who submitted proposals. We invite you to stay up to date with Confluencenter for upcoming events and funding opportunities.
Please be ready to provide the following:
a) Personal Information
b) Answer a series of questions to learn more about your interests.
You will be asked to select at least three organizations you may be interested in working with during your internship. Please review the list below (Participant Organizations) and visit their website to learn more about their work.
c) Personal Statement
A personal statement describing your education, work experience (if any), community involvement (if any), and other accomplishments that will help you in advancing your career (No more than 250 words).
d) Skills and Goals
An outline describing the skills you intend to gain from this internship, professional goals you have set for yourself, contributions you can bring, and any challenges you anticipate (No more than 250 words).
e) Curriculum Vitae or Resume
(2 pages maximum) in PDF format. Please use the naming convention: "Student's Last Name_First Name_Internship2023_document type." Example: "Doe_Joe_Internship2023_resume.pdf" or "Doe_Joe_Internship2023_CV.pdf"
A review committee comprised of advisory board members and other faculty from relevant areas will evaluate the submissions and make recommendations to the Confluencenter Director. The Confluencenter will notify awardees via email by December, 2023.
As employees of the Confluencenter, recipients will receive a bi-weekly check according to the work plan agreed upon by the academic adviser and the participant organization.
The Confluencenter will feature awarded interns on its website and other media. In addition, the Confluencenter may ask interns to present their work to popular and academic audiences and to attend meet and greets with fellow cohort members and other special events.
For public presentations, recipients may be asked to print a research poster, create a 2-minute video about their work during the internship or present their artwork. Recipients will have the opportunity to attend a roundtable in Nogales, Mexico, to discuss relevant topics with local leaders. Finally, the Confluencenter staff may contact the interns for periodic updates.
Interns must submit an internship reflection essay through an online submission portal summarizing their activities and accomplishments and providing a personal reflection on the internship experience. The due date for the essay is 30 days after the recipient concludes their internship.
Successful interns should acknowledge the Confluencenter’s support in any presentation made possible by the Fronteridades Undergraduate Internship Program and display the Confluencenter and Fronteridades logos in any project-related publicity.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Application Due Date | November 15, 2023, at 12:00 midnight MST |
| Anticipating Award Notification Date | By December, 2023 |
| Project Implementation Date | 2024 spring semester (Extensions for a summer session will be approved after a case-by-case performance evaluation and depending on the availability of resources) |
| Internship Reflection Essay Due Date | 30 days after the recipient concludes their internship |
Please contact Hiram Peña with any general application questions at hirampena@arizona.edu
About the Confluencenter For Creative Inquiry and Fronteridades
The Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry at the University of Arizona is a campus-wide research institute that unites three large and robust areas – arts, humanities, and social sciences – as a point of intersection for inquiry across all disciplines. The Confluencenter's mission is to provide a physical and intellectual home for interdisciplinary, collaborative research and shared knowledge in engaging ways with the broader community. CCI is a Consortium of Humanities Centers & Institutes member and has held a seat on its international board since 2014.
Fronteridades: Nurturing Collaborative Intersections in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, sponsored by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, seeks to promote and define an intersectional space where borders (fronteras) and humanities (humanidades) collide, coexist, and give rise to Fronteridades [fronteras + humanidades]. Fronteridades partners with public and private organizations from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to elevate the voices of residents, migrants, and their families through storytelling that promotes a more nuanced, multidimensional understanding of life on the border.