Call for Applications
2025 Mellon-Fronteridades Undergraduate Internship Program
The Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry invites undergraduates from the University of Arizona interested in gaining a critical understanding of the U.S.-Mexico border region, its complexities, and its cultural diversity to submit an application of intent for the Fronteridades Undergraduate Internship Program.
The program, funded by the Mellon Foundation, aims to foster and promote scholarship and creative activities that explore, analyze, and elevate this region's lived experiences and cultural resources. It also lays the foundation for a university-wide service-learning program based on reciprocity by connecting U of A undergraduate students with community arts and advocacy organizations.
About the Internship
- The program is intended for undergraduate students from the U of A who are interested in developing their professional skills, strengthening their career paths, and gaining meaningful experiences while conducting research and engaging in creative endeavors in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
- Undergrads should commit to working in a local, nonprofit, or grassroots organization or government office, collaborating directly with and within marginalized communities of the U.S.-Mexico border to elevate their voices, challenge mainstream narratives, raise awareness, and advance learning.
- A review committee will assist interested students in pairing them with the proper organization according to the student's interests and skills. Learn more about the participant organizations here.
- Students who are already in conversations with an organization or who have been offered an internship position for the spring are welcome to apply. Students should ensure the organization works directly with and within marginalized communities of the U.S.-Mexico border.
- The internships are open for the spring 2025 semester. Interns should expect to work at least 8-10 hours per week.
- 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, education, 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 2025 spring semester. Students must enroll in a course to credit their internship. Please reach out to your advisor or department head.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit their statement of interest through the online submission portal found here.
Please be ready to provide the following:
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Personal information
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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).
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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).
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Answer a series of questions to learn more about your interests.
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A curriculum vitae or resume (2 pages maximum) in a PDF format. Please use the naming convention: “Student’s Last Name_First Name_Internship2025_document type.” Example: “Doe_Joe_Internship2025_resume.pdf” or “Doe_Joe_Internship2025_CV.pdf”
The deadline to submit applications is November 15, 2024, at 12:00 midnight MST.
Selection Process
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 the end of November 2024.
Award Distribution
As employees of the Confluencenter, recipients will receive a bi-weekly check according to the work plan agreed upon by the academic advisor and the participant organization.
Post-Award Commitments
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 meets and greets with fellow cohort members and other special events.
As part of their commitment, interns will work on a Photovoice Group Project. This is a research method that uses photography and group dialogue to document issues that are important to the group and impact our border area communities. Please contact Confluencenter Postdoc Elizabeth Gaxiola at egaxiola@arizona.edu for further information.
For public presentations, interns may be asked to present their Photovoice Group Project. Interns 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.
Internship Reflection Essay
Interns must submit an internship reflection as part of their photovoice group project 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.
Acknowledgements
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.
If you have any questions or concerns about this application, please get in touch with Hiram Pena via email at hirampena@arizona.edu.
Important Dates
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Application Due Date: November 15, 2024, at midnight MST |
Anticipating Award Notification Date: By the end of November, 2024 |
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Project Implementation Date: 2025 spring semester. |
Internship Reflection Essay Due Date: 30 days after the recipient concludes their internship. |
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.