Program Overview

The Lone Star Internship Program is TACDC's effort to provide member CDCs and CDFIs with a college or graduate student intern to build organizational capacity.  In addition, the Lone Star Interns gain work experience in the community economic development field and are exposed to the issues which Texas is facing in affordable housing, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization. 

 

TACDC recognizes that in order for organizations to increase their capacity, they must be able to recruit qualified professionals who truly are dedicated to improving their communities.  The students participating as Lone Star intern candidates have this kind of personal commitment to community economic development.  

 

 

TACDC member CDCs and CDFIs, if selected, are awarded funds to cover half of the intern’s stipend, up to a set amount depending on the semester.

 

Students participating in Lone Star are hired for an 8-12 week part-time paid internship with a CDC or CDFI in Texas.  TACDC provides a reimbursement of 50% of the student's stipend, the other half of the stipend is provided by the CDC hiring the Lone Star Intern.  Each intern will have a sponsor/mentor and will be required to complete a brief report detailing the outputs and outcomes of the project during the internship. 

Lone Star was created in 2000 to offer our network of CDCs the ability to: 
 

•   Provide additional staffing possibilities with student interns training in community development

•   Create a pool of qualified candidates with experience in the CDC field for Texas CDC positions

•   Offer "hands-on" training to a potential future employee of a CDC

•   Establish relationships with universities and colleges for recruiting, research and other collaborations

 

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Details of the program include:

 

•  TACDC will reimburse the CDC half of the intern’s stipend up to $1800 for the fall or spring and   $2,400  for summer for undergraduates.  For graduate students, TACDC will reimburse half of           the stipend  up to $2400 for fall or spring and $3600 during the summer semester.

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•   Once approved, CDCs can hire interns from any local college or university.

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•   Interns can have any area of study as their major*.

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•  Undergraduate interns must have completed at least 60 hours of study or be classified as a junior (third         year of study) or senior (4th year of study).

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•   Applications are accepted on a rolling time frame and Loan Star Internships are available until all slots            are filled.

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•   TACDC anticipates filling 3 - 5 intern positions during each semester.

 

Application forms for TACDC members seeking a student intern are available on our web site https://www.tacdc.org/lone-star-intern-program.  We require that CDCs participating in Lone Star create an 8-12 week scope of work that will grant students the opportunity to offer a meaningful contribution to the organization.  TACDC will approve applications for internships on the strength of the proposed work product and scope of work.