Cal Public Interest Internship Program

The Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley is pleased to announce its newest project, the Cal Public Interest Internship Program (CPIIP).

CPIIP seeks to match current undergraduates with both

1. paid, summer, public interest internships in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New Orleans and other select cities and
2. alumni who can offer guidance as these students begin their professional journeys in the public interest sector.

That is where you come in, whether you have 2 hours per year to address a group of undergraduates at a panel discussion or 5 hours per week and desire a leadership role within CPIIP.

A collaboration with the California Alumni Association and Career Center, CPIIP allows you to participate in a community of Cal graduates working for social justice. We hope you will consider volunteering your time to foster a sense of commitment to the public good in these undergraduate interns. All alumni volunteers will be recognized in our semi-annual newsletter.

Alumni Volunteer Roles

Contact

Alumni Contacts agree to speak with summer Interns who desire one-time informational interviews or career advice. These exchanges allow our participants to gain insight into the Contact’s career path and current position, and assist them in building their networks of professional connections in the public interest sector.
Time commitment: 2-4 hours/year

Speaker

Each Area Leader (“AL” – see below) creates a seminar series for the Interns in that city. These events are an important component of CPIIP, exposing Interns to relevant social justice issues outside of their current placements. Seminar Speakers are engaged or have experience in the public interest sector, and spend an evening sharing their knowledge with our passionate program participants.
Time commitment: 2-4 hours/year

Advisor

The advising component is designed to improve the Intern’s summer experience, while allowing the alumni Advisor to share your own career path while learning about Cal students interested in entering the public interest sector. The Advisor provides encouragement or support in addition to assisting the Intern with meeting learning goals and troubleshooting challenging workplace situations.
Time commitment: 2-3 hours/month from mid-June to mid-August

Networker

Networkers help to identify and recruit nonprofit organizations that will host – and provide the salary for – CPIIP Interns. The Networker builds on connections s/he has with other alumni/ae or volunteers, Board Members, or staff members at public interest entities. The Networker works closely with the local Area Leader to ensure that Host Organizations for the particular metropolitan area include a full range of opportunities. The Networker’s local knowledge – and connections – is an invaluable resource for CPIIP. This role can be fulfilled by a one-time referral or consistent contact with the local Area Leader.
Time commitment: from 3-5 hours/organization to 3-5 hours/month

Area Leader

The alumni Area Leader (AL) is the designated CPIIP representative in his/her area. Area Leaders are responsible for recruiting local alumni/ae to serve in the roles described above, as well as securing paid Internship positions in nonprofit and government Host Organizations. The AL connects the CPIIP Cal Corps office in Berkeley with the larger alumni/ae community in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New Orleans – with plans to expand to Boston, Chicago, and New York City. In addition to acting as the point person for alumni/ae contact with CPIIP, the AL also maintains relationships with local Host Organizations, and coordinates or supports local Seminar, Advisor and Networker activities.
Time commitment: Varies, up to 4-6 hours/week

For more information or if you are interested in volunteering or attending on upcoming alumni information session contact Mike Bishop, Cal Corps Assistant Director at bishop@berkeley.edu.