The 2022 POI x NOU Intern Opportunity Fund
In the spring of 2022, Pay Our Interns launched our Intern Opportunity Fund, in partnership with NOU (Next of Us). The fund was created to help support students who had summer 2022 internships, which were either unpaid or underpaid.
Over 900 students applied, and we’re lucky to share some of their stories. If you’re interested in working with POI for the next round of the Intern Opportunity Fund, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: sponsors@payourinterns.org.
Select Testimonials
“After securing my internship with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, I was worried that I would struggle paying rent because the position was unpaid, however, the IOF alleviated that burden after awarding me a scholarship. Now I can focus on solely on my internship and not worry about how I am going to make ends meet.”
“The Intern Opportunity Fund gave me the financial flexibility I needed in order to make my internship happen. I applied for other internship funds such as this one, but they did not accept me as a recipient.
The money helped pay for transportation, the attire I needed to wear, and the food and drink I needed to consume during the day. There is no way to thank IOF enough, because without them I would not have been able to do my internship.”
“The Intern Opportunity Fund has made it possible for me to pursue an unpaid internship within the Federal government. The fund is incredibly helpful because it subsidizes a lot of my daily needs such as food and parking.
I believe that unpaid internships drive many qualified candidates away from public service work, and funds such as the IOP create meaningful opportunities for those interested in serving their communities.”