Partner with UCSC Humanities on project-based summer internships
UC Santa Cruz Humanities is launching Summer Humanities EXCEL: Los Angeles, a new regional paid internship program connecting Humanities undergraduates with nonprofit organizations and public agencies across Los Angeles County for 10-week, project-based summer internships.
The program is part of UCSC’s Employing Humanities initiative, which helps students understand how the skills they build in the humanities, such as critical analysis, communication, research, ethical reasoning, and community engagement, translate across a wide range of careers. The Humanities Division also runs the Humanities EXCEL program during the academic year in Santa Cruz County and beyond.
Contact: Kylie Rachwalski, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning, UC Santa Cruz Humanities – krachwal@ucsc.edu
Why Los Angeles?
About 20% of UCSC Humanities undergraduate students come from Los Angeles County. UCSC students can live locally, work in in-person or hybrid roles, and contribute to focused projects that serve community needs.
By creating summer opportunities in students’ home communities, Summer Humanities EXCEL:
- Expands access to paid experiential learning
- Reduces relocation and housing barriers
- Supports students early in their college careers
- Strengthens partnerships between UCSC and LA-area organizations
What does hosting an intern look like?
Our team collaborates with you to define the project scope that fits your organization’s existing goals and capacity.
Summer Humanities EXCEL internships are:
- 10 weeks long (late June–August 2026)
- Project-based, with a clear deliverable for the organization
- Designed collaboratively with host partners
- Often structured for pairs of students (Learn More)
- Supported by UCSC staff and a faculty-led academic course running alongside the internship
Timeline
- LA County partners accepted into the program: by April 10
- Student applications open for Summer Humanities EXCEL Internships: Starting April 13
- Applications Close: by May 3, 2026
- Selection Deadline: May 22, 2026
- 10-Week Internship Term: Jun 22 – Aug 28, 2026
Why host multiple interns?
Hosting multiple UCSC Humanities interns allows organizations to accomplish more in a short timeframe while modeling the collaborative practices central to experiential learning. Students can divide responsibilities across research, writing, design, and community engagement to produce stronger final deliverables, while ensuring continuity if one student is unavailable. Pairing interns also supports equity-minded learning by reducing isolation, building confidence, and helping first-generation and transfer students thrive in professional environments. The result is a more substantial, polished set of outcomes that continues to benefit your organization well beyond the 10-week project.
Who We’re Hoping to Connect With
We are eager to speak with mission-driven organizations in Los Angeles County, including:
- Higher education institutions and education-focused nonprofits
- Museums, libraries, and cultural organizations
- Arts and entertainment nonprofits and creative collectives
- Journalism and publishing organizations
- Legal aid groups and civic agencies
- Local government offices
We are especially interested in partners engaged in public humanities, community education, civic participation, social change, or equity-centered work.
Interested in Learning More?
We are currently meeting with organizations, alumni, and community leaders to share more about the program and explore potential collaborations. These conversations are exploratory and designed to learn about your work, answer questions, and see whether there might be a good fit for future partnership.
If you are curious about hosting Summer Humanities EXCEL interns, developing a project, or referring another organization in your network, we would love to connect.
Contact: Kylie Rachwalski, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning, UC Santa Cruz Humanities – krachwal@ucsc.edu