• You are currently an enrolled undergraduate college student
• Students at U.S. based colleges or American citizens studying abroad are eligible to apply
• International students enrolled at US based colleges with proper work visas may apply
• You are passionate about and have experience in the non-profit sector and community service
• You seek to develop your leadership skills through meaningful work and experiences at a non-profit agency
• You are able to live in or commute to Boston daily and work full time for 10 weeks during the summer, plus participate in all in-person and Zoom based programming.

Forest Foundation grants $7,000 directly to the host agency for intern compensation. These funds will be used as compensation for you, the intern, via your host agency’s payroll system. Typical federal and state withholding taxes will apply. There may be a delay between starting internships and receiving your first paycheck from the host agency, so interns may need to self-sustain for a couple of weeks. Compensation does qualify as taxable income.

Most host agencies will require a telephone or zoom interview at a minimum and possibly an in-person interview. Students overseas or living beyond Greater Boston in the period between being selected and being placed may use Zoom or another platform for interviews. Interns and host agencies have to agree upon each other, so an interview is very instructive for both parties.

Flexibility is possible depending on the unique needs of the intern or agency. Traditionally, internships have been full-time, 5 days per week for 10 weeks starting early June.  In-person workshops and Zoom meetings are counted among the weekly full-time hours (and are not added onto a full 5-day work week). Early starts or late finishes are allowed if an agreement is established with the host agency, intern, and Forest Foundation. The interns must work the full time to receive full compensation.

Intern experiences vary depending on the nature and mission of the host agency. The intern’s skills, experiences, and expectations also impact the position. Please look at the Recent Partner Host Agenciespage and explore past host agencies for a greater perspective.

Interns are paired with a host agency after they are accepted into the program and have committed to Forest Foundation. Much effort, communication, and thought goes into this process. Both intern and host agency must agree on the placement. The intern experience is most important to us at Forest Foundation and we work very hard to ensure a positive experience. If for any reason, during the matching process and subsequent internship, the intern is unhappy with their placement, Forest Foundation staff will help remedy the situation but cannot guarantee another placement and may suspend the position and remaining compensation grant.

Many interns come from other areas and have found reasonably priced housing through local colleges, regional sublet postings, social media, and online sites such as Craigslist. Forest Foundation does not provide housing but we have local resources to assist you in your search. Local Alumni networks form your college can also be a resource for subletting/renting a room from alumni. Boston is a great place in the summer and our interns have enjoyed the city and its many offerings outside their internship work.