POTSDAM —  SUNY Potsdam is pleased to announce the continuation of the Presidential Internship Program (PIP) for Summer 2027. Administered by the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, this internship program connects student interns with North Country sites through a competitive process of applications, interviews and final matching between sites and students.

PIP students receive full funding for their credit-bearing internships, including a wage stipend for 120 site hours and tuition coverage for 3 registered credits. Students are also eligible for the university's internship support stipend to offset additional costs like housing and mileage. There is no cost for approved internship sites to participate, and all North Country employers are welcome to apply!

Site applications open on Oct. 1, and close on Dec. 1, 2026. The application form for employers is available online here. In addition to providing a rationale for participation, employers must provide a detailed job description for one or multiple positions.

"We are thrilled to see the Presidential Internship Program continue into its third year. The first two years of this program allowed us to strengthen community partnerships and develop a new tier of competitive, funded internships at SUNY Potsdam," said Internship Coordinator Dr. Max Grube. "Moving forward, we want to complement site work with the continuation of immersive programming -- this includes career readiness sessions, mentorship roles, and camaraderie-building activities in the month of June. We are so thankful to our local employers who make the PIP possible!"

The application process for sites and students remains unchanged. Sites must apply in the fall to be considered, and students will review the list of site options during their application process in the spring. Student applications will open on Jan. 1 and close on March 1, 2027. Students will still complete an interview with staff from the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, followed by an interview with their top two site choices.

One notable difference for Summer 2027 is that all PIP internships must occur in the month of June, with a fixed number of 120 site hours. Changing the timeframe and total site hours reflects a growing need to establish a standard program template for funding and registering the student cohort.

"We understand that containing PIP experiences to June will require scheduling more weekly site hours for students and that some employers have needs in other months. However, this new design helps us make the program more sustainable on both financial and curricular levels. This approach helps build better expectations for completing the program by the end of June, with the added benefit of giving students time back to pursue additional work or internships afterward," Grube said.

Students will have the option of completing additional hours with a site during July and August (these would be considered regular internship hours that are registered separately from the PIP).

For more information on SUNY Potsdam's internship programs, visit www.potsdam.edu/internships.

Local internship sites with questions about the PIP or any of SUNY Potsdam's internship placement opportunities may reach out to Internship Coordinator Max Grube, at grubejm@potsdam.edu or (315) 267-2037.