$301K grant will support internships and career transitions

Clark University has received $301,507 from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations for Project IMPACT — Internships, Meaningful Practice, and Career Transitions. The grant supports a new effort to strengthen the connection between academic work and career preparation by building more intentional pathways from Problems of Practice (PoP) courses and other applied learning experiences into paid internships. 

Problems of Practice courses are issues of consequence impacting a community, profession, or discipline; such courses enable Clark students to collaborate with alumni and experts at local and global organizations — from theatre groups, historical societies, and media outlets to government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and NGOs.

“At a time when many students are being asked to demonstrate professional experience before graduation, Project IMPACT is designed to help Clark students develop and apply the core liberal arts capacities that matter most in a changing world — critical thinking, communication, problem solving, collaboration, and ethical judgment — through sustained, real-world practice while they are still in college,” says Laurie Ross, associate provost and dean of the college.

Project IMPACT builds on core elements of The Clark Experience: close faculty mentorship, meaningful engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with work in the world beyond campus.