Summer Internships

Penn English Internships, Summer 2025

The Department of English is pleased to announce SIX internship opportunities during Summer 2025, all of which are reserved for Penn English majors and minors. Three of these offer stipends of $2500 paid by Penn English, while the others are paid directly by the employer (see below for specific pay structures). 

In order to apply, please email the following documents to Dr. Becky Friedman (beckysf@english.upenn.edu) by the indicated deadlines:

1. A brief statement of why you are interested in the chosen position (300 words maximum)
2. Your resume

English majors are preferred for these positions, but English minors will also be considered. Students may apply for any or all of the opportunities, but should send a separate letter of interest for each.

 

Penn English-Sponsored Internship Opportunities

Applications due March 23, 2025!

Each Penn English-sponsored internship involves approximately 20 hours of work per week over an 8-week or 9-week period. Interns receive an award of $2500 from Penn English.

Penn Medicine Listening Lab: Summer Intern (on-site; Philadelphia) — Application due March 23, 2025

The Penn Medicine Listening Lab is a storytelling initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Through recorded narratives, written reflections, and creative storytelling, the Listening Lab fosters empathy, understanding, and connection within the healthcare community. By highlighting personal experiences, the Lab aims to improve communication, inspire compassionate care, and support wellbeing at Penn Medicine. To learn more, visit: https://pennlisteninglab.org

Responsibilities: The Listening Lab is seeking a summer intern with strong writing and editorial skills to support its mission. The intern may assist in transcribing, editing, and curating patient and provider stories and will oversee a series of listening kiosks installed in Penn Medicine facilities. Additional responsibilities may include assisting with the production of a publication about the listening lab, supporting communications efforts involving storytellers and the public, and assisting with workshops and presentations. Ideal candidates will be English majors with a keen interest in narrative medicine and storytelling in healthcare. The internship will last for 7 weeks, and the intern will be expected to work on a part-time basis for up to 20 hours per week.

Qualifications and Requirements: Strong verbal communication skills and proficiency in writing, with advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace; a strong sense of integrity, reliability, confidentiality, and professionalism required; and an ability to handle confidential and sensitive information. Please note that the student should be currently enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania as an English major. This position will involve volunteer onboarding at Penn Medicine, which may entail vaccination requirements.

 

Trinity Repertory Company: Administrative Intern (on-site; Rhode Island) — Application due March 23, 2025

The State Theater of Rhode Island, a 61-year-old non-profit, professional theater company is offering an 8-10 week on-site internship. The selected intern will rotate throughout the different administrative departments and get a taste for the work of a regional theater.  Departments include: Development (fundraising), Administration (HR and finance), and Marketing.  The work will include: copy writing, grants and correspondence drafting, conducting research, supporting events, and learning on the job. The experience can be shaped around the interest of the candidate and will include direct access to the Executive Director (a Penn alum.) 

Qualifications sought: strong writing and reading comprehension skills, strong organizational skills, communication skills (both written and oral). An interest in theater is a plus! 

Skills to be acquired include: grant writing and business correspondence, research for potential donors, event support and collaboration, business model for non-profit theater.

 

Hikma Collective: Digital Storytelling Coordinator (remote) — Application due March 23, 2025

The Hikma Collective is pleased to invite applications from Penn English undergraduates for the role of Digital Storytelling Coordinator. The Digital Storytelling Coordinator will work directly with Hikma's Founder, Erica Machulak (Penn English '09), and other members of the Hikma team and community. This internship position is funded by the Penn English Department. The successful applicant is expected to commit 20 hours per week over 8 weeks (100% virtual).

Key responsibilities:

• Write and design creative media through Hikma Collective storytelling channels such as our blog, podcast, newsletter, and website.
• Replicate the existing archive of blog posts on our website on other platforms such as LinkedIn and Medium.
• Edit and design web pages to promote our founder's upcoming book, Hustles for Humanists, and other Hikma initiatives.
• Research, analysis, and other activities that may emerge in conversation with the intern.

What we're looking for:

• Excellent writing skills. Evidence of writing for public audiences preferred.
• Excellent professional communication and collaboration skills.
• Design skills in any audio or visual media, or desire to learn. Please indicate familiarity with any design software (Adobe programs, Audacity, Canva, etc.)

Benefits of the job:

• Direct mentorship in writing, collaboration, and project management.
• Development of portfolio items shared through our extensive Hikma network.
• Expert feedback on your writing, creative media, and presentations.
• Experience working at a humanities-based startup.

 

 

Additional Paid Internship Opportunity for Penn English Students

Lincoln Center Theater: Development Intern (on-site; New York City) — Application due March 23, 2025

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1985, Lincoln Center Theater has produced over 200 plays and musicals at the Vivian Beaumont, Mitzi E. Newhouse, and Claire Tow Theaters at Lincoln Center and other theaters on and off-Broadway, as well as touring productions nationally and around the world. LCT is committed to developing and producing new works and classics with an emphasis on the work of new and emerging playwrights, directors, and designers. LCT’s education program, Open Stages, reaches thousands of public-school students annually with curriculum- related projects, teaching artist support, and tickets to LCT productions.

LCT Values:

LCT is dedicated to fostering a theater representative of all of the populations we serve. We are proactively committed to better serve the artists, staff, crews, audiences, and broader community through our organization's values. We welcome applicants who are in alignment with our organization's values of empathy, dignity, and care.

Lincoln Center Theater welcomes candidates who are fully committed to joining an organization that is proactively focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants from populations underrepresented in theater and who align themselves with LCT’s values and goals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Internship Summary:

The Development Intern will work to support LCT’s 15-person development team in the following areas:

Strategy

• Support the Development team with creative fundraising strategy ideas.
• Assist the Director of Development and Planning on special initiatives

Research

• Create face books and in-depth profiles on event attendees.
• Conduct research on prospective institutional and individual supporters.
• Data Entry in Tessitura.
• Create new constituent records.
• Update existing records to reflect new constituent codes, relationships, contact information, and invitation codes.
• Attend department meetings, and log moves management actions.
• Work with Development operations team on Import large data sets to track event attendance, appeals, and mailings.

Operations

• Maintain department calendar.
• Oversee e-filing on behalf of department.

Events

• Support staff, as needed, at special events.

Writing

• Support the development team with drafting, revising, and editing donor communication and department materials.

Other duties and projects as assigned.

Learning Opportunities for the Development Intern:

• Become proficient in Tessitura.
• Learn data management and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) fundamentals.
• Gain exposure to fundraising fundamentals and departmental budgets.
• Become an expert user of Development research tools such as Lexis Nexis, and iWave.

Position Requirements and Experience:

• Passion or interest in a career in not-for-profit performing arts.
• Great interpersonal and communication skills.
• Team oriented, and attentive to detail.

Availability to work between Monday to Friday, 10am-6pm, or a flexible schedule with approximately 30 hours/weekly.

Compensation:

Paid hourly at $18/hour. Payroll is paid weekly. Start date for the internship will be early June through August (exact dates TBD) .

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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, affectional preference, gender identity or expression, sexual and reproductive health decisions, pregnancy, disability, genetic predisposition, age, military or veteran status, marital or familial status, or any other protected characteristic, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

 

Zeta Charter Schools: Intern (flexible; New York City) — Application due March 23, 2025

This organization pays interns directly at a rate of $16.50/hour (~$5,280 over the 8-week internship). The selected intern should expect to work full-time, 40 hours per week over an 8-week period starting on May 19th. ​​An in-person start to the internship is required for an excellent launch experience. The role will be in person through June 13th and become fully remote through the remainder of the 8-week internship.

You can read more about the role and submit your application materials here: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/network/jobs/5891319003

Currently, we operate multiple elementary and middle schools in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan, and are opening three new elementary schools in Queens for the 2025-26 school year. We plan to grow and open 1-2 schools each year because children in every community deserve excellent, equitable education. Join our growing team today, and be a change agent for children.

Zeta is seeking an intern with a proven record of strong research and written abilities to work on projects related to High School Design Research or High-Quality Curriculum. These projects will have an essential impact on our innovative curriculum materials, and will enable Zeta to launch its first high school.

Qualifications sought: Excellent organizational skills with a keen eye for detail, strong time management skills, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, creative and critical thinker with a willingness to step outside of the box to solve problems in a new and innovative way, familiarity with a variety of online tools, including Google Slides and Google Sheets/Excel, or strong capability and interest to quickly learn, ability to create data visualizations, or strong capability and interest to quickly learn, and wear multiple hats as a part of a lean scale-up team, supporting the work of others on the team and taking on new projects and tasks as needed.

 

MRC:  Intern (on-site; Los Angeles) — Application deadline of March 7 has now passed.

This company pays interns directly, at a rate of $19.65/hour. The selected intern should expect to work fulltime, 40 hours per week over an 8-week period and must be on-site in LA for the duration of the role. Dates are flexible, though MRC prefers the selected intern to work late June to mid-August. 

This diversified global entertainment company with Film and Television divisions is seeking an intern at their West Hollywood office location. The intern’s role will be tailored to individual interests, with daily tasks that help the intern learn and allow them to contribute to the projects and goals of each individual department.

Responsibilities (depending on department—may include, but are not limited to): script reading, coverage, research and breakdown; building tracking grids for TV, production and development; building call sheets and researching shoot locations; assisting with copyright filings and title clearances; industry tracking and market / competitor analysis; researching material and story ideas; building deck presentations; brainstorming ideas for marketing campaigns; desk shadowing; basic admin including filing, copying, scheduling, etc.

Qualifications and Requirements: currently enrolled in a four-year college or university and authorized to work in the U.S.; strong written and verbal communication skills; advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; interest in the media landscape, including Film and Television; strong sense of integrity, confidentiality, diplomacy and professionalism required; reliable and timely; must be trustworthy and able to handle confidential and sensitive information.