Presidential Internship Program (PIP)

PIP Overview 
The PIP is a summer internship program which fully funds a select cohort of SUNY Potsdam students and matches them to North Country employers. Site applications and selection occur in Fall 2025, and student applications and selection occur in Spring 2026. The PIP helps students with their degree/career progress, and the program helps North Country sites with workforce infrastructure in the summer. PIP students receive tuition coverage for their internship credits, a PIP stipend to cover hours worked, and they can still apply for the LoCAL stipend to offset additional costs like housing and mileage. In the spirit of President Smith's charge to "elevate engagement," the PIP aims to continually maintain and build upon our community partnerships. The PIP is administered by the Internship Coordinator in the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning (LoCAL). 

Applications
Site applicants must provide a detailed job description for each position submitted (multiple submissions are allowed for different positions). Student applicants must provide rationale for their PIP participation and their top site choices, as well as a resume and letter of support from a faculty mentor. 

Interview and Matching Process
Once sites have applied, the LoCAL will compile a list of site finalists to share with students in early spring. Student applicants will review the site list/positions provided and rank their top 3 choices. Based on the strength of their PIP application, student finalists will be invited for Round 1 interviews with LoCAL staff. Students that make it past Round 1 interviews will continue to Round 2 interviews with their top site choices (students must schedule interviews with their top choices). Sites will identify student finalists who represent the best fit for their position needs, and the LoCAL will confer with sites before announcing final matches in late spring.

Credits for the PIP
Credits are the same as any other registered internship at SUNY Potsdam (1 credit = 40 hours on site). The LoCAL will cover either 3 or 6 credits for each student, depending on which amount works best for their degree plan, summer schedule, etc. Note that the registered total credits can vary, but the LoCAL will only cover 3 or 6 credits due to a fixed program budget. Students have the option of registering up to 12 credits for their internship—any credits outside of 3/6 are the responsibility of the student. Like any credit-bearing internships at SUNY Potsdam, PIP internships are registered through Handshake. 

Site and Faculty Roles
Each PIP site must identify a site supervisor who is responsible for training and overseeing the student intern. Site supervisors are automatically contacted by Handshake to review a student's internship proposal (see below) and they will complete a midterm and final evaluation regarding site work performance. Students are responsible for identifying a faculty sponsor in advance of registration. The sponsor should be aware of the student's potential participation in the PIP, and they are welcome to provide a letter of support for the student's PIP application (all faculty are welcome to do so). 

Registering credits for the PIP 
The student will work with the site and faculty sponsor to prepare their internship proposal. Once all internship details are in place (end of April-early May), the student must submit their proposal on Handshake. The proposal will go through a chain of approvals before being registered with the university. Note: Internships must be registered before field experience begins with the site. 

Other Expenses 
While the LoCAL cannot pay for housing or meals, students can apply for the LoCAL stipend and internship scholarships to offset these costs during summer. Note: A Handshake proposal must be submitted prior to applying for the LoCAL stipend. 

Timing 
The PIP is a summer-only program. Interested students should work with their academic advisor and faculty mentor(s) to decide if this program fits their degree plans. PIP internships must take place during the start and end dates for the full summer session. View summer session dates. The actual start and end dates of the internship are determined by the student and site supervisor. 

Professional Development 
PIP students are required to participate in professional development sessions, which are led by LoCAL staff and guest speakers from around our campus and community. These sessions will occur each week (Wednesday at 4pm). Students are permitted to count these sessions toward their overall hour requirement with the site, and site supervisors are expected to release their student intern(s) in time for each session. 

*Please refer to the Program Timeline (on this page) for specific site and student dates.

Site Application
The PIP Site Application for Summer 2026 will open on October 1, 2025, and close on December 2, 2025. 

How to apply:

• Must be a North Country employer
• Provide detailed responses where applicable
• Demonstrate why your site should be chosen for the PIP
• Provide a clear write-up of internship job descriptions (the more detailed, the better)
  • Note: PIP sites can offer more than one internship position for students to choose from!

Student Application
The PIP Student Application for Summer 2026 will open on January 1, 2026, and close on March 2, 2026. 

How to apply:

• Provide detailed responses where applicable
• Make clear connections between your site choices and your degree work/career goals
• Rank top 3 site choices (check list of sites and positions on webpage)
• Upload current resume and cover letter
• Provide availability for scheduling a preliminary interview with LoCAL staff

Check on the following 3 things before submitting an application: 

1. Academic Advisor—Check your eligibility to participate in the PIP by reviewing how many credits you will register and how this program factors into your degree plan.
2. Faculty Sponsor—Confirm a faculty sponsor, should you be chosen for the PIP. You will also need to ask this faculty sponsor for a letter of support (to be included in your application). Faculty sponsors may recommend a particular PIP site option, so check with them early in the application process.
3. Financial Aid—Ask if participating in a 6-credit internship would impact your financial aid package. 

Students: A list of PIP sites will be posted here on December 15, 2025, once the site application and review process has concluded. This list will include North Country site options and internship position details for each site. 

Sites: The Internship Coordinator will contact selected sites on December 15, 2025.

Here are examples of which PIP students and sites were selected in Summer 2025: 

Seaway Valley Prevention Council
Sarah Fitzgerald and Sarah Dauenhauer, "Health Educators" 

North Country Children's Museum 
Kadi Palmer, "STEAM Education Intern"

St. Lawrence Land Trust
Jack Luck, "Summer Intern"

GardenShare
Mia Iaccino, "Farmers Market Ambassador"

St. Lawrence Arts Council 
Nadia Atkinson, "Teen Summer Program Intern"

Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative, Inc.
Emily Pijanowski, "Conservation Intern"

Blueline Magazine 
Emily Taylor, "Marketing and Pubic Relations Intern" 

St. Lawrence County Public Health Department 
Chase Bond, Garrett O'Hara, and Ellie Barbolt, "Mosquito Surveillance Interns"

SUNY Potsdam Campus Life
Katie Fowler, "Graphic Designer"

Brick and Mortar Music
Margo Neth, "Sales Associate" 

Crane Youth Music 
Aidan Sherwood, "Camp Counselor and Administrative Intern"