What is SPARK?
The Career Center’s SPARK Program supports the CSU Student Success initiative goals to increase retention rates for first-year, first-time students & eliminate equity gaps for first-generation, limited income, rural and / or racially minoritized students.
Students are paid to participate in career preparation activities and supported in finding employment opportunities.
On-Campus Employers can receive funding to create meaningful on-campus employment and internship opportunities.
Program Goals
- Bolstering an awareness of the benefits of on-campus employment as meaningful engagement practice and internships as a high-impact practice.
- Removing financial barriers that prevent students from pursuing on-campus employment and internships.
- Supporting departments & supervisors to establish sustainable and meaningful student employee and internship experiences.
- Connecting students to the high impact practice of internships.
Student Employment Funding
- Are you a student looking for on-campus employment support?
- Or an on-campus employer looking to improve your student employee development practices?
Summer 2024 Internship Funding
- Are you a student looking for an on-campus summer internship?
- Or a on-campus employer looking to create internship positions?
Frequently Asked Questions - Summer Internship Funding
Questions From Students
No, we have already done the hard part for you! The SPARK Internship Program is a summer career experience, taking place from the end of May through the middle of August 2024. A cohort of approximately 30 students will participate in Career Center-led workshops while working on a team internship project with CSU faculty and staff members.
Examples of participating sites for Summer 2024 include (NONE are limited to specific majors):
- Sustainability Hub (Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory) – intersections of community-centered sustainability, asset mapping, community development, web development (UX design), and communications
- Ethnic Studies Collab Lab – intersections of collaborative research, community development, and creative practices, centering LGBTQ2SIA+ identities
- Translational Neurological Lab (Occupational Therapy) – intersections of health sciences, communications, education, and community development
- Center for Collaborative Conservation – intersections of science, conservation, communication, event planning, and community development
- Sense of Belonging @ CSU Libraries – intersections of student engagement, inclusion & belonging, data management, interior design, web development, communications, and art/art history
- Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center – intersections of agriculture, food supply, data management, and operations
- Gregory Allicar Museum of Art – intersections of art, history, communications, community development, and archival methods
Students will apply to be a part of the SPARK program overall, with placement into specific projects occurring two weeks into the program based on student and site preferences.
Yes! Optional on-campus housing is available (paid for through the SPARK program) for students requiring housing over the summer. We are committed to eliminating as many barriers as possible for students interested in the SPARK Internship Program.
Yes! The SPARK Internship Program will require approximately 15-20 hours per week. This part time schedule is intended to allow flexibility for any classes you may need to take during the Summer 2024 semester.
Students will be hired as student employees and will receive up to $5000 in student hourly pay through biweekly payroll over the course of June, July, and August.
SPARK is currently able to support students that are eligible to work in the US. The Career Center provides other funding opportunities for students seeking financial support in other areas of career development. Please visit our Funding Resources web page for more information!
Frequently Asked Questions - Student Employment Funding
Questions From Students
This program is funded through the CSU Student Success Initiatives charge, which has on-campus employment as one of the key strategies tied to student success. So the purpose of SPARK is truly for on-campus employment, and not external positions. However, a university campus is like a small enterprise with many different functional areas so it is likely that we are able to find a meaningful experience right here on campus for you!
Yes! We encourage all students to apply.
This program is funded through the CSU Student Success Initiatives charge, of which, one element is a focus on (undergraduate) first to second year retention. Graduate students are eligible to apply, however, priority will be given to first year students in our student employment cohort. Graduate students could also consider applying for the second portion of the SPARK program which focuses on summer internships. More information about this part of the program will be provided in fall semester.
Yes! We encourage all students to apply.
This program is funded through the CSU Student Success Initiatives charge which focuses on increasing retention rates for first-year, first-time students & eliminate equity gaps for first-generation, limited income, rural and / or racially minoritized students. Transfer students are encouraged to apply with this charge in mind.
By participating in student employee development workshops and events, students will be paid throughout a 8-month period.
For more information about student employee development workshops and events, please review the Student Calendar Section of the SPARK application.
SPARK is currently able to support students that are eligible to work in the US. The Career Center provides other funding opportunities for students seeking financial support in other areas of career development. Please visit our Funding Resources web page for more information!
Questions From Campus Employers
Yes! We encourage all campus employers to apply. SPARK funding can be used for on-campus student positions.
With a focus on student employee & internship development, funding can be used for a range of development practices: paying for students to go to a professional conference, funding research activities, paying student employees, creating meaningful & inclusive employee development practice.
As a part of receiving funding, the SPARK Program will guide campus employers through cohort-based trainings. Some trainings will be spent creating action plans for what the funding will be used from.
In support of the CSU Student Success Initiative, SPARK funding focuses on part-time student / campus employment and internships.
