State Farm Community Partnership Program

State Farm and the IWU Action Research Center have partnered to offer a unique
internship program. The Community Partnership Program internship affords students the
opportunity to gain real world experience in a corporate environment while contributing
to a Central Illinois non-profit organization. Students work three days per week at State
Farm and two days each week with a community partner. In addition to challenging work
assignments, CPP interns participate in professional and personal development classes
and interact with various levels of State Farm employees and community leaders. CPP
interns have the opportunity to learn more about other areas of State Farm and are invited
to various intern social events. Following the internship, qualified individuals may be
given consideration for future internships and/or full-time employment.

Location

State Farm Insurance Corporate Office, Bloomington, Illinois and a not-for-
profit organization in the Bloomington-Normal community.

Dates*

May 20, 2013 August 2, 2013
*Students must be available to begin full-time (38 ¾ hours/week) on May 20, as the first
week will be dedicated to orientation and training at State Farm. Students who are not
able to begin on May 20 are not eligible for this program. Students may not take a May
term course.

Compensation

$15/hour - $18/hour
*Hourly rate is non-negotiable

Work Schedule

38:45 hours/week (Monday-Friday)
3 days/week allocated to a State Farm business area and 2 days/week allocated to a local
non-profit organization

Transportation & Meals

Transportation to/from work and/or the community partner, in
addition to meals, will be the intern's responsibility.

 

Our Program Goals

Promote the collaborative relationships between multiple institutions (State Farm, Illinois Wesleyan University, the not-for-profit agency) serving a shared community;

Develop well-rounded and thoughtful citizens that can engage in the community in meaningful ways for a lifetime;

Teach interns about State Farm as a global insurance and financial leader, a role model of business-community partnership, and important cornerstone of the local community;

Create future community leaders by giving them important tools and allowing them to explore various roles – direct service provider, service recipient, staff, volunteer, donor, and Board member;

Create a systemic change within organizations by utilizing students in challenging capacities that require critical analysis and strategic thinking; and

Expose students to “beyond the classroom” experiences and illustrate how text book lessons and real life examples align, conflict and co-exist.

Each year we invite applications from students, not-for-profit organizations and State Farm departments to participate in future programs. Ten students are selected to participate and are placed with a State Farm Department and with a not-for-profit organization upon acceptance to the program.  All applications are reviewed by representatives from State Farm, IWU and a community representative.  We seek to piece together a puzzle that is the best fit for all partners. 

Please call with any questions you might have.  We hope you will consider participating in this very unique and rewarding endeavor.  We look forward to working with you as we launch another summer of the Community Partnership program.

This is what past interns have told us:

This is an unbelievable program that really melds business sense and community awareness. The experiences gained will be beneficial to those entering the corporate or non-profit world, and the connections made between IWU and the community are incredibly important.

I truly think that ARC students are going to be the leaders and social-changers of the community. The program is well worth the investment.

I have learned about many non-profits I never knew existed, realized the importance of knowing people (in the corporate and non-profit world) and the vitality of social capital, discovered different ways to use my skills and major, have come to value the knowledge of others, and have overcome the fear of putting yourself in a position where you don’t know what the ending holds.

I feel like I learned a lot about leadership and trust in the community. Overall it was very effective and very worthwhile.

Thanks for giving me this opportunity. I’ve grown so much this summer, personally and professionally.

This program is amazing!