Experiential Education Initiative Internship
Established in 2000, the innovative Experiential Education Initiative (EEI) Internship is a semester-long, paid internship for individuals with intellectual disabilities, 19 to 30 years of age. The program also provides access to cultural arts experiences at the Center, opportunities for social and personal growth, and develops work-readiness skills for success in transition to the workplace. With meaningful, experiential hands-on opportunities, EEI interns will explore today's varied careers in a performing arts environment.
About the Program
The EEI Internship program affirms the vital importance of developing professional and social skills through integrated experiences with the Center internship cohort of college students and recent graduates. EEI Interns engage in skill development alongside intern peers and Center staff specialists in accessibility and employment supporting all members of the internship cohort to develop critical social skills and gain meaningful workforce experience.
Meaningful work-readiness experience
After an application and interview process, EEI Interns are placed in job sites around the Center that align with their interests, skills, and professional goals. Intern placements are in the front-of-house, administrative offices, retail operations, and more. Each semester, supportive work placements are identified, and customized work experiences are developed in collaboration with placement supervisors and social service providers that supports the professional goals of every EEI intern.
Professional Development
Continuing career education is a program priority. EEI Interns engage in professional development offered to all interns in supportive environments that address their individual professional goals. All curricula is created with differentiation in mind and accommodations are provided when necessary. These opportunities include:
- Professional Development Workshops address workplace skills, like resume-writing, interviewing, networking, and public speaking.
- Organization Look-Ins are seminars that provide a peek behind the scenes into the inner workings of the Center and the variety of career pathways available in arts organizations. These are also valuable opportunities to practice social and appropriate meeting behaviors.
Performances and other Arts Experiences
Nourishing a love of the arts is an important program goal. As such, the EEI internship program offers access to the cultural opportunities onstage at the Center. Interns will be provided with tickets to performances of their choosing so that they may more deeply experience the nation’s cultural arts center.
Eligibility & Key Dates
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Eligibility
All candidates must:
- Be between the ages of 19 and 30.
- Have a documented intellectual disability as their primary diagnosis.
- Be referred through a service provider (such as a transition coordinator, social service agency, etc.), that will provide a job coach and support as needed throughout the internship.
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Key Dates
- Check back soon for more information on future offerings.
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Current Opportunities
- Check back soon.
The content of this program were developed under grant H421F240164 from the U.S. Department of Education (Department). The Department does not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described or discussed in this program. The content of this program may contain examples of, adaptations of, and links to resources created and maintained by another public or private organization. The Department does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. The content of this program does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department. This program is not intended to represent the views or policy of or be an endorsement of any views expressed or materials provided by any Federal agency. (EDGAR 75.620)