Fahe Appalachian Internship Program

Program purpose: to connect aspiring students in Appalachia to quality internships in the Fahe Network, bringing additional capacity and skill to Member organizations while providing valuable opportunities for students to stay in the region to complete internships and learn about Fahe’s nonprofit Network. We believe that long-term outcomes have the potential to be transformative. Our region needs more leaders with the capacity to design programs and craft solutions that are innovative, place-sensitive, person-focused, and efficient in the use of available resources.

Internship Program Objectives:

To equip young leaders with a place-based perspective and new tools, education, and experience needed to shape a more prosperous and positive future.
To provide our nonprofit Network with broader skillsets and fresh perspectives.
To attract and retain professionals who will be our next generation of leaders.

Program details:

Fahe’s program provides an established framework, structure, and peer connection/ support to benefit service sites and interns. Fahe coordinates the program, placing interns at partner organizations/host sites across the Appalachian region.
Internship term is typically 10 weeks: late May – early August
An internship stipend may be available – amount varies per year based on funding.
A limited number of internships will be available each term. Each internship project will have a focus area determined for that term by each service site.

Previous Internships sites have been in WV, TN, & KY, and have been in these project areas:

Marketing/Communication

Business/Management

Finance/Finance Analysis

Public Relations

Research and Evaluation

Community Development

Need for the next generation of leaders in Appalachia:

Fahe was founded by a group of leaders representing central Appalachian affordable housing organizations in 1980. Our Membership Network now includes more than 50 non-profits throughout Appalachia that employ local leaders doing “boots on the ground” work in the communities they serve. These leaders represent the needs of their communities to Fahe; informed by their perspective, we advocate for and invest national-level resources into a region where traditional markets are broken and ineffective.

Ultimately, we believe that participating in quality internships will help develop engaged leaders with a long-term view, collaborative approach, and thoughtful strategy that will help our Network across Appalachia, both in the present and future, to bring all residents’ quality of life into balance with the abundance of the region’s natural and cultural assets.

Have questions or want more detail?

Connect with Fahe Appalachia Internship Program Coordinator Angela Stephens at astephens@fahe.org or 859-228-2118.