HACU National Internship Program NSF Summer Scholars

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) is the recipient of an award for summer internship support. HACU, a national, non-profit organization, has a long and distinguished record of providing summer internship opportunities via the organization’s National Hispanic Internship Program (HNIP). Through HNIP, academically prepared students throughout the US and Puerto Rico receive quality internship assignments through various federal government agencies. Participants are exposed to various career options in the Federal sector that serve to help students make informed decisions and solidify career objectives. By partnering with the Federal government, HACU has successfully placed over 15,000 students in internships since HNIP commenced in 1992. To continue its collaboration with HACU, the National Science Foundation, a participating government agency, will offer challenging assignments that will broaden the exposure of students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Internships create a unique opportunity for the Foundation to actively participate in strengthening the human capital infrastructure to achieve excellence in STEM education and developing a competitive STEM workforce. The HACU HNIP program provides a robust internship experience that includes an extensive recruiting process to attract a diverse pool of students in STEM disciplines. The program is open to all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or veteran status. The application, matching, and selection process are designed to connect students with internship opportunities that best match their academic interests. Students receive mentoring and professional development training throughout the internship experience. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.