Engage Chicago is an eight-week summer field study program run by Northwestern University’s Center for Civic Engagement and Chicago Field Studies. Engage Chicago gives bright undergraduates a chance to earn academic credit as they live, work, and serve together in Chicago – all while learning from the city’s rich history and culture of civic engagement. Learn more about the program here. 

We look for organizations that: 1) Impact the city in substantial ways, offering an opportunity for students to learn about and work towards social change; 2) Charge students with project-based work, not simply clerical tasks; and 3) Assign a primary supervisor who will be invested in the students’ learning experience.

Internship projects can include any type of work that advances the efforts of the host organization. Organizations can specify needed or desired skills and experience of prospective interns on the Host Site Application. 

Engage Chicago internships begin at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 23, 2025 and conclude at 12 noon on Friday, August 15, 2025. 

During Engage Chicago, students have Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays available for internship work, and are expected to work 20-24 hours/week at their internship site. Students have class and academic seminars on Tuesday afternoons and Thursdays (on a rotating schedule) and are unable to work during those commitments. 

Students may have weekend or evening availability for special events; this can be discussed with Engage Chicago program staff and the intern directly. 

We work with bright, motivated students who are eager to learn about Chicago, about public interest work, and about themselves. Students have all completed at least one year of college. They are in a variety of fields of study. Many are Northwestern students, but we also have students from other colleges and universities enrolled in the program. They are receiving academic course credit for their participation in Engage Chicago this summer.

Organizations interested in hosting an intern should complete the Host Site Application.  

The Engage Chicago staff team will send the resumes of students who are interested in a specific internship position to the contact person listed on the Host Site Application. Organizations can select a candidate based on their resume alone, request additional materials such as a cover letter, or schedule an interview with candidates.  

Once an organization selects a candidate and a match is confirmed, the student and the internship supervisor meet to outline goals and expectations for the internship before the internship begins.  

The Host Site Application opens in mid-February, and the priority application deadline for host organizations is March 15. Engage Chicago staff will review submitted applications and publish accepted internship opportunities to students beginning in early April. The process continues through May. 

If your organization is interested in matching with an intern earlier in the spring, please include details in your submitted Host Site Application and notify our team via email (engage.chicago@northwestern.edu).  

Before the internship begins, the internship supervisor is responsible for working with the intern to complete a form outlining goals and expectations for the internship.  

During the eight weeks of the program, we expect interns to receive regular supervision and support, and to be as integrated into the organization as possible given the length of the internship. We partner with organizations that are invested in helping interns have an enriching learning experience while also contributing to the work of the organization. 

At the end of the program, the internship supervisor completes an evaluation of the intern’s performance.