CLA Get Ready Program
Get Ready
CLA 3002, Career Kickstarter is helping you Prepare for finding an internship, research opportunity, or other career-related experience. We also want to help Bridge you to one of these important larger career experiences by ensuring you have at least one short-term, real-world experience so you're more competitive for internships or other career opportunities.
Industry-Based Projects
CLA has funding to support ALL sophomore CLA President Emerging Scholars in completing a one-week industry-based project and immersive experience at an organization. Participants will be compensated for the time, knowledge, and insights they offer to the organization with a $600 scholarship.
What is an Industry-Based Project?
Industry-based projects are professional assignments/immersive experiences that are short-term (1 week) and will be completed by a small team of students. Students will be given a project prompt to develop with the support of their student team, an industry expert, and a CLA staff mentor. Projects will vary based on industry type and students’ career field preferences. You can review these examples of Industry-Based Projects students completed last spring. CLA staff are still confirming employer partners that will host student teams, but here is a list of the current projects planned for the 2022-2023 academic year.
When can I participate in an Industry-Based Project?
We are facilitating Projects at three different times throughout the academic year:
- Winter Break | January 9-13, 2023
- Spring Break | March 6-10, 2023
- May term | May 11-12 & 15-17 (Thursday-Friday and Monday-Wednesday - no weekend hours required)
If you are a CLA PES student interested in participating or learning more, please complete the form below. It helps our planning with employer partners if we have an idea of when students are available for doing a project and their career field of interest. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but preference will be given to students who complete the interest form by Sunday, November 27th.
Project Stories | Spring Pilot 2022
Read about some of the past projects to learn more about what these experiences offer you as student.
Project: Ambassador Program Design
An inclusive talent network, ConnextMSP is working to ensure that early-career professionals of color in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region are recruited, hired and supported by local employers as they launch their careers. This is a critical initiative of GREATER MSP a regional economic development partnership to ensure the partnership is advancing inclusive economic growth and building a 21st century workforce in the region.
ConnextMSP was one of six host sites that participated in May 2022 in the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts’ (CLA) industry-based projects pilot as part of its Get Ready Program.
Project: Research & Social Media Outreach
Tubman is a multiservice organization providing safe shelter, transitional and rapid rehousing, legal services, mental and chemical health services, youth outreach, in-school violence prevention education, mobile case management, support groups, job readiness, financial education and more to about 20,000 people in the Twin Cities, each year. These programs support individuals and families seeking safety, hope, and healing as they move from fear to freedom.
Tubman was one of six host sites that participated in May 2022 in the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts’ (CLA) industry-based projects pilot as part of its Get Ready Program.
Project: New Customer Growth
Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris Inc. proudly serves customers in more than 100 countries. Employees at the $8.2 billion company drive change and innovation, and are empowered to take on challenging assignments and roles with an elevated level of responsibility.
Product Manager Matt Mukomela is a CLA Alum (BA ’11) with an Economics degree and a Management minor from the Carlson School of Management. Mukomela worked with four CLA students as they participated in a weeklong project at Polaris that helped them gain insight into working in corporate America.
Project: Website redesign
CLA alumna Stacy Pratt (BA ’99), never planned to own her own business. But following a layoff she used her extensive experience in facilitation and training with Fortune 100 companies, non profit organizations and local governments to launch a business and chart a new career path.
A culture and talent consulting service, S Pratt Consulting LLC provides customized business solutions that promote inclusive cultures, support diverse talent, and enrich workforce relations. S. Pratt’s vision is to create inclusive work environments that reinforce employee engagement and
retention while achieving organizational goals.