FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington has received a Procter & Gamble grant from the P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation for $10,000 to help support urban internships for students in publishing or film.
Funds from the grant will be used to help two UMF students majoring in English or creative writing pursue and experience high level internships that are often located in urban areas throughout the U.S.
“Our students are so excited about internship opportunities in Boston, New York City and similar urban areas, but these programs can be costly,” said Pat O’Donnell, UMF professor of English. “Just the transportation and living costs can put them out of reach for many of our students. This grant will help make it possible for them to intern with one of the major magazine publishers or literary agencies that are often located in these metropolitan areas.”
Students applying for the competitive grant will need to submit a letter of recommendation from a UMF faculty member and proof of acceptance to an appropriate internship, with priority given to those in large urban areas.
In addition, students need to have at least one more semester on the UMF campus after their internship. This provides the opportunity for them to share what they’ve learned with other students and to help them be successful in their own intern experiences.
An internship in publishing or film is required of every BFA major, and sought by many English majors as well. UMF has also created a new minor in editing and publishing.
“These fields of study help students develop the strong writing skills, creative thinking and collaborative professionalism that is in high demand by employers today,” said O’Donnell.
Grant awards will be decided by a faculty panel and announced later in the spring.
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