Carnegie Mellon University

Olitsky Family Foundation Internship Grant

The Olitsky Family Foundation Internship Grant is designed to support early career experiences for students with emotional and cognitive differences.  Applicants who have engaged with the Olitsky Career Readiness Program and/or CMU's Office of Disability Resources will be given preference for this grant. Olitsky internship grants will be available to current undergraduate and graduate students who are participating in off-campus internships located in the United States during the summer of 2022.  The internship must be a low paying  (less than $12/hour) or unpaid experience. This grant aims to offset incurred expenses during a summer internship while helping to maximize the value of the overall experience. The Career & Professional Development Center (CPDC) will be coordinating the dispersal of Olitsky Family Foundation grant funds that have been set aside for ensuring a high-impact, internship experience among CMU students.

This grant is open to undergraduate and graduate students; however, preference will be given to students who have engaged with the Olitsky Career Readiness Program and/or CMU's Office of Disability Resources. Based on remaining funds for this grant, the maximum amount of funding awarded is $1,000 for a given internship experience. 

Students can begin submitting applications in Handshake beginning February of 2022. Completed applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis in the order they are received until all funds have been dispersed, with a final deadline of April 2022.

  1. Secure an off-campus internship located in the United States. The internship must be low paying (less than $12/hour) or unpaid.
  2. Schedule an appointment with the CPDC Disability Resources Intern through the Handshake appointment portal; select the "1-on-1 Career Coaching Category" for Olitsky.

  3. Provide your resume and internship offer letter during your appointment. Your offer letter, or an email from your employer, must highlight your wage information (if paid), expected number of hours, and the internship location.

  4. Save the PDF application to your computer and fill in the form completely. Once complete, please save the file as "Olitsky22_studentname." You will be able to apply for this grant by submitting your completed application, expense form, and resume to the Olitsky grant posting on Handshake. This process will be reviewed during your appointment.
  5. The final step is to complete your internship and submit your completed internship questionnaire to jbattell@andrew.cmu.edu

Which Students Are Eligible?

  • Current undergraduate or graduate students at CMU returning to campus for the Fall 2022 semester. However, Heinz College graduate students are encouraged to first seek internship funding through the Heinz College Internship Opportunity Fund at this link.
  • Students who have already received an offer for an off-campus, unpaid or low paying internship in the U.S. for summer 2022.

What Internships Are Eligible?

  • The internship experience must be shown to support students’ academic and career goals and development
  • The internship must take place during the summer 2022 session: May 23, 2022 - August 15, 2022
  • Must be unpaid or low-paying (less than $12/hour)
  • Must be an off-campus internship in the United States
  • Must be a minimum of six weeks and/or at least 180 hours total
  • Must be supervised by a professional in the field throughout the entire internship
  • Summer research internships based in Pittsburgh are not eligible
     • Contact the Undergraduate Research Office (URO) for summer research grant and funding information

Before being granted access to apply on Handshake, you must:

  1. Meet with the CPDC Disability Resources Intern to discuss your internship offer.
  2. During this appointment, you must present your resume and internship offer letter.  Your offer letter, or an email from your employer, must highlight your wage information (if paid), expected number of hours, and the internship location.

If selected to be a recipient of this grant, you will be required to:

Complete the internship questionnaire from the CPDC about your summer experience and how it impacted your future career goals. Submit this to jbattell@andrew.cmu.edu

Students are expected to find their own internships for this grant. The CPDC has many resources available to students on the website, at workshops and job fairs, and listed on Handshake. We also encourage you to meet with your Career Consultant to assist you in this process.  In addition, check with your academic advisor and network with family and friends to find opportunities.

February 2022

Students can begin submitting applications.  Applications will be considered on a rolling basis as they are received and while funds are available, with a final deadline of April 2022

May 2022 - June 2022

Disperal of funds to students (Note: disperal of funds can take several weeks)

September 2022

Internship questionnaire due date

When is the application due?

Completed applications (i.e., students who have met with the CPDC Disability Resources Intern AND submitted an application in Handshake) will be reviewed on a rolling basis in the order they are received until all funds have been dispersed. Applications must be submitted and reviewed at least one week before the summer internship is scheduled to begin.

What is the difference between an internship and a job?

An internship is any carefully monitored work or experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what they are learning throughout the experience. Internships vary widely from organization to organization. Some common characteristics of an internship include:

  • Is a time-limited experience that usually lasts about three months and occurs during the fall, spring or summer semesters
  • Is generally a one-time experience
  • Must be at least 180 hours and/or 6 weeks
  • May be paid or unpaid
  • May be part of a learning plan that the intern and career consultant develop together
  • Is different from a short-term job or volunteer work and has an intentional “learning agenda” in a structured work environment
  • Includes learning objectives, observation, reflection, evaluation, and assessment
  • Has an existing employee working in the department/position to mentor and supervise the intern
  • Promotes academic, career and/or personal development