MRU students get involved in non-profit

SCIP provides internship opportunities for those in post secondary

Omar Omar

Contributor

Nearly 100 students at Mount Royal University have taken advantage of the Serving Communities Internship Program (SCIP) by working on internships for non-profit organizations across Alberta and earning $1,000 bursaries for their work.

SCIP, only in its second year, is different than most intern opportunities because applicants are placed in areas that engage their own personal skills and abilities.

Kathryn Ursel, a first-year nursing student at MRU, is working on her internship as the skate program assistant for WinSport at Calgary Olympic Park. Ursel helps children learn how to skate while engaging with the community.

“All you have to do is go online and fill out a questionnaire, which isn’t too hard to answer. Once that’s done, you’ve got a huge database of opportunities,” Ursel said.

SCIP is funded by the Government of Alberta, provided at no cost to non-profit organizations and post-secondary students.

Ursel started by searching through sport-related opportunities, but she said that’s not all the program has to offer. “There are at-home jobs, often of the social media kind, and other things.”

The SCIP website contains listings for internships ranging from journalism interns, marketing interns, social media coordinators, LGBTQ community resource coordinators and other specialized opportunities, either virtual or in-person across Alberta.

Ursel’s internship ran from the end of September to December, and she now has a steady job waiting for her at WinSport. Ursel added that it is not just the bursary and the employment opportunities which make SCIP a great thing for students.

“I feel like it would help, you can get great contacts that can help you on the way in life. I mean, I’m in nursing, and this could very much be a great help,” she said.

If you’re looking for internship opportunities, go to the SCIP website at www.joinscip.ca