Information for organisations

Host an intern

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About the internship program

The McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s internship program is the first of its kind in Australia.

We have established partnerships with more than 650 not-for-profit, community, government and non-government organisations to provide a structured and high-quality internship program for UWA students.

Our award-winning internship program allows UWA students the opportunity to contribute meaningfully towards a project in a community-minded organisation, supporting our vision to foster caring, connected and socially engaged citizens who actively contribute to the wellbeing of their communities.

Almost 5,000 students have already undertaken internships through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship, with over 502,000 hours contributed to support projects benefitting the community.

Feedback on the program is overwhelmingly positive with with 97% of interns and 98% of supervisors saying they would recommend the program to others.

We accept a diverse range of intern projects including, but not limited to, IT, programming and data, research, marketing and events, HR, grants and fundraising, community engagement and legal internships.

For sector-specific internship stories, you can explore student and supervisor experiences in the booklets below:

If you would like to host an intern at your organisation, you will find all the key dates, eligibility criteria and next steps below. If you have any questions, please contact us at internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au or call (61) 8 6488 7553.

Strategic partnerships

We are also proud to have established strategic partnerships with many peak bodies, which allow us to reach more organisations and broaden the impact of our internship program. Our current Strategic Partners are:

Alike WA - Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing - Council on the Ageing WA - Gascoyne Development Commission - Great Southern Development Commission - Linkwest - Local Government Professionals - National Disability Services - Neurological Council of WA - Peel Development Commission - Public Sector Commission - South West Development Commission - The Kids Research Institute Australia - Western Australian Local Government Association - Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia

Internship periods & key dates+

We offer four internship rounds per year:

  • Semester 1 – late February to late May
  • Winter – mid June to mid July
  • Semester 2 – mid July to mid October
  • Summer – mid November to mid December

Please refer to the table below for our 2025 internship key dates.

July - Early November 2025 Accepting internship roles  
Monday 10 November - Friday 12 December 2025 Internship period (approx. 3 days/week)  
November 2025 - early February 2026 Accepting internship roles  
February - May 2026 Internship period (approx. 1 day/week)  
January - early June 2026 Accepting internship roles  
Mid June – mid July 2026 Internship period (approx. 3 days per week)  
April 2026 - mid July 2026 Accepting internship roles  
July - October 2026 Internship period (approx. 1 day per week)  

Eligibility to host an intern+

To be eligible to host an intern, you should fulfil the following criteria:

  • Your organisation is a not-for-profit or government organisation with regular staff members who can supervise an intern.
  • You have a meaningful project/activity that adds value to the organisation and allows the intern to understand the link to the broader community impact.
  • The project/activity equates to a minimum of 100 hours of work by the intern.
  • You can provide an appropriate work environment so that the student is embedded in the organisation and able to work safely.
  • You can provide the student with supervision and the opportunity to receive feedback on their work.
  • You can commit to providing a short evaluation on the intern’s performance and the program at the end of the internship period.

How it works & getting started+

Internship process

  • Organisations express interest in hosting an intern for an upcoming internship round, and then work with McCusker Centre for Citizenship staff to design a 100-hour internship role.
  • UWA students apply for the program and successful applicants are carefully matched to roles by the McCusker Centre for Citizenship team based on the quality of their application, skills, experience and areas of interests.
  • Students undertake our structured pre-internship activities, including seminars on active citizenship and Aboriginal cultural awareness.
  • Interns commence their roles and complete 100 hours of service over the internship period, supported by a supervisor in the host organisation.
  • If you would like to know more, you can also watch our helpful internships information webinar recording.

Getting started

  • If your organisation would like to host an intern in an upcoming round, you can express your interest by contacting the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au or on (61) 8 6488 7553.
  • A signed Student Service Learning Agreement is required to set up the partnership between your organisation and the McCusker Centre for Citizenship.
  • Once this is completed, we will provide you with a unique URL that you can access to create and submit your intern role/s.
  • If you need support, our internship team can assist you in designing roles and answering any questions.

Resources for host organisations+

These online resources have been created to assist our partners with hosting a McCusker Centre for Citizenship intern and can be downloaded at any time.

Outstanding Intern Award+

Do you have an outstanding intern?

In response to requests from our partner organisations, The McCusker Centre for Citizenship established the Outstanding Intern Award.

This award recognises McCusker Centre for Citizenship student interns who have significantly contributed to their host organisation and community during their internship placement. Host organisation supervisors are encouraged to nominate their outstanding interns for the award.

How to nominate

Nominations for the 2025 Outstanding Intern Award are now closed. Semester 2 and Summer 2025 interns will be eligible for the Award in 2026.

Semester 2 nominations will close at midnight on Friday, 31 October 2025. To nominate an intern, please fill out the online form via the button below.

For more information, please contact the Centre directly on + (61) 8 6488 7873.

Nominate now

FAQs+

Please see below for a compiled list of Frequently Asked Questions:

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