The Power and Perseverance of Liberal Arts Internships During COVID-19

Abstract

Virtual internships have the potential to offer the same benefits as in-person internships such as technical skill development, knowledge application, and communication skills. However, these experiences are usually pre-planned, designed and evaluated to ensure the pedagogical framework is retained. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a rise in online teaching, online community engagement efforts, and online career development efforts, such as internships, without the benefit of planned, designed virtual experiences. This study aims to show the early mixed-methods survey results from shifting an internship program within a Liberal Arts college to fully online during COVID-19. Results identified and highlighted some struggles students faced, yet showed that, despite COVID-19, students still found value in their internship experiences regardless of them being moved online.