Reviewed by: Sharron Swain
10 Alabama communities hosting FREE program for college interns—Apply by May 31
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This summer, Fuel Alabama (FuelAL)—a talent attraction and retention program—is teaming up with 10 communities across the state to offer professional development, service opportunities, mentorship and social events to interns.
If you, or someone you know, is a current college intern in Alabama, this is a great FREE opportunity to discover more about the city you’re interning in.
Read on to learn more about the program, what it has to offer and how you can get involved.
Teaching interns about opportunities in Alabama
In 2021, the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) and Innovate Alabama teamed up to launch a talent retention program called Fuel Alabama (FuelAL).
FuelAL is a free, supplemental program designed to help young professionals make connections and understand the benefits of living and working in the state. The best part? It is available to both undergraduate and graduate students with internships in Alabama.
“The Fuel Alabama summer programming allows communities across the state to showcase their opportunities to the newest generation of the workforce.
Working with Fuel Alabama allows each community expansive resources to promote and fund their programs while participating in the collective mission to retain our local talent and grow a strong workforce across the state of Alabama.”
Annie Davis, Director of Talent Incentives, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
How does FuelAL work? While standalone internships give students invaluable workplace experience during the nine-to-five, it can be hard for them to see what life could be like during the five-to-nine.
To fill that gap, FuelAL offers a variety of interactive events and networking opportunities, such as:
- Professional workshops
- Team-building exercises
- Industry treks
- Community service projects
- Service projects
- And more!
“Fuel Alabama allows us to interact with these prospective residents in a strategic way.
The programming at the local level gives us a chance to put our best foot forward in demonstrating why our communities are dynamic places to live, work, play and visit long-term.
We must help soon-to-be graduates visualize what life looks like outside of college, and this program helps accomplish that.”
Kelsey Rush, President + CEO, Visit Tuscaloosa
Hosted in 10 Alabama communities
Now in its third year, FuelAL is expanding its programming to 10 cities and communities throughout Alabama:
- Auburn + Opelika
- Birmingham
- Baldwin County
- Calhoun County
- Dothan
- Huntsville
- Mobile
- Montgomery
- Tuscaloosa
Some of 2024’s communities, such as Tuscaloosa, have hosted FuelAL programming in the past.
“’There’s nothing to do in Tuscaloosa during the summer’ is often what we hear from college students, so our goal was to demonstrate how this is not the case. To highlight new things to do, we’ll:
Kelsey Rush, President + CEO, Visit Tuscaloosa
- Use venues such as PopStroke and Jalapeños restaurant in Downtown Tuscaloosa
- Highlight natural resources like Lake Tuscaloosa with a fun lake day
- Pair students with mentors
- Take students to a concert at the amphitheater”
However, for some communities—such as the Auburn & Opelika region—this will be their first experience participating in FuelAL.
“We need to be very intentional in our efforts to expose future Auburn University graduates to all the great career opportunities available here in our community.
Thanks to partnerships with EDPA and Innovate Alabama, who established the FuelAL initiative, we are able to do just that.”
John Sweatman, Director of Economic Development, City of Opelika, AL
In addition to programming in these 10 Alabama communities, FuelAL will also host two Summer Summits featuring fun-filled weekends for 40 fellow interns throughout the state.
These Summer Summits are scheduled for June 28-30 and July 19-21. More details will be released soon on the FuelAL website.
FuelAL applications close May 31, 2024
If you are a college student—or know someone who is—interning in Alabama this summer, don’t miss out on this free opportunity to make the most of your internship.
“I am so excited for current college students and interns who have the opportunity to participate in Fuel Alabama.
The college years are such a unique time to explore your options and take advantage of learning opportunities, and this is one of the best.
If you have the chance to meet new people—both peers and potential mentors—and participate in social, service and professional development activities at no charge, jump on it!”
Annie Davis, Director of Talent Incentives, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
To learn more about each participating community and its opportunities, check out the FuelAL Host City links and contact information below:
- Auburn + Opelika | Dr. Amy Brabham + Griffin O’Connor
- Birmingham | Trevor Sutton
- Baldwin County | McCall Lugo
- Calhoun County | Linda Hearn, Laurel Harp + Savannah Dempsey
- Dothan | Jessica Steltenpohl
- Huntsville | Annie Davis
- Mobile | Abbey Huguley
- Montgomery | Kenneth (Kenny) Ward
- Tuscaloosa | Kelsey Rush + Justice Smyth
Do you or someone you know plan to apply to FuelAL this year? Tag @alabamalaunchpad on Instagram to let them know!
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