Shepherd (SHECP) Poverty Internship

As a member institution of the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP), Baylor offers funding each year for several undergraduate students to participate in the SHECP Summer Internship program, a transformational 9-week internship with a nonprofit or government organization in the U.S. engaged in hands-on, community-facing, anti-poverty work. SHECP interns learn first-hand about the multiple dimensions of poverty in the U.S. by working alongside people and organizations that align with their professional interests—in healthcare, law, public health, education, or economic and community development, for example—to help improve communities and empower neighbors struggling under the weight of material poverty.

SHECP interns are matched with an internship based on their interests and join a cohort of other SHECP interns in cities across the US, where they live together in communal housing for the duration of the summer.

In addition to the requirements of the Baylor Summer Fellows Program, SHECP interns participate in:

• The SHECP Internship Academy (June 1–4), which provides training and resources to prepare students to enter their internships
• An on-site, full-time, 8-week internship (June 8–July 30) in an area that aligns with their professional interests
• The SHECP Annual Conference (July 31–August 1, location TBA), which helps interns place their summer experiences into broader anti-poverty efforts
• Supplemental SHECP programming (ongoing) to deepen their understanding of anti-poverty work, reflect on their experience, and network with the SHECP community

Example internship placements include:

• the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH
• the Virginia Department of Health in Richmond
• Public Defender Services for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.
• The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson
• New American Pathways in Atlanta, Georgia
• Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers in Camden, NJ

Application

Continuing undergraduate students at Baylor are eligible to apply. An academic grounding in the complexity of poverty, including its definitions, causes, and potential solutions, is desired. Interns must be at least 18 years of age and in good academic standing.

Applications for Summer 2026 have now closed as of January 30, 2026.

For more information, please visit SHECP's website or contact Mark Richards, Baylor's SHECP Internship Director.