Updated 3/22/2023
After reviewing almost 40 proposals turned in by March 1, I strongly encourage the April 1 group to (1) follow the guidelines posted twice below and (2) be sure you're meeting ALL the criteria in the Proposal Components document below.
Vicki
What happens after committing to a Summer by 10/17/22?
- The steps are laid out in Vicki's Invitation Email.
- Identify a Summer Coach by October 28 by completing this form and work with that person throughout the process.
- Re-read your Summer reflections and Staff feedback. If you didn't turn in a reflection, or you submitted yours late, you may not receive feedback.
- Attend Summer Celebration and Exploration/Launch/Transition Summer workshop 11/6 or one of the three make-up sessions.
- We have developed a system of optional coaching sessions and optional proposal review to help guide your work.
- You’ll be able to sign up for individual coaching sessions with Alumni December 12-16 or January 2-10.
- Submit an optional draft for review. These guidelines might be helpful. Drop draft materials in this folder by midnight February 1.
- Submit a complete proposal and budget by March 1, 2023 (or April 1, as designated) to ensure timely funding. Please text Vicki when your materials are complete! 9192608221
- Follow these instructions while preparing your final proposal.
- Drop proposals, budgets, and supporting materials in this folder. Label each with your last name, at minimum.
- The budget worksheet and resources are on this page.
- Complete the appropriate risk management form and drop into the same folder. The forms and instructions will be on this page. Please text Vicki when your materials are complete. 9192608221
- Complete reflection process in September.
The Proposal and Budget process
- Proposal Components and Funding a Transformational Summer--these are the criteria
- Commonly asked questions
- Instructions for Final Materials
- Tips from Vicki (updated frequently!) on proposal writing
- If you get stuck, try these strategies.
- Notes For Optional Scholar/Alumni Conversations in December/January.
Info for International Travel
- UNC has a new petition process for students who want to go abroad during the summer outside of an organized UNC group. We are asking UNC Robertsons to follow these steps if they are asking for UNC recognition of their activities OR they are international UNC Scholars.
- All Scholars (Duke AND UNC) will follow Duke policies for international travel, specifically, the section for Duke Undergraduate Students – Student Planned Travel. UNC Scholars may have steps to take with UNC once this is sorted out.
- Duke's Restricted Regions List: ALL Scholars hoping to travel internationally must check this list. Scholars will be able to petition to travel to any of the places on the list.
- Duke's international travel registry: ALL Scholars traveling internationally will create a profile and register their trips with Duke.
- US Department of State Travel Advisories: The State Department informs Duke's and UNC's policies. This site also has excellent resources for travel to any international location.
- This is a great resource from UNC for international travelers.
Where can you go for ideas and inspiration?
- Watch the Alumni stories at the bottom of this page. They're fantastic!
- These Alumni are excited to talk to you about their Summers or anything else Robertson-related.
- Consider this statement, suggested by Mikhal Ben-Joseph (2023): “During the Summer, I would love to _____.”
- Alumni offered excellent comments for planning an intentional Robertson Summer.
- Matthew Tweden (2025) shared this list of the world's most pressing problems. Robertsons can make a difference!
- Read about recent Scholar projects for inspiration:
Resources and Opportunities for 2023--always under construction
- American Enterprise Institute offers a Summer Honors Program recommended by Alum Andrew Sugrue (2011).
- American Federation of Teachers will publish a list of summer internships.
- Annunciation House in El Paso has a ten-week summer program to work with refugees.
- Bellwether Education Partners, a national nonprofit dedicated to underserved children, is looking for summer interns in _Policy & Evaluation and Strategic Advising. Alumni Jagir Patel and Jeremy Knight recommend this organization
- Community Empowerment Fund's summer internships offer meaningful, purposeful learning experiences or Scholars who want to stay local.
- DistributeAid reached out to Vicki 2/9/23 to invite Robertsons to apply for a summer internship. Kyle Ryan, Jake Sheridan, and Weston Lindner all worked with this group during a summer, and Weston works with them now
- FLAS fellowships. Many Robertsons, including Rahel Petros and Eli Hornstein, have participated in the Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship program, which is offered through both Duke and UNC.
- University of Iowa Writers Workshops are known in the writers' community.
- Leland Ben (2020) shared this information about Morgan Stanley events for now-sophomores Summer 2024.
- Alum Lawton Ives (2020) strongly recommends the National Park Service summer internships.
- NC Department of Justice offers legal internships.
- OceanX has a very cool summer program--applications due 2/26/23. Thank you to alum Blake O'Connor for sharing!
- The Oliver Wyman process that comes via Dr. Rasiel will not be accepting Robertson interns for summer 2023.
- The Penland School of Craft in Western North Carolina offers summer workshops.
- Public Consulting Group provides management consulting in the public sector. Internships are available in a number of areas, such as Consulting, Technology, and Corporate Operations.
- Public Policy and International Affairs program (PPIA) has summer learning opportunities for students interested in public service.
- Rivian. Alum AJ Hatzis (2016) invited Robertsons interested in electric vehicles or green energy to apply for the Rivian summer internship.
- RTI International offers domestic and international internships in social and lab science, engineering, and international development.
- Student Action with Farmworkers, a longtime partner to the Robertson program, offers an outstanding summer internship with some of the best support/training/reflection practices and most authentic community engagement Vicki has seen. Alumni Professor Chris Paul and Dr. Nandini Kumar highly recommend this experience!
- Unite for Sight supports eye clinics worldwide by investing human and financial resources in their social ventures to eliminate patient barriers to eye care. The Global Impact Corps provides year-round health care delivery in Ghana, Honduras, and India and offers summer fellowships.
Passed Deadlines
- American Dance Festival in Durham offers internships in arts production and administration. (Vicki's sister, Kimberly Bartosik, was on faculty Summer 2022. Her intern was busy and was extremely valuable to the organization and the artists.) Application deadline 2/1/2023.
Additional Resources
Transferable Skills Worksheet This will help you organize and articulate the skills you have and those who you want to gain through Summers.
Third-party providers (examples--there are a lot! These organizations provide opportunities for interactions that are hard to create as an individual, particularly in international medical, educational, or other settings. Some offer valuable opportunities to learn about new places.