Goals
Four goals guide the Humanities in Action program:
- Increase student participation in internships
- Enhance career readiness and professional development
- Increase the number of humanities majors
- Improve local communities
The Humanities in Action program enables humanities students to gain practical experience about the relevance of a humanities degree through meaningful internship experiences and a career-focused curriculum. Humanities majors can apply to participate in the internship program in spring, summer, or fall semesters. Students in the program will apply the career readiness competencies they gain in the classroom in a paid internship in the nonprofit sector. Students will also enroll in CSHU 369, which provides additional career and professional development.
Additionally, career readiness competencies will be infused throughout each humanities major, ensuring that all humanities majors develop these competencies. Career readiness curricular maps will also be developed to help students understand and articulate the career skills they are gaining as humanities majors.
"Ball State is continuing to innovate in ways that meet Indiana’s workforce and community needs. By connecting talented Ball State students with paid, real-world experiences, we’re strengthening talent pipelines, supporting mission-driven organizations, and helping communities thrive. Humanities in Action is an excellent example of how higher education can create practical pathways for students while delivering meaningful impact across the state."
- Becca Rice, Vice President for Government Relations and Industry Engagement
Students
Frequently asked questions
- Have a declared humanities major. Eligible majors are classical cultures, English, history, modern languages (French, Japanese, multi-language, or Spanish), philosophy, religious studies, and women's and gender studies
- Class rank of junior or senior
- Completed at least 12 credits toward their humanities major
- Good academic standing
Students interested in the paid internship program need to submit the online application. The application will be live from February 18 until 12:00 p.m. on March 20.
No. Students do not need to find their own internship to participate. The Humanities in Action program maintains partnership agreements with nonprofit organizations who have agreed to accept student interns as part of this program.
Students who meet eligibility requirements and are accepted into the program will be placed into an internship. All internship placements will provide students with meaningful experience that will prepare students for future careers, regardless of whether the placement directly aligns with students' career plans.
Humanities in Action is a paid internship program. For Fall and Spring semester internships, students will work 140 hours and earn a $2100 stipend. For Summer internships, students will work 200 hours and earn a $3000 stipend.
Organizations
Frequently asked questions
To learn how you can participate in Humanities in Action and host student interns, contact
Melisa Stevens.
Minnetrista Museum Intern: The Stories Objects Tell
Kathleen Donoho was the Collections Management intern at Minnetrista, working with the museum’s collection of over 15,000 artifacts. Minnetrista’s collection contains objects related to the history of the Ball family, Ball Corporation, and the local history of Delaware County.
If there is one thing I’ve learned through my internship at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens here in Muncie, it is that objects tell stories. They can reveal information about the people who made and used them and can be part of an engaging way to share historical information.
Read more about Kathleen's Experience
Indianapolis Children’s Museum: The Riley Sports Legends Internship Experience
Jake Bickel did a summer internship with the Indianapolis Children's Musuem, a large non-profit with many different departments that could fit any major or interest.
Read more about Jake's Experience
The Sock Monkey Museum: A Public History Alumni’s Experience
Claire Enk, Public History and English ’21, is the manager of the Sock Monkey Museum in historic downtown Long Grove, IL, which has over 2,200 vintage sock monkeys on display as well as exhibits about the history of sock monkeys and socks.
Read more about Claire's Experience
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The Humanities in Action program is made possible by the Mellon Foundation, which awarded a $2.5 million grant to Ball State University to create hands-on opportunities for undergraduate students majoring in the humanities.
The Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty and empowerment that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and guided by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.