City Working To Help Hudson and Holland Internship Program Grow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2009

For more information, please contact:
Patricia Sylvester, Internship Program Coordinator, Employee Services, City of Bloomington, 349-3404
Danny Lopez, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-CITY, lopezd@bloomington.in.gov




Bloomington, IN - The City of Bloomington is proud to announce, in partnership with Indiana University's Hudson and Holland Scholarship Program, the South Central Indiana Human Resources Association (SCIHRA), Cook Medical and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, the creation of the LEAD internship initiative. This initiative is aimed at increasing internship opportunities for Hudson and Holland Scholars in businesses across Bloomington.

Named for former African-American IU professors Herman Hudson and James Holland, since 2006 the Hudson and Holland program has recruited students from under-represented populations to serve as interns in City departments or at Cook Medical. It was the continued success of the program that inspired the idea of expanding it to other business sectors within the community.

The newly formed LEAD internship initiative is designed to prepare students via real-world work experience. With the assistance of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and SCIHRA, the City of Bloomington and other program partners are hoping to place several Hudson and Holland scholars in community businesses and nonprofit organizations starting this fall.

"Hudson and Holland has been a great success for us here at the City and has provided students with a comprehensive learning experience," Daniel Grundmann, Director of Employee Services at the City of Bloomington, said. "We felt fostering the expansion of the program through the LEAD internship initiative into the private sector would yield tremendous positive results for the greater community."

Virginia LeBlanc, Interim Director of the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program, said the program fosters and facilitates the recruitment and retention of young leaders to the Indiana University Bloomington campus.

"Participation in our LEAD internship initiative, which involves freshman orientation and seminars, community service hours, internships, professional prep conferences and workshops, and study abroad opportunities, helps ensure student success in transition to higher education," LeBlanc said. "It also helps prepare students for a bright and promising future in their career field of choice."

For more information about this program, contact Patricia Sylvester, Internship Program Coordinator for the City of Bloomington Employee Services Department at 349-3404.

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