During the spring semester, students interested in nonprofit work will have a unique opportunity to get hands-on learning experience with the Nonprofit Protege Program.

Now in its seventh year, the Nonprofit Protege Program is sponsored by the Iowa State University Student Activities Center and United Way of Story County. United Way is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing the common good of health, income, and education for all people.

The program focuses on getting students interested in nonprofit work to know how these organizations function with the help of a mentor within the agency.

Many students who apply come to the program with a human sciences or a business background and are looking for a way to use the skills they’ve learned to give back to their community.

The Nonprofit Protege Program is unique to Iowa State, and includes local organizations around Ames, such as Youth and Shelter Services, United Way and Center for Creative Justice, among others. Students are matched to one agency to spend the semester with.

“Anyone can apply for it as long as they’re an Iowa State student, whether they just have a passion for nonprofits or if they intend to work at one in the future. It’s a really good stepping stone to see what it all entails,” said Amanda Ehlers, coordinator for the program and a graduate student in Education.

Nonprofit Protege Program is offered through the Leadership and Service Center at Iowa State, where many of the programs focus on either leadership or service. Kevin Merrill is another program coordinator who has been working with the program since almost the beginning. He emphasizes that it’s really an intersection of both leadership and service where students can get the complete experience.

“It’s an opportunity to get a real sense of what nonprofits do without it being a very longterm commitment. But if [students] want a smaller taste, there are many other opportunities through Leadership and Service that work with the time commitment they can provide,” Merrill said.

Throughout the semester, each participant attends weekly meetings with his or her mentor. Other responsibilities include attending board meetings, experiencing staff and committee meetings and learning more about budgets. The student can take on even more responsibilities within the organization if they see a need that needs to be met.

Along with shadowing a mentor, students also have to opportunity to organize and execute their own program or event for the agency. Students have to opportunity to make these their own, and they can range from organizing outreach to teaching children proper hand washing techniques at an elementary school.

“It’s hard to quantify what it’s worth, but they all do something to make a difference and it means a lot to their agency,” Merrill said.

Although the program is unpaid and offers no class credit, it’s a way for students to jump right into the world of nonprofit work and gain experience that will benefit them after graduation.

“A lot of our students have stayed in touch or volunteered past the time that the program is over because they really do develop a connection with the place that they’re working with,” Ehlers said.

The deadline for application is November 8th, and the Nonprofit Protege Program is looking for students who are passionate and motivated to be part of it.