Early last week, I posted about a Kickstarter campaign to fund a 16-week project that would investigate internships around the United States. Launched by ProPublica, the campaign was entering its last week with less than half of the required budget ($22,000) raised.
I'm happy to report that the home stretch put the Kickstarter fundraising over the top, with nearly $24,000 donated by over 700 backers. Pledges as small as $5 and as large as $1,000 helped fund the effort.
The research takes place this fall. Stories will be communicated across a variety of media, including a microsite. The project plan suggests that the reporting will also give followers opportunities to interact and even share their own internship histories.
The practice of hiring and not paying interns has periodically earned a post or two here, as it's an issue I think reflects poorly on publishing. This reporting will bring data and perspective to the opportunities inherent in and issues surrounding internships. That will be a good thing.
If you're one of the folks who responded to ProPublica's campaign, please accept my thanks (as well as theirs). And if you're just getting up to speed, consider becoming part of the story this fall
