This summer, the Home to Texas program offered a singular learning opportunity to 68 undergraduates at The University of Texas at Austin. Over the course of nine weeks, these first- and second-year students participated in a paid or University-subsidized internship with an employer in the community where they grew up, while also taking an online professional skills course and working on research projects focused on individuals in their hometown. Participants ended the summer with a Community Celebration, having earned $5,000 and invaluable skills.
“Home to Texas packs a lot of experiential learning into one program,” says Senior Program Coordinator Dustin Harris. “I’ve seen so many students emerge from this program with greater confidence that they’ve been able to leverage via future on-campus leadership or research roles, or in future jobs or internships.”
In its sixth year, Home to Texas is expanding both its reach and its ambitions. “It’s been rewarding to see the buzz about this program grow across campus and across the state, and to see more and more communities investing in the next generation of community leaders,” Harris shares. Besides having its largest class to-date, Home to Texas placed internships in 46 communities, 14 of which are first-time participants, and partnering with a record 64 different employers.
In addition, a collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and faculty colleagues in the College of Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Education has led to further development of the program’s research component. As in previous iterations, all Home to Texas participants conducted interviews with community members throughout the summer. But while in past years, these interviews would end up contributing to one or two research projects, this year that number increased to five. Students also have the option to continue work on the research projects after the nine-week internship concludes.
Dr. Becky Pettit, the Barbara Pierce Bush Regents Professor of Liberal Arts who is stewarding this expansion, speaks on the importance of this part of Home to Texas: “Students are developing research skills and learning about their local communities. Their collective work is advancing our understanding of important and timely issues in Texas such as law enforcement, access to higher education, and energy production and resilience.”
Interested in supporting Home to Texas’ vital work? Employers are encouraged to sign up to host a Home to Texas internship in their community and both individuals and organizations can support student scholarships through a financial donation. Incoming and current freshmen who are interested in applying should visit the Home to Texas website for more information.
The Home to Texas program is a partnership between Texas Career Engagement and the College of Liberal Arts. The program was founded by the IC2 Institute and Undergraduate College. For questions about Home to Texas, please contact Senior Program Coordinator Dustin Harris at hometotexas@austin.utexas.edu.