The Policy Innovation Fellowship, offered by the City of Waco's Housing and Community Development department (HCD), is an 8–10-week, part-time (20 hours/week) opportunity for undergraduate students to integrate policy research, public service, community-based learning, and professional development as they explore civic and social innovation in the realm of housing.

In partnership with Mission Waco and Urban REAP (Renewable Energy and Agricultural Project), students may intern for 20-40 hours a week during June and July in one or more of Urban REAP's four initiatives: composting, aquaponics, the garden center, and education. Summer interns will work to implement Urban REAP programming and projects while growing their understanding of sustainability issues and social innovation.

The Waco Family Medicine (WFM) Primary Care Internship is a paid summer internship lasting approximately 6 weeks from June 15 – July 24, 2026. The goal of the program is to provide undergraduate students in biomedical and health sciences access to clinical shadowing and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to primary care research projects under the mentorship of experienced medical professionals and principal investigators.

The Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) Summer Internship program is a transformational 9-week internship with a nonprofit or government organization in the U.S. engaged in hands-on, community-facing, anti-poverty work in the areas of healthcare, law, public health, education, or economic and community development

New this year, the City of Waco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) offers up to three 8–10-week, part-time (20 hours/week) internship positions supporting ongoing transportation and related urban planning projects. The program is designed for students interested in applying their academic knowledge to real-world regional planning challenges.

B-TRUE (Baylor Trans-disciplinary Research Undergraduate Experience) is an intensive 10-week summer research-training program for students interested in pursuing research-related careers. The program is designed to provide a rigorous, in-depth research experience across the life and physical sciences and will also prepare participants for top-quality graduate programs.

Baylor College of Medicine's National School of Tropical Medicine in collaboration with Baylor University's Prehealth Program has developed a Tropical Disease Research Internship Program (TDRIP) during the summer to provide five undergraduate students who plan a career in global healthcare the opportunity to spend 9 weeks of their summer working with leaders in tropical disease research.

Have an internship opportunity that aligns with your academic and professional goals, contributes to the common good, but isn’t funded by the host organization? The Office of Engaged Learning can help! Through our Propose Your Own internship option, students may apply for funding to offset costs associated with unpaid or underfunded internships.

The Office of Engaged Learning and the Program for the Future Church have collaborated to launch the Future Church Leadership Certificate, which provides practical tools for ministry leaders and faith communities to navigate the challenges of ministry in a changing world.

Emily O'Kief (B.A. '24, University Scholars major, French minor) shares her experience on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) award to Serbia from 2024-2025.

"Due to the current political situation in Serbia, I’ve come to know the Serbian people and their country in a way that would have been impossible otherwise. In witnessing firsthand the way people across the country have come together to fight governmental corruption and urge their leaders to better protect and invest in their constituents, I’ve learned about the resiliency and values of those around me. Rather than discussing the complexities of English verb tenses, my days are now filled with conversations with locals about the future of their country, which, oftentimes, allows me to learn about their memories of the past."

As you finalize your spring schedule, consider adding one of the 25 Philanthropy and Public Service (PPS) courses being offered this spring, many of which are only 1 credit hour. Taught by local Waco community leaders, and with options as wide-ranging as Community Gardening, Law and Public Service, Community Tax Prep, Poverty in Waco, Christian Social Innovation, and more, you're bound to find a class that meets your interest—and might just change your life!

Felise Bressler, a 2024-25 Provost's Scholar, presented her work at the Society for Neuroscience 2025 Annual Meeting, the world's largest neuroscience conference with over 20,000 scientists and physicians attending from across the globe.

Seniors Susanna Lin and Neva Khan (left and middle) presenting their engaged learning project for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension as part of Dr. Annie Ginty's Behavioral Medicine engaged learning course (PSY/NSC 4312).