Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship Program (JOIP)

The Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship builds upon the next generation’s spirit of connection and civic engagement by developing the next generation of Alabama leaders.

The longest-running program of the Mathews Center, the JOIP internship provides immersive civic learning opportunities for college students to research deliberative practices and asset-based approaches for working with Alabamians in community-based projects. The Mathews Center administers the JOIP program, collaborating with faculty mentors to recruit students from institutions of higher education across Alabama.

We believe you can apply an immersive civic learning experience to any field of study.

Our interns don’t fetch coffee and make copies—each experience is unique, but the internship is designed around the goal of transforming college students into active members of a community.

Many JOIP internships function as domestic study abroad experiences, where students live and work for several weeks in a partnering Alabama community. Other interns work on yearlong, intensive assignments with a partner organization, or in support of the Mathews Center’s statewide programs.

The JOIP program engages a diverse group of minds. Our interns come from fields of study including economics, finance, history, social work, sociology, medicine, political science, communications, English, peace studies, journalism, and foreign language. Their research projects explore the potential for introducing deliberative practices into the arenas of education, economic development, public health, arts, the humanities, media, and religion, to name a few.

  • Our internship program is lovingly named in honor of Jean O’Connor-Snyder, better known as “Mrs. O’C” to the Capstone Men and Women who were directed by her from 1969-1975, during Dr. Mathew’s tenure as President of the University of Alabama. Jean was a cherished, life-long mentor to students at UA. The JOIP program is an effort to build upon her legacy of inspiring and supporting students.

    Learn more about her here.

  • Through JOIP, we seek to extend Mrs. O’Connor-Snyder’s legacy by:

    • Creating immersive civic learning opportunities in Alabama communities.

    • Providing professional development for college students, with an emphasis on  community-based collaboration and communication skills.

    • Supporting asset-based approaches to community development and capacity-building at  the local level.

  • Immersive civic learning is characterized by active, continuous participation in both formal and informal civic spaces, and through personal experiences with a community and its individuals.

If you would like to apply for an internship or learn more about the program, please contact DMC Education Coordinator Lauren Lockhart at llockhart@mathewscenter.org.

McKenzie Civic Fellows Program

In May of 2016, the David Mathews Center for Civic Life launched the McKenzie Civic Fellows program to equip recent college graduates for more effective, deliberative civic engagement through a year of service.

DMC Civic Fellows engage in immersive civic learning experiences while assisting with DMC signature programming focused on strengthening civic life in all sixty-seven Alabama counties.

The 2015 Alabama Civic Health Index highlights the low participation rates of Millennials (those born 1981 or later) in nearly every indicator of civic health, painting a stark picture for our state’s civic future. Alabama must make genuine investments in equipping the next generation of active citizens and engaged community leaders to improve civic health in our great state.

The DMC Civic Fellows program seeks to prepare the next generation for active civic life and builds upon the successful immersive civic learning model of the Mathews Center’s Jean O’Connor-Snyder (JOIP) undergraduate internship program. Throughout the year, Fellows engage in shared learning on democratic practices, conduct research on public engagement, and support the DMC’s work to strengthen civic life in Alabama.

If you would like to learn more about the fellowship program, please contact DMC Education Coordinator Lauren Lockhart at llockhart@mathewscenter.org.