GROVE CITY, Pa. – An initiative from Grove City College’s Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation offers a solution to bridge the gap between need and resources for community-focused nonprofits, small businesses and startups looking for extra support but lack the funds to hire a student intern.
The E+I Fellows program provides paid student interns to regional Pittsburgh organizations and businesses at no cost. E+I will pay selected students $25 per hour and place them with organizations that have a positive impact through social innovation or economic opportunity but can’t increase capacity or continue to grow without some help.
In addition to the interns’ labor, hosts get help creating a detailed project plan to maximize the value of the placement for both the organization and the students involved.
E+I is now taking applications from regional organizations and businesses that would benefit from having highly driven interns placed at their organizations free of charge. The upcoming spring 2026 timeline is an eight-week internship, starting in mid-February and ending in late April.
Positions can be fully remote, hybrid or in person (for organizations reasonably close enough for students to commute) as determined by the host organization’s needs. To be eligible, a host organization must be located within two hours of Pittsburgh.
The fall 2025 program placed 22 students with 19 host organizations in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Mercer and Washington counties, and one organization in eastern Ohio. Their roles ranged from marketing, event planning, finance, web development, human resources and business development.
“The E+I Fellows program has become a valuable resource for mission-driven organizations across the Pittsburgh region,” said Emma O’Toole, E+I community manager and organizer of the E+I Fellows program. “It’s incredibly rewarding to witness the program’s continued growth and lasting impact students make in just eight weeks, often sparking new initiatives and strengthening internal capacity in ways that far exceed expectations.”
The deadline to apply for the spring 2026 E+I Fellows cohort is Dec. 19. Program and application information is available HERE.