With career and internship opportunities on UNI students’ minds, the Explore-A-Ganza Internship Fair is a perfect opportunity for students to practice professional skills and network within our community. The fair will be held virtually on Monday, Jan. 15 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.. Explore-a-Ganza is an annual event put on by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and the Cedar Valley Nonprofit Association (CVNA) to help connect students seeking internships in the nonprofit or social sector with agencies and organizations looking for interns.

Tabby Robinson, an environmental resource management major and Executive Director of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance at UNI, stated that NLA is focused on building future nonprofit professionals. Their mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector with a talented, prepared workforce.

There will be 13 agencies attending the event. When asked about opportunities, Tabby stated that “Opportunities range from Recreation Internships at the Blackhawk County Y, and Ankeny Parks and Rec, to Nonprofit Administrative work with R.J Mcelroy Trust, and the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.”

She continued, “There are social work experiences at the House of Hope and with Cedar Valley Angels, environmental work experiences at the Hartman Reserve and GreenIowa Americorps, marketing and PR experiences with Grow Cedar Valle, and the UNI Office of Community Engagement. The list goes on and on.”

When asked about the switch to a virtual event, Tabby stated, “Instead of a traditional career fair where students float freely and stop to talk for only a minute or two, we really prioritize meaningful conversation and making connections in NLA. The agencies will each be in their own breakout room, and students will pick where they want to ‘go,’ and they will be in the room with a couple of other students and agency representatives for 10 minutes.”

She continued, “During this time, the representative is able to give an overview of opportunities that they are offering and students can ask questions and exchange contact information. After the 10 minutes are up, the students will move on to a new agency.”

Robinson believes Explore-Ganza will be a welcome spot for students of all majors to find the job/internship opportunity they are looking for.

“This event was originally put together to help our students earning their Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential find internship opportunities to fulfill the 120 hour internship requirement,” she said. “While there are often misconceptions that only Recreation, Tourism and Nonprofit Leadership (RTNL) or social work students are in the program, students of all majors are earning their CNP because the nonprofit sector uses all skills sets to accomplish their missions. I really believe that all students would benefit from attending the Explore-A-Ganza, experiencing work in the nonprofit sector, and earning their CNP.”

To RSVP for Explore-A-Ganza, fill out a registration form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSes1aQrJWuUHRQNpl8Gl8jBtprDyakFa1e1j38x5hm5zrDerQ/viewform.