UX DESIGN INTERNSHIP

Applications for the 2024 cohort are now closed, stay tuned to our Facebook and LinkedIn pages for updates on the program. We invite you to apply next year!

 

  READY, SET, INNOVATE!

​

A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE

Innovate120's UX Design internship is a 6 week immersive experience to learn about the discipline of User Experience Design through workshop instruction and apply their learnings through hands-on collaboration to understand, explore and propose solutions for real client projects.

 

A PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITY

The experience is a paid internship with real client expectations and deliverables. You'll engage with senior staff from some leading companies in America. The internship pays $12 per hour. We'll help you build a professional LinkedIn profile and help you connect with dozens of professionals throughout the internship.

​

CRITICAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT

From daily professional development modules to direct client interaction​ and team collaboration, students develop, practice and prove competencies in the following areas:

1. Critical thinking

2. User research

3. UX process design

4. UI and visual design

5. Participation and collaboration

6. Presentation skills

​

REAL CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Students are assigned in teams of 3 to one of 5 industry-leading clients. This past year, our clients were Google, John Deere, GAF, Scotts Miracle-Gro and UpHealth. Each client kicks off the internship with a challenging problem statement. This can include using technology to address sustainability, or exploring how AI can improve safety in one of the most dangerous occupations, or how technology can reduce relapse in people with addition disorders. These are all challenging at any level and our participants learn methodologies for how to understand and innovate.

​

WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING

Having just completed our third year of the program, we are seeing significant results in the academic and career trajectories or our participants. Several are off to prestigious Ivy League universities and several others now have college in their future where it wasn't previously. Our students have shared their growth and their appreciation:

​

"Feeling grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this wonderful internship.  I appreciate the support from all of the mentors, clients, and visitors. This was truly an unforgettable experience!"

Incoming Junior, Pleasant Valley High School

 

"I just wanted to say thank you again for the experience this summer. Last week at my school’s career fair, I talked to a bunch of companies and one of my most popular talking points was my experience with UX120. I used multiple experiences from UX120 in my behavioral interviews with these companies and I actually received my first summer internship offer today! I know I could’ve never landed such an opportunity without the experience from UX120, and for that, I’m so grateful."

First year student, University of Wisconsin-Madison 

 

"Not only is the program that you all run amazing, but the faculty as well. The energy that I was met with every morning was unmatched. You all could change my mood the second I walked into the door and I was very thankful for that. Along with connecting me with Google, the copious amounts of people you connected us with on a local level was amazing. I also want to thank you for helping me with my public speaking/presenting. I used to get incredibly nervous every time I would present something for a class, but you have taught me skills to overcome that and I thank you for that."

Incoming Senior, Pleasant Valley High School 

 

"Thinking back, the two elements of the internship that have been extremely valuable and widely applicable as I've moved forward have been working with (communicating and structuring a project with) a client and a delivering (structuring and articulately executing) a presentation."  

Second year student, MIT

 

"I reflect on my experience with UX120 frequently. I think of every presentation as a story now. I believe that developing the storytelling skills I learned in UX120 has set me apart from many of my peers in terms of delivering presentations and communication in general. 

First year student, Rice University 

​

​

WHAT FACULTY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE SAYING

An important part of the program is having adults visit to learn more about the challenges the students are working on and to give these students repeated opportunities to present and develop their solution narratives. Visitors include local business leaders, U.S. and State government leaders and school administration and faculty. Here are a few of their comments:

​

"After seeing the impact Innovate 120 has on our students each year, I leave ever more grateful for our partnership. Please pass along our gratitude to your entire team. We look forward to more opportunities to work together to positively impact our students…"

Local Superintendent of Schools 

 

"The Congresswoman was very enthusiastic after the visit. I hope we can line something up for next summer when she can see the program in action and ask all her questions to the students. Keep up the amazing work and making Jackson County a spot for innovation and entrepreneurial growth!"

U.S. Congresswomen staff 

 

"Thank you for the invitation to join today to hear from your UX interns. The opportunities afforded young people today are just incredible, and it does one’s heart good to see this effort pouring out of our future leaders."

U.S. Senator staff 

                        

"The work is not driven by technical knowledge (coding, etc.) beyond using a basic computer, instead it's driven by creative thinking, questioning, problem solving and design.  Students are engaged in teams where they are asked to develop solutions to real world complex problems.  They are learning how to think, how to question, how to dream and how to design. Really impressive program!"

Local Education Administrator 

 

"You have a great vision for entrepreneurship, helping others and for your community. I was very impressed with all of the students in your program."

Regional Workforce Executive 

 

"You are doing great work there - those kids and the staff you have are hitting it out of the park!" 

Iowa State Senator

 

"It. Was. Awesome! You are a well-oiled machine up there and are providing such an AMAZING opportunity for our students.  Thank you for all that you do! "

Director of Secondary Education