The Synergy Internship Program is a 10-week paid leadership development and internship opportunity designed specifically for college students from the Syracuse area. This program is built to help you cultivate strong professional skills and develop an exceptional work ethic, all centered around four key pillars: Professional Development, Financial Literacy, Service Growth, and Health & Wellness.
Through collaboration with local workplace partners, the Synergy Program connects you with impactful internship opportunities across various industries. These aren’t just jobs—they are opportunities for mentorship, real-world experience, and personal growth. The program is designed to ignite your passion and drive as you prepare for your upcoming academic year, providing the foundation for both professional success and leadership development.
By participating in Synergy, you’ll be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and mindset to become a future leader. As a graduate of the program, you’ll have the tools to achieve great things and make a lasting, positive impact in Syracuse and beyond. Together, we’re planting the seeds of success, empowering young adults like you to reach your full potential.
Unlock Your Full Potential with the Synergy Internship Program
The Synergy Internship Program is designed to provide you with much more than just professional experience. You will gain comprehensive skills and knowledge across key areas that are essential for personal and career growth.
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Gain Real-World Experience: Apply your academic knowledge in a professional setting, developing the skills needed to thrive in any career. Whether it's refining your communication or mastering teamwork, you'll build a strong foundation for success.
Leadership & Work Ethic: Learn how to navigate workplace challenges, manage responsibilities, and enhance your personal and professional growth, ensuring you're ready to stand out in the competitive job market.
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Stress & Time Management: The Synergy Internship isn’t just about work – it's about developing a healthy approach to life. You’ll learn valuable tools for managing stress, balancing workloads, and prioritizing tasks effectively.
Mental Health & Well-being: Focus on your emotional and mental health with tips for maintaining balance and well-being throughout your career journey. The program emphasizes wellness and living a fulfilling life inside and outside the workplace.
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Financial Literacy: Gain essential skills for managing your finances, including budgeting, debt management, and building a financial portfolio. Learn how to take control of your money and make informed decisions for your future.
Philanthropy & Wealth Building: Understand the importance of giving back to your community while also securing your financial future. Learn how to manage money with a mindset that fosters both personal growth and social responsibility.
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Community Involvement: The Synergy Internship encourages active participation in your community, from volunteering and humanitarian efforts to developing cultural competencies that can be applied globally.
Civic Engagement & Voting: Take part in the democratic process through voting and other forms of civic engagement. The program empowers you to become a well-rounded, socially responsible leader who is committed to positive change.
Finding a “Good Fit”: How We Match You with the Right Internship Opportunity
There is a lot of preparation that goes into the Synergy Leadership Training Program. You’ll go through an application and interview process where we gather data about you to create a personalized portfolio. This portfolio is then compared with job descriptions from our partner worksites to find the best match.
Once we identify a “good fit,” we’ll schedule a meeting between you and the partner worksite. Sometimes, worksites interview more than one person to make sure they find the best match for their team. Once a match is made, you’ll be confirmed and prepped for onboarding with that organization.
What Does the Synergy Internship Timeframe Look Like?
The Synergy Internship Program follows a structured schedule designed to ensure both professional growth and personal development. After completing the Synergy Orientation Week at the Clarence Jordan Vision Center, you will begin working at your assigned worksite from Monday through Thursday each week.
Every Friday, you'll return to the Clarence Jordan Vision Center for Power Friday. This full-day session, running from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, is dedicated to personal and professional development. Through a variety of workshops and activities, you'll receive valuable leadership training to complement your on-the-job experience.
While much of the groundwork happens behind the scenes, your official internship experience begins one week before your first day at the worksite. The 2024 Synergy schedule looks like this:
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Students are engaged in a series of pre-internship workshops and activities to train and prepare them to enter the work environment. Some of the topics covered during Orientation Week include: Resume polishing, Interview preparedness, Dressing for success, Soft skills, Conflict Resolution, Punctuality & Performance among others.
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General expected hours of work are 8:30am - 4:30pm or 9:00am - 5:00pm. Interns are required to take a half hour unpaid lunch break. Supervisors are required to review and sign the intern’s timesheet.
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We will look to keep open lines of communication to ensure that things are running smoothly.
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Power Fridays include a full day of training and workshops by guest speakers. Training and workshops are designed to reinforce strong work ethics and develop interns under the four guiding pillars of the SYNERGY Internship: Professional Development, Leadership through Community Service, Financial Stewardship and Health & Wellbeing.
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This is the intern’s last day at their respective worksites.
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After completing a 10-week paid internship experience targeted toward their field of study, students present their final projects and cross the stage to accept their certificates of completion.
“Without hesitation, I wholeheartedly recommend the Synergy internship to everyone. It truly offers the best of both worlds by providing a legitimate, paid, real-life experience that significantly bolsters your future job search prospects. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, yet it also fosters a positive relationship between career and life, paving the way for your success.”
Choose the Right Work Modality for Your Internship
The Synergy Internship Program offers flexible work modalities to ensure that both students and workplace partners can succeed and thrive. Whether you prefer in-person, remote, or hybrid work, each placement type offers unique opportunities for professional growth and development.
Remote Placements
Work Hours & Flexibility: Remote interns will work up to 30 hours per week with flexible start and end times, as agreed upon with the partner organization.
Communication: Stay engaged with weekly video check-ins and virtual team meetings using project management tools like Slack or Trello to ensure accountability.
In-Person Placements
Workplace Presence: Interns will report to the organization's worksite, collaborating directly with staff and gaining hands-on experience.
Mentorship: Benefit from personal interactions with mentors and full exposure to the organization’s daily operations.
Hybrid Placements
Combination of Remote & In-Person Work: Hybrid internships offer a mix of both in-office and remote days, providing flexibility while ensuring in-person team collaboration when necessary.
Clear Scheduling: Interns and partner organizations will agree on a balanced schedule, creating seamless transitions between remote and in-person days.
Whichever modality you work, the Synergy Internship Program ensures that every student receives valuable learning experiences and professional development.
“I owe much of (my) success to the Synergy program. They were really kind and testified to my desire to become a physician, my service-oriented mindset, and my medical/public health experience.”
2026 Program Dates:
May 26, 2026 – July 31, 2026