More Than $1.2 Million Invested in Summer Learning Experiences Gives Grinnell Students Opportunities
From on-campus research to internships in Iowa and around the world, Grinnell students are putting their liberal arts education into practice.
This summer, Grinnell College is investing more than $1.2 million to ensure students can pursue meaningful research, internships, and community-engaged learning experiences that prepare them for lives of purpose and impact.
More than $600,000 is supporting Mentored Advanced Projects (MAPs), Grinnell's signature collaborative research program, while approximately $630,000 is funding internships with organizations across the United States and around the world. Together, these investments allow hundreds of students to deepen their academic interests, explore career paths, and contribute to work that extends well beyond the classroom.
Learning Without Limits
Every summer, Grinnell students pursue opportunities that reflect the breadth of a liberal arts education.
Some remain on campus, working side-by-side with faculty mentors through MAPs to tackle original research in disciplines ranging from biology and computer science to political science, English, and the humanities. Others travel across the country - and around the world - to gain professional experience through funded internships with businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, research institutes, and community organizations.
Mark Peltz, shared, "Internships are more than résumé builders—they're opportunities for students to test ideas, develop professional confidence, and discover new possibilities for their future. By investing in these experiences, we're making sure students can pursue opportunities based on their educational value and personal goals, not financial constraints."
This summer, Grinnell students are restoring coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. Virgin Islands, conducting biotechnology and genomics research at a leading research institute, and gaining firsthand experience in public service through placements with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Chicago.
Others are addressing pressing societal challenges by organizing around environmental sustainability with the Iowa Faith & Climate Network, exploring the intersection of filmmaking and data science, contributing to podcast production and community radio in Canada, and advancing renewable energy initiatives with a company in France.
These experiences represent just a small sample of the internship opportunities students are pursuing this summer through the College's investment in experiential learning.
Research That Begins on Campus
While internships immerse students in professional environments, MAPs provide opportunities to pursue original scholarship alongside Grinnell faculty.
Throughout the summer, students are investigating topics that range from artificial intelligence and environmental science to housing affordability, food justice, literature, public health, museum studies, and community-engaged arts. Their work often addresses complex questions with real-world implications while contributing to faculty research and advancing knowledge in their fields.
Andrea Tracy, shared, “MAPs give students the opportunity to engage in original scholarship alongside faculty mentors while contributing to meaningful research and creative work. These experiences help deepen and refine students' academic interests, strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and prepare them for graduate study, careers, and lives of lifelong inquiry."
These intensive research experiences give students the opportunity to design projects, analyze data, conduct fieldwork, and present their findings—experiences often associated with graduate study but available to Grinnell students as undergraduates.
Investing in Students' Futures
For many students, financial support makes these opportunities possible.
Funding allows students to accept internships that prioritize learning and service, pursue ambitious research projects, travel to organizations and communities where they can make meaningful contributions, and build professional networks without financial barriers limiting their choices.
Whether restoring coral reefs, studying artificial intelligence, strengthening rural communities, advancing public health, preserving cultural history, or helping organizations tackle complex challenges, Grinnell students are putting their liberal arts education into practice in ways that create lasting impact.
Throughout the summer and fall, the College will continue highlighting many of these student experiences through stories on the newsroom, offering a closer look at the people, partnerships, and projects made possible through this significant investment in experiential learning.