IMPACT Awards Nominations Now Open

Get your pens (or keyboards) ready! Nominations for the 12th annual IMPACT Awards are now open.

Indiana INTERNnet’s awards luncheon is an annual celebration of internship excellence. The 2018 event will be held at 11:30 a.m. on February 7 at the Ivy Tech Corporate College and Culinary Center in downtown Indianapolis.

Indiana INTERNnet, the free online internship matching service managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, will accept nominations for outstanding interns, employers and career development professionals through 5 p.m. on October 20.

Check out these frequently asked questions about the nomination process and the program:

Q. What are the awards categories?

A. Intern of the Year (3): high school, college and non-traditional

Career Development Professional of the Year (1)

Employer of the Year (2): non-profit and for profit

Q. What advice do you have for applying for an award/honor?

A. Each category has specific criteria that judges will reflect on as they are choosing winners. We encourage you to include stories, facts, measurements and the significance of your nominee’s impact. The narrative should be 1,000 words or less. You should double check to make sure everything is spelled correctly.

Q. Who judges the awards?

A. A panel of impartial judges review and score the nominations. Most of the judges are Indiana INTERNnet Board Members, however it is not a requirement.

Q. Where can I find a list of past winners? 

A. The list of past winners can be found here.

Q. What will nominees/winners receive?

A. Each nominee will be announced during the program, receive a nomination certificate and will be photographed with the keynote speaker (if attending the luncheon). Certificates will be mailed to those who are unable to attend.

Winners will be announced during the program, and will receive an engraved award and a digital badge to display on websites, marketing materials, social media sites, etc. The winners will also be featured in a press release, blog posts, nominations webpage, newsletter and BizVoice Magazine.

Q. How much does it cost to attend the luncheon?

A. Individual registrations are $50 per person. Sponsorships are available, starting at $750.

Q. How can I submit a nomination?

A. Fill out the online nomination form at the Indiana INTERNnet web site and contact Karissa Rector for more information.

Photo: Tamika Catchings, four-time Olympic gold medalist, WNBA All-Star and founder of Catch the Stars Foundation delivered the keynote address to the crowd at the 2017 IMPACT Awards luncheon.

Indiana Hoops Star Keynotes Indiana INTERNnet IMPACT Awards

Indiana INTERNnet held its annual IMPACT Awards last Wednesday, which featured a record number of award nominees. The nearly 400 attendees were also privy to a rousing speech from recently retired Indiana Fever star Tamika Catchings.

Inside INdiana Business has the list of winners and nominees.

Photos:

Indiana INTERNnet’s IMPACT Awards Celebrates 10th Anniversary

impactThe tenth time’s a charm!

Indiana INTERNnet, the statewide organization focusing on talent retention through increased work-and-learn experiences, began the tradition of celebrating internship excellence nearly a decade ago by launching the annual IMPACT Awards program. (This year’s event will be on February 3, and you can register online.)

Three winners were honored the first year: Intern of the Year Julie Ann Lesniak, Career Development Professional of the Year Libby Davis of the University of Indianapolis, and Employer of the Year Tucker Publishing Group in Evansville.

Today, the IMPACT Awards is an annual luncheon honoring Interns of the Year in the high school, college and non-traditional categories, Employers of the Year in the for-profit and not-for-profit categories and a Career Development Professional of the Year. Indiana INTERNnet will honor its tenth group of award nominees and winners in 2016. Co-founder and CMO Angie Hicks of Angie’s List will be the keynote speaker.

All honorees come from nominations submitted by the public, and winners are chosen by a panel of impartial judges. Use the online form to submit your nomination(s) in any or all of the categories by October 23.

That first group of honorees set the standard for years of inspiring stories of accomplishment by interns and on behalf of interns. Here is a sampling of some of the great work of Hoosier colleges/universities, interns and employers:

From 2012: In more than 20 years at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Susan Gresham has proven to be a “high-energy, positive-thinking, driven and motivated leader.” As director of the Career Development Center (CDC), she leads a staff that thrives on student success. Among the initiatives led by Gresham:

  • A learning contract completed by both the student and intern employer
  • Site visits to every internship location within the state with site supervisors, through an evaluation, assigning a letter grade that accounts for 40% of the intern’s grade
  • Actively recruiting employers to campus for class presentations, panel discussions and special events
  • Establishment of an orientation program, providing interns with a name badge, business cards and leather portfolio to ease their transition into the business world

From 2013: One measuring stick of internship success is whether or not the opportunity leads to permanent employment. After serving as the 2012 governor’s public service summer intern, Casey Spivey began working as a full-time benefits specialist at the Indiana State Personnel Department (SPD). Today, she is the facility human resources director.

Spivey made an impact by assisting in the development of sourcing and recruitment plans for “hard-to-fill” positions. One organization she aided was the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy (HYCA). She equipped the academy with a career fair plan – including advertising contacts, a detailed timeline, session speakers, newspaper ads and flyers.

“Casey basically went through a 12-week job interview with our organization with outstanding results,” states Nicole Russell, division director of talent acquisition for the Indiana SPD. “To go from student to governor’s intern to state employee is a feat to be acknowledged.”

From 2015: “2014 has been a year of excellence for our internship program,” says Valerie Wilson, chief of staff, Baldwin & Lyons (B+L). And it’s easy to see why.

  • 96% of interns reported their job responsibilities were challenging but attainable
  • 63% of interns with at least junior standing were converted to either full-time or part-time employment or another internship
  • 100% of interns expressed interest in working for B+L upon graduation

The employer-intern connection doesn’t end with the internship at B+L. This fall, employees assembled care packages with encouraging notes to send their former interns during final exams. Staff also makes an effort to visit when they are on college campuses for career fairs.

View the list of past winners online.

IMPACT Award Nominees Sought to Honor Outstanding Interns; Due Oct. 24

19090046Did you host an intern this year who went above and beyond? Does your company have an internship program that provides a solid experiential learning opportunity for students? Do you collaborate with a high school or post-secondary institution with an outstanding career development staff?

Indiana INTERNnet is saluting achievements in internships and mentoring. The organization is currently accepting nominations for the three outstanding interns, a career development professional and two employers who will be recognized at the 9th annual IMPACT Awards luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College, early next year.

Individuals are invited to submit more than one nomination in any or all of the award categories:

  • Outstanding Intern (high school, college and non-traditional): contribution to employer’s business; demonstrated leadership skills during internship; and professionalism.
  • Outstanding Career Development Professional: assistance to students with internship opportunities; communication with students/employers; and coaching students on internship professionalism and career development.
  • Outstanding Employer (nonprofit and for-profit): innovative approach to an internship program; formation of meaningful project work; and providing student with professional mentor and networking opportunities.

Winners will be announced at the IMPACT Awards Luncheon in downtown Indianapolis on February 4, 2015 at the Ivy Tech Culinary Center Ballroom.

Visit Indiana INTERNnet’s web site to complete the online nomination form. The deadline for nominations is October 24.

For more information about the Indiana INTERNnet program, visit www.IndianaINTERN.net or call (317) 264-6852.

You Have Interns Making an IMPACT? Let Us Know by Oct. 22!

Have you hosted an intern this year who went above and beyond his or her responsibilities?

Does your company manage an outstanding internship program?

Indiana INTERNnet is saluting achievements in internships and mentoring. The organization is currently accepting nominations for the three outstanding interns, a career development professional and two employers who will be recognized at the eighth annual IMPACT Awards luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College, early next year.

Individuals are invited to submit more than one nomination in any or all of the award categories:  

  • Outstanding Intern (high school, college and non-student): contribution to employer’s business; demonstrated leadership skills during internship; and professionalism.
  • Outstanding Career Development Professional: assistance to students with internship opportunities; communication with students/employers; and coaching students on internship professionalism and career development.
  • Outstanding Employer (nonprofit and for-profit): innovative approach to an internship program; formation of meaningful project work; and providing student with professional mentor and networking opportunities.

Winners will be announced at the IMPACT Awards Luncheon in downtown Indianapolis on February 5, 2014 at the Ivy Tech Culinary Center Ballroom. This year, guests will enjoy an awards program emceed by broadcast news veteran Gerry Dick of Inside Indiana Business. Peter Dunn, award-winning financial expert and comedian, better known as Pete the Planner, will be the keynote speaker.

Visit Indiana INTERNnet’s web site to download the nomination form. Nominations may be submitted by fax to (317) 264-6855 or by sending the completed nomination form to IMPACTawards@indianachamber.com. The deadline for nominations is October 22, 2013.

For more information about the Indiana INTERNnet program, visit www.IndianaINTERN.net or call (317) 264-6863.

Last Call for Nominations/Indiana INTERNnet IMPACT Awards

Today is your chance to recognize internship excellence as Indiana INTERNnet makes a call for nominations in the categories of Intern of the Year (both college and high school), Employer of the Year (both nonprofit and profit) and Career Services Professional of the Year.  Last year’s winners were honored at the annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon and we’ll be doing the same this time around, recognizing finalists and winners on February 10, 2011. 

Nominations are open to interns, employers and educational institutions statewide.  Share your story of internship success by nominating yourself, your organization or another who is making an impact through internship connections. And, remember to mark your calendar for the luncheon in February. Registration for the luncheon will open in late November. Nomination deadline is Friday, October 29.

PICTURED: Tiffany LeFever, 2009 High School Intern of the Year, with Indiana INTERNnet Board Chair David McKinnis