The timeline for recruiting interns begins in mid-October and is usually concluded by early May. Since there are well over 300 applications each year, the intern coordinator activates files as soon as the credentials arrive at Culver. A resume, college transcript, and two letters of recommendation are required before a file can be considered.

Applications are narrowed to those candidates whom the intern coordinator wishes to interview personally. On-site interviews are conducted in regional areas where candidates are located. Twenty-four candidates are invited to come to Culver for more intensive interviews with faculty, students, present interns, the athletic director, dean of students, and student life personnel. The final intern class is selected from this group.

ACADEMIC ASSIGNMENTS

1. Each intern is assigned to a master instructor in his/her discipline who helps him/her learn the basics of teaching methodology, discipline, and parent/student relations.

2. As the intern's comfort level increases, the mentor eases him/her into the classroom, with the ultimate goal of having the intern assume full teaching responsibilities of the class. Most interns are teaching by the end of the first grading period.

3. Interns work one-on-one with students in tutorial periods, allowing him/her a chance to try different methods with those who are experiencing academic difficulty.

4. Each intern spends three periods a week in the Academic Skills Center, working individually with students across all ability levels and academic disciplines.

EXTRACURRICULAR ASSIGNMENTS

1. During every extra-curricular season, each intern assists with an extra-curricular activity, either working with students in groups or in one-on-one training.

2. Coaches act as mentors in the athletic arena, helping interns expand their boundaries of classroom teaching onto the playing fields, where they can observe student behavior in a different environment.

3. In the event that an intern does not feel comfortable assisting with a specific sport, or 

has limited athletic experience overall, he/she can help supervise in the extensive intramural program, weight room, or athletic study hall. Interns whose expertise is in the area of Fine Arts, may be assigned to a program in this area.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

1. Male interns live in furnished dormitory apartments, where they have ready access to students living in their units. They act as a second set of eyes and ears for the counselor, often keying in on nuance of behavior that can lead to potentially serious problems. Female interns have similar responsibilities but share a house near female dormitories.

2. Interns assume duties that allow them to become an inherent part of the residential community—they serve as dorm supervisors two times a week, making sure that study conditions are in effect and overall behavior is monitored. Twice a month they are "in residence" on weekends, providing an adult presence in the dorms at night.

3. Working closely with the counselor, they both attend in-service seminars on residential life issues that help them approach students with more sensitivity and care.

TOTAL COMPENSATION

The salary for the Culver internship is $15,000, but there are "extras" in the total compensation package.

1. Furnished, a rent free/utility free apartment.
2. Phone in apartment and local service provided. Long distance service is extra.
3. Basic cable TV provided, except for premium channels.
4. Dry cleaning service provided.
5. All meals provided through the dining hall, no charge for guests.
6. Access to physicians twice a day at the Health Center.
7. Membership in The Faculty Association for social gatherings.
8. Minimal charge for guests to stay in Academies accommodations.
9. Cap and gown charges paid for faculty processionals in fall and spring.
10. Ten percent faculty discount in The Academies Bookstore.
11. Faculty book discount of 20-60 percent through The Academies library.
12. Placement services (ERG and IES) interview interns on campus for jobs the following year.
13. The intern coordinator of The Academies help place interns in jobs or graduate schools.

WHY SHOULD I BE AN INTERN AT CULVER?

The Culver internship program is great because it offers something for everyone. If you aren't sure whether teaching is for you, it offers the opportunity to teach a reduced load and test the waters before jumping in. If you are sure of teaching as a career, the program enables you to learn the craft by teaching and having a mentor. For the recent college graduate who wants an easy introduction into "the real world," there are a few free periods every day. For the person who needs to be constantly occupied, there are always students who want and/or need to talk to you. If you are wary of assuming too much responsibility, the internship allows you to help teach, help direct a play, and help scores of students experience high school. If you never have enough responsibility, you can supervise the welfare and education of a class, dorm hall, and team or cast -- upwards of sixty teenagers!

If you ever tire of the surrounding cornfields, you can escape for a weekend in Chicago – only two hours away. Should you develop a craving for that old college atmosphere, South Bend is forty-five minutes away. And if you want to immerse yourself in the boarding school atmosphere, you don't have to search far.

If you worry about being lonely, there are roughly ten other interns and a number of thirty-something faculty, many of whom are married with children but still find the time to socialize on the weekend. If you are concerned about having enough free time, simply close the door to your room.

In short, Culver is what you make it. Surprisingly enough, this half-military school -- the girls academy isn't military -- in a small town in rural Indiana is special precisely because it contains such possibility and flexibility.

Still not sold? Good. You shouldn't be. You should work at Culver not so much because of what it offers the faculty and staff, but because of what it offers the students.

Culver, like many schools, tries to develop "the whole individual -- mind, character, spirit, and body." And Culver, like many schools, fulfills its mission statement more often than not. But what distinguishes Culver is that it teaches leadership, recruiting the students themselves to help in the endeavor.

While the faculty teaches and coaches, it is the students who self-administer the athletics, extracurriculars, and social events. Thus, the students wrestle constantly with the demands of leadership, responsibility, and discipline. They take turns leading and following one another, and giving and receiving orders they like and hate, and exceeding and disappointing their peers' expectations. In this way, they join their educators in trying to foster the same values. And if you are interested in developing the values of young people, then you should be an intern at Culver.

-- An intern, 1996-97

DIRECTIONS TO THE CULVER ACADEMIES

WHEN COMING FROM THE SOUTH (Indianapolis), proceed north on US 31 past Rochester. Turn west onto State Road 10. Go west approximately eight miles, to where State Road 117 intersects on the left. Second drive to the left, west of this intersection, is the Main Gate.

ALTERNATELY, take State Road 17 north out of Logansport. Travel approximately 35 miles to the intersection with State Road 10. Turn east on State Road 10. Proceed to the flashing light. Continue east from this intersection 3/4 mile to the Main Gate.

FROM THE NORTH, (Chicago/South Bend/ Detroit) proceed South on US 31 to State Road 10. Go west approximately eight miles. Main Gate is the second left after intersection with State Road 117.

If you're flying to Culver, South Bend airport is approximately 40 miles north of Culver and is serviced by most major airlines.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Culver internship, mail a resume, college transcript, and two letters of recommendation to the following address:

Culver Intern Coordinator
The Culver Educational Foundation
1300 Academy Road, CEF #904
Culver, Indiana 46511-1291
(574) 842-8361

Questions regarding the intern program and application process may be sent via e-mail to Mr. Tom Thornburg. However, all application materials must be sent by conventional mail.