Student Development programming at Colorado Public Radio includes our career exploration events, and internship and fellowship programs managed by our People and Culture department. Through Student Development programming, CPR offers learning opportunities to students and recent graduates that are tied to mentoring, networking and developmental experiences. The goal of the program is to positively impact career growth and exploration, and support our commitment to serving diverse communities in Colorado.
Student Visits to CPR
Student Visits to CPR
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a reporter for CPR News? Or how one of our Indie 102.3 or CPR Classical hosts got to where they are today? Here is your chance! If you’re interested in bringing your classroom or student organization to tour CPR and learn a bit about how we make radio, please fill out our student visit contact form to share some information about your group.
Due to staff capacity, we are limited to only four large group (25 people max) tours a year, but may be able to accommodate groups of eight or less on a more regular basis. If we have already filled our available tour slots, our Student Development Program Manager will reach out to add you to our waitlist for future visit opportunities.
Educators interested in bringing a CPR staff member to their classroom and individual students interested in job shadowing with CPR should also fill out the form.
Fellowships
CPR’s fellowships are designed to support recent graduates, early career professionals, or individuals looking to pivot into the field by providing practical skill development and experiences focused on helping to advance participants' professional development. Fellows will follow a one-year program of hands-on work, developmental instruction, mentorship and networking to prepare them for a career in public media or a similar field. Fellowships are full-time (paid hourly) and benefited positions.
Participants must meet the following criteria to be considered for a fellowship at CPR:
- Two years or less of relevant experience in the profession/field associated with the fellowship.
- Experience and/or education in the relevant field or profession.
- Candidates who are in the midst of a career change are eligible.
- 18 years of age or older.
- Must have authorization to work in the United States.
Fellowships at CPR run from September through August, and recruitment takes place in the spring, typically throughout the month of February into March. We intentionally recruit well in advance of the fellowship program’s start date to allow room for out-of-state candidates who may need to relocate to the area.
Positions will be posted at cpr.org/jobs.
Internships
CPR’s internships are focused on offering experiential learning opportunities that allow participants to integrate the knowledge they have gained in their coursework with practical application and skill development in a professional setting. Internships are part-time for three to five months depending on the time of year, and average 15-25 hours a week.
Students must meet the following criteria to be considered for an internship at CPR:
- Must have obtained or be in pursuit of a college-level licensure, certificate, Associate, Bachelor or graduate degree.
- Must be enrolled with an accredited institution at the time of application.
- 18 years of age or older.
- Must have authorization to work in the United States.
Internships are offered in the spring (January-May) and summer (June-August).
- Recruitment for spring interns begins in September and typically runs into October. Keep an eye on each posting to see when they will close as dates will likely differ from position to position.
- Recruitment for summer interns begins in February and typically runs into March. Keep an eye on each posting to see when they will close as dates will likely differ from position to position.
Positions will be posted at cpr.org/jobs.
What we look for in candidates
At Colorado Public Radio we are committed to cultivating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workplace that helps us represent the voices of the communities within Colorado. We highly encourage individuals with unique contributions such as ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, nation of origin, age, language, veteran status, color, religion, disability and sexual orientation to apply to our openings. CPR is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.
Components of the program
Some of the key components of the program that all potential fellows/interns should be aware of:
You will be matched up with a staff mentor, we have a brief survey to help us align mentors and mentees based on what they hope to offer/receive from the relationship. We try to match folks up with mentors who they don’t work with in their day to day role. This is in an effort to expand our participant’s networks, and ensure that their mentorship relationship is distinct from their relationship to their supervisor and immediate team.
You will present a portfolio of your work to CPR staff and community members highlighting your accomplishments and the skills you’ve developed over your time working with the organization. This portfolio will be a compilation of some of the projects that you might showcase to future employers.
Additionally, all interns and fellows will receive on-going professional development opportunities throughout their experience from staff across the organization to ensure that you leave your time with CPR with a more holistic understanding of our organization and the public media industry.
Locations
Fellowships and internships are typically housed out of the following CPR locations. Please be sure to check which building you may be traveling to as most opportunities are hybrid in format and require in-person participation.
Downtown Newsroom (303 E. 17th Ave., Denver) – Our CPR News team primarily works from this space. If your internship or fellowship is working with CPR News or Denverite, you will most likely be working out of this office.
Bridges Broadcasting Center (BBC - 7409 S. Alton Ct., Centennial) – A number of CPR teams work from this space including our Operations, Accounting, Information Technology, Broadcast Engineering, Human Resources, Development, Marketing and Events, Digital Platforms, Technical Operations, Audio Innovations, Production, CPR Classical, and Indie 102.3 teams. If you are working with one of these teams you’ll likely be here.
Southern Colorado Public Media Center (720 N. Tejon, Colorado Springs) – Our KRCC news team, hosts and development staff work from this building. If your internship is with KRCC, you will likely be working here.
Former intern and fellow testimonials
Here are some quotes from past interns that they wanted to share about their time with us.
My summer at KRCC gave me a real sense of what it’s like to work in a public radio newsroom. I’ve been listening to public radio my whole life, and getting behind the scenes certainly didn’t disappoint. It was especially valuable to work with a small team at KRCC, because it allowed me to work closely with just about everyone at the station. I got hands-on advice, editing, and guidance from everyone on the news team. It ended up being a perfect balance for me because I also got to learn from and work with reporters at the station in Denver, while still feeling like I was a part of the smaller news team in Colorado Springs.
I really enjoyed getting thrown into the work of reporting, for lack of a better term. From my first couple days at the station, it was pretty clear that I was meant to be a contributing member of the newsroom, not just an intern doing fact-checking or getting coffees. I felt like I was given a great balance between guidance and freedom that allowed me to independently work on stories that interested me, while still feeling like I had the time and support to be confident in the work I was producing. For the next crop of interns at KRCC, I’d say to take every opportunity to get into the field. Some of my favorite days were when I got to tag along with reporters on their stories in the field, or when stories I was working on got me out into the community to talk with people.
-Eli Jaynes, KRCC News Intern, Summer 2022
I would bike over in the morning around 9 and immediately get to work trying to find stories that were worth telling about Southern Colorado. My favorite part of this experience was getting to know so many new things about the community that I had called home for the past three years, as well as being tapped in to a network of accomplished journalists every day.
One thing that surprised me about this internship was how quickly things moved. By the end of the first week I was already on the radio, which was something I thought might take a bit longer to happen. I won't forget the feeling of getting into my car and turning on the radio to hear my voice.
If I were to give a tip I would say be open minded and really try to soak up everything you can, because there will be a lot. Also make sure to ask questions if you have any. The staff are always willing to help in whatever way they can.
-Will Taylor, KRCC News Intern, Summer 2022
