Resources for hosts

American Councils is committed to ensuring a positive, safe, and productive internship experience for all participants and host organizations. While host organizations are encouraged to address minor challenges internally when possible, American Councils staff is the primary point of contact for additional support, guidance, and issue resolution. Please use the guidelines below to determine when and how to contact American Councils. In most cases, our team will respond within one business day. For urgent or time‑sensitive matters, please begin the email subject line with “Urgent” or “Important.”

Point of contact: Karina Vintere, email: kvintere@americancouncils.org or yesalumni@americancouncils.org 

For any immediate safety or security concerns, contact local emergency services.

When to Contact American Councils?

• Questions & Clarifications about program requirements, responsibilities, evaluation, timeline, etc.

• Performance Concerns (Repeated lateness, missed deadlines, or declining performance)

• Disagreements & Communication Issues

• Conduct & Safety Concerns

  • Harassment, discrimination, bullying, retaliation, or any form of misconduct.

  • Health, safety, or security issues

  • Breaches of confidentiality, data protection, or misuse of host resources.

• Program Compliance

  • Tasks that may fall outside the program scope or applicable regulations.

  • Changes to the internship scope, location, supervision, or duration.

• Feedback, suggestions, future opportunities

• If in doubt, reach out! Early contact helps resolve issues quickly and supports a successful internship.

Please don't wait until the post-program evaluation survey to report on issues or concerns! 

Intern supervisors play a central role in ensuring that the internship is meaningful, productive, and aligned with both the intern’s goals and the host organization’s priorities. While interns are ultimately responsible for their own learning, the supervisor provides structure, mentorship, and guidance that shape the overall quality of the experience. Intern supervisors should therefore be experienced professionals who are prepared to move beyond simply assigning tasks. 

Effective supervision means intentionally designing work that stretches the intern’s skills, explaining the purpose and context behind assignments, and creating space for reflection, feedback, and questions. As naturally built‑in mentors, supervisors model professional standards, ethical conduct, and problem‑solving approaches, helping interns understand not just what to do, but why it matters. By actively engaging with interns, sharing insights from their own experience, and offering timely guidance, supervisors turn day‑to‑day responsibilities into meaningful learning opportunities that support both the intern’s development and the organization’s long‑term talent goals.

1. Provide Onboarding and Clear Expectations

Supervisors are responsible for helping the intern understand the organization, their role, and the context in which they will work. This includes:

• Offering an initial orientation to the team, workplace norms, tools, and project workflows.

• Setting clear expectations regarding responsibilities, deadlines, communication norms, and performance standards.

• Ensuring the intern knows whom to contact for support, approvals, or questions.

2. Connect Internship Tasks to Learning Goals

Each intern is expected to develop learning and professional goals. Supervisors help bring these goals to life by:

• Reviewing the intern’s goals early in the internship.

• Aligning assigned tasks with those goals whenever possible.

• Providing opportunities for the intern to practice and strengthen skills that support their future workforce readiness.

3. Facilitate Engagement, Teamwork, and Involvement

The program emphasizes collaborative, team‑based learning. Supervisors should:

• Integrate interns into relevant team discussions, brainstorming sessions, staff meetings, and project work.

• Provide opportunities for meaningful contributions (not merely observation), so interns can build confidence and critical thinking skills.

• Encourage team members to treat the intern as a valued colleague, fostering a welcoming environment. 

4. Offer Weekly Check‑ins and Support

A weekly check‑in is an explicit requirement of the program and serves as the backbone of a successful internship. Supervisors should use these meetings to: 

• Monitor progress on assigned tasks or projects; Clarify priorities and answer questions.

• Identify challenges early and collaboratively adjust plans when needed.

• Provide perspective, encouragement, and space for reflection.

5. Deliver Constructive, Timely Feedback

Interns grow through consistent, actionable feedback. Supervisors should:

• Offer guidance that helps the intern understand what is going well and what can be improved.

• Balance constructive critique with positive reinforcement.

• Mentor interns on professional communication, time management, workplace etiquette, and problem‑solving.

6. Support Hands‑On, Entry‑Level Skill Development

Internship assignments should allow interns to:

• Apply academic or theoretical knowledge to real-world work.

• Build foundational professional skills, including research, writing, analysis, project coordination, client support, or digital skills.

• Participate in projects that align with the organization’s priorities during the internship period.

7. Communicate with American Councils When Needed

To ensure a smooth experience for both hosts and interns, supervisors are asked to:

• Raise concerns or questions promptly with American Councils staff.

• Participate in opening and closing events conducted by American Councils.

• Track activities and progress for the end‑of‑program reflection or reporting process.

8. Promote a Safe, Respectful, and Ethical Work Environment

Supervisors ensure that the intern’s environment is:

• Professional, supportive, and nondiscriminatory.

• Free from harassment or inappropriate tasks.

• Supportive of diverse cultural backgrounds and working styles.

9. Model Leadership and Professionalism

Finally, supervisors exemplify the workplace values the program aims to instill. By modeling strong communication, collaboration, and integrity, supervisors contribute not only to the intern’s success but to the development of the next generation of global professionals.

Before the Internship Begins:

1. Prepare Intern Responsibilities & Work Plan

• Define short‑term and long‑term tasks the intern will complete.

• Identify entry‑level, skill‑building assignments aligned with your organization’s priorities.

• Ensure tasks connect to potential learning objectives (research, analysis, communication, problem‑solving, etc.).

• Prepare at least one project that the intern can begin in Week 1.

2. Confirm Supervisory Structure

• Assign a primary intern supervisor (required by program). Clarify backup points of contact.

• Ensure the supervisor has availability for weekly check‑ins, mentoring, and supporting the intern for the two-three month period.

3. Prepare Your Team

• Inform staff that an intern is joining and explain their role.

• Encourage team members to include the intern in meetings and collaborative work.

• Identify team members who may serve as informal mentors.

4. Set Up Workspace or Virtual Tools

• Set up the remote or in-person workspace: ensure access to email accounts, internal systems or software, and prepare instructions for using company-specific tools (Teams, Zoom, Slack, etc., if applicable).

5. Review Organizational Policies

• Identify policies the intern must follow (confidentiality, security, data protection, dress code, etc.).

• Confirm whether interns must sign any internal documents (NDA, IT policy, etc.) in addition to the program’s internship agreement.

6. Finalize Logistics

• Confirm the exact start/end dates and hours (≤ 20 hours/week) in the internship agreement provided by American Councils.

• Clarify expectations for in‑person, hybrid, or remote attendance.

• Plan the intern’s first‑day activities and introductions.

During the First Week:

1. Conduct the Week-1 Check‑In

• Review expectations and organizational policies.

• Outline short‑ and long‑term assignments.

• Discuss the intern’s personal learning goals and connect them to their tasks (if possible).

• Clarify communication norms (response times, preferred channels, meeting structure).

2. Provide Onboarding & Orientation

• Give an introduction to the organization/company, tour of the office or give a virtual walkthrough of team tools.

• Introduce key staff and explain team structure.

• Describe typical workflows and procedures.

• Ensure the intern knows who to contact for help or troubleshooting. 

• Test access to any platforms, applications, or software that intern will need to complete tasks.

3. Create a Welcoming Workplace Environment

• Encourage colleagues to welcome the intern and involve them in conversations or teamwork.

• Invite the intern to attend relevant staff meetings, brainstorming sessions, and discussions as you see fit.

• Foster an environment where the intern feels safe asking questions and offering ideas.

4. Assign First Tasks; Agree on a Deadline

A successful internship allows interns to connect their daily work experience to skill development and ultimately translate their Alumni Internship Program participation into clear evidence that they are prepared to enter the workforce or pursue advanced studies. Your everyday guidance, structure, and interaction with the intern are essential to helping them make these connections. Below are practical guidelines to support hosts in supervising interns day‑to‑day and ensuring a high‑quality internship experience.

1. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FROM THE START

Interns perform best when they understand what’s expected and how to prioritize their time. Offering structure early, such as weekly priorities, sample workflows, or templates, helps them get up to speed quickly. As they grow more confident, gradually give them more autonomy to make their own decisions.

2. Break Down Complex Tasks into Learning Steps & EXAMPLES

Many interns are taking on professional tasks for the first time. Breaking large projects into smaller, achievable steps helps them build confidence, see progress early, and understand the “why” behind the process. This gradual approach reduces confusion and prevents interns from feeling overwhelmed.

Offer Micro‑Learning Moments - short, informal teaching moments during the day can be extremely effective. Examples include:

• “Let me show you how we structure client emails.”

• "Here's a template of how we typically approach reporting."

• “This is how we prioritize tasks when deadlines conflict. These tasks are always the most important.”

• “Here’s how and why we track this data. It helps us deliver accurate results to our funders.”

3. Model Professional Behavior Explicitly

Interns learn as much from observation as from task execution. The more your team models professional communication, time‑management strategies, collaborative problem‑solving, and workplace etiquette, the faster interns will pick up on these transferable skills. 

4. Encourage Questions

Make it clear that questions are welcome. Many interns hesitate to ask questions because they want to appear competent. You can help establish a positive norm by saying, “If something is unclear, ask early—that’s part of learning.” Some aspects of the work may feel second nature to those already familiar with the organization or the industry, but may be entirely new to an intern.

5. Offer Varied Exposure Across the Team

Efficient internships give interns visibility into different roles or departments. Consider: brief rotations among team members, introductions to different departments or units, or collaboration between different teams, if possible. A broader view of operations helps interns better understand how their tasks fit into the organization. 

6. Provide Templates, Examples, and Models

Interns work faster and more confidently when they have examples. When assigning tasks, share: sample reports, previous project summaries, templates, or formatting guidelines. Providing models reduces guesswork and increases quality.

8. Help Interns Learn by Doing, Not Just OBSERVING

Where possible, turn observation into participation. While this will look very different across fields and internship roles, it reinforces learning, builds a sense of ownership, and provides a hands‑on experience.

For example: Rather than having an intern only sit in on a marketing strategy meeting, invite them to participate by drafting social media post ideas, outlining a brief campaign concept, or analysing the performance report and identifying trends to share with the team. 

9. Give Timely, Balanced, AND CONSTRUCTIVE Feedback INSTEAD OF NEGATIVE

Feedback works best when it is: specific (“Your summary was clear, it's a very detailed analysis. Could you please add more detail on X and Y? Let me know if you need any support.”), timely (within the same week), and balanced (acknowledge strengths while offering improvements). Efficient internships build feedback into weekly routines.

❌ Instead of:

“You missed the deadline. This is unprofessional.”

✅ Try this:

“I noticed the report came in after the deadline. Let’s talk about what got in the way and how we can better organize your task priorities and time management so you’re set up to meet the deadline next time.”

❌ Instead of:

“There are too many mistakes here.”

✅ Try this:

“There are a few formatting and labeling errors here, which is common when learning a new system. Before submitting next time, try using this checklist. I think it will help catch those details.”

10. Allow for Small “Stretch Assignments”

Once interns settle into their role, give them tasks slightly above their comfort level. Examples include: presenting a small update in a team meeting, drafting a first version of a deliverable, taking the lead on a task, etc. Stretch assignments build confidence, show trust, and help interns grow faster. 

11. Document TASKS AND Progress Together

Encourage interns to maintain a simple log that tracks key elements of their experience, such as tasks completed, upcoming deadlines, hours worked, and skills developed. This practice helps interns stay organized, reflect on their progress, and supports more productive check‑ins with their supervisor. 

12. Make Space for Interns to Add Their Own Ideas

Interns often bring new perspectives. When appropriate, ask: “What would you recommend?” “What stood out to you in this process?”  Inviting their input boosts engagement and can lead to surprisingly innovative suggestions.

13. ACKNOWLEDGE ACHIEVEMENTS AND GROWTH

A quick acknowledgment can be motivating and confidence‑building. Celebrating small achievements helps interns stay engaged, motivated, and feel valued.

14. RESPECT THEIR TIME

While interns are here to learn from you and contribute to meaningful work, they are often balancing university studies, extracurricular activities, and other commitments alongside the internship. Please be mindful of their time and ensure that expectations remain within the internship hours agreed upon in the internship agreement.

15. End the Internship with a Forward‑Looking Conversation

Before the internship wraps up, provide feedback that helps the intern look ahead. This may include strengths you observed, improvements made over time, areas for continued growth, and guidance on how the intern can effectively articulate their experience to future employers. 

If you enjoyed working with the intern, offering a letter of support for their future applications can be highly meaningful and impactful.