At GradLeaders, we’re proud to highlight innovators who are helping shape the future of experiential learning. This fall, we’re excited to introduce you to Christine Barkley, Founder and CEO of Internology, a mission-driven organization dedicated to strengthening internships nationwide through research, resources, and hands-on training.
Christine and team are launching the 2025 Internship Insights Survey — a national research effort designed to better understand how internships are structured today. The goal: uncover what’s working, where challenges exist, and what resources are needed to ensure internships remain high-impact experiences for students and valuable talent pipelines for employers.
Why This Survey Matters
Internships play a critical role in bridging education and employment. Yet, internship quality and structure vary widely across industries, institutions, and regions. By contributing to this survey, both higher education professionals and employers/organizations have an opportunity to shape:
- National benchmarks and best practices for internship programs
- Employer-facing tools and trainings that colleges and universities can provide
- The development of Internology’s Internship Excellence Lab workshops — designed to raise the standard for internships nationwide
Who Should Participate?
- Employers/Organizations: If you’ve hosted at least one intern in the past year, your feedback will help identify strengths and gaps in today’s internship models.
- Higher Education Professionals: You play a vital role in connecting students with employers — and your support in sharing the survey with your employer partners will expand the reach and impact of this research.
The survey is open from August 25 to October 31, 2025 and takes just 10 minutes to complete.
What’s in It for You?
As a thank-you for your participation or for helping spread the word, you’ll receive:
- ✅ A free Executive Summary of the national findings in Spring 2026
- ✅ Discounted access to the Full Report and Live Webinar with deeper insights and takeaways
These findings will provide actionable data you can use:
- Higher ed professionals can better advise and support employer partners.
- Employers can strengthen their internship programs to attract, engage, and retain top talent.
How You Can Help
- Complete the survey if your organization has hosted interns in the past year.
- Share the survey with your employer partners and networks to amplify its impact. The more diverse the responses, the more meaningful and actionable the insights will be for everyone.
👉 EMPLOYERS – Take the survey between August 25 and October 31, 2025
👉 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS – Download Sample Employer Outreach Email (PDF)
Join the Movement
Internships are one of the most powerful pathways to career readiness. Together — higher education professionals and employers alike — we can elevate the quality, consistency, and impact of internships across the country.
Your voice matters. Your network matters. And by working together, we can shape the future of experiential learning.
If you have any questions, you can reach out directly to Internology’s Founder & CEO, Christine Barkley, at christine@internology.org.
