Internship Opportunity Program (IOP) — Santa Cruz Works

AHSC workforce development grant

Internship Opportunity Program (IOP): Providing $10,000 grants for local internships

The Internship Opportunity Program connects Santa Cruz County employers with motivated young adults from underserved neighborhoods in Santa Cruz County — fully funded through the City of Santa Cruz's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities grant.

Funding per intern $10K Up to $10,000 toward the intern's pay, fully grant-funded.

Typical Internship Length ~6 Months Approximately six months per internship placement.

Weekly hours 10–40 Hours set by agreement between employer and intern.

Candidate age range 18–24 Young adults from underserved Santa Cruz neighborhoods.

The Program

How it works

This program exists because the City of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Works, and Digital NEST built a pipeline together. Here's how it works.

Funder City of Santa Cruz Awards the AHSC Workforce Development Grant.

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Administrator Santa Cruz Works Reviews employer applications, distributes funds, tracks the cohort.

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Outreach & screening Digital NEST Recruits and screens candidates ages 18–24 from disadvantaged census tracts, including Beach Flats and Lower Ocean, and provides support to the intern.

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Host Employer Interviews the screened pool, selects, hires, and manages one intern.

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Outcome Intern Works a paid, ~6-month role, managed, trained, and supported throughout the internship.

Throughout the internship, Santa Cruz Works and Digital NEST regularly check in with both the employer and the intern to monitor progress. At the conclusion of the program, both parties receive a short survey to assess its success. All participants sign an agreement. Additional details are provided upon application acceptance. Read the original press release.

In June 2025, the City of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Works, and Digital NEST announced a collaboration to strengthen the local workforce and fund paid internships for young adults in underserved areas of Santa Cruz County. At the start of each cohort, Santa Cruz Works reviews applications from employers interested in hosting an intern, while Digital NEST conducts targeted outreach to local residents ages 18–24 living in disadvantaged census tracts — including neighborhoods near the awarded AHSC grant project area, such as Beach Flats and Lower Ocean in the City of Santa Cruz.

Digital NEST handles initial screening and hands employers a pool of qualified applicants. Employers schedule and conduct final interviews and choose their preferred intern from that pool. All participants sign an agreement, and pay rate and hours are set by the employer.

Participate in the program

For employers

Host an intern

Get a pre-screened pool of motivated local candidates and up to $10,000 toward their pay — no recruiting budget required.

Review and interview a screened candidate pool
Hire within 3 weeks of receiving candidates
Host for roughly 6 months, 10–40 hrs/week
Submit monthly invoices and time logs

See your responsibilities ↓

For job seekers, 18–24

Get matched with a local employer

If you live in an underserved part of Santa Cruz County and want real, paid work experience, Digital NEST can train and place you into an internship.

Open to residents ages 18–24
Priority for Beach Flats, Lower Ocean & nearby tracts
Digital NEST screens you, then employers interview
No cost to apply

Email Digital NEST to apply →

Employer responsibilities

What hosting an intern actually looks like

Santa Cruz Works expects every host employer to move through four phases, from the first welcome email to ongoing mentorship. Here's the full obligation, broken down by when it happens.

Before they arrive

Pre-arrival communication

Welcome email with start time, dress code, and expectations

Share resources — employee handbook, org chart

Assign a buddy or mentor for questions and concerns

First day and week

Orientation

HR onboarding — paperwork and benefits overview

IT setup — laptop, software, email if required

Team introductions and office walkthrough

Company overview — mission, culture, current projects

Time tracking set up — log hours daily, send copies monthly

Assign tasks and projects — provide meaningful opportunities for interns to learn and contribute to your business

Throughout the internship

Meaningful work & mentorship

Align tasks to the intern's skills and program goals

Define clear deliverables, deadlines, success metrics

Start manageable, then build toward more responsibility

Dedicated supervisor with regular 1:1 check-ins — teach interns valuable skills and provide constructive feedback

Culture, ongoing

Foster a learning environment

No question is dumb — make space to ask

Shadowing — let them observe meetings and other teams

Explain the why behind tasks, not just the how

Encourage networking, internally and at industry events

The employer is the intern's employer of record and is responsible for payroll, payroll taxes, workers' compensation coverage, and any other standard legal or HR obligations of employment. The AHSC grant funds the stipend; it doesn't change your employer responsibilities.

Why employers participate

What you get beyond the funding

The $10,000 covers the cost. These are the reasons employers come back for a second cohort.

Pre-screened talent

Digital NEST handles intake and screening, so you only interview qualified, motivated candidates.

Fresh perspective

Interns bring current tools, new ideas, and energy that can unstick problems your team has stopped noticing.

Capacity, not just headcount

Hand off the project segments that never get prioritized, and free your team for higher-leverage work.

Mentorship reps for your team

Supervising an intern builds leadership skills in whoever takes on the role — a benefit that outlasts the internship.

Community standing

Hosting signals real investment in Santa Cruz County's workforce, not just a sponsorship logo.

A genuine hiring pipeline

Six months is enough time to know if it's a fit. Many interns convert to full-time employees, already trained on your systems.

Intern Skills & Background

What Digital NEST candidates bring

Most candidates come through Digital NEST's bizzNEST program — a paid, in-house agency that trains young adults on real client work before they ever reach you.

Technical skills

Web & graphic design

Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, Figma, WordPress, Squarespace, HTML/CSS — wireframes through visual design.

Video production

DSLR and cinema cameras, lighting and audio gear, Premiere and DaVinci Resolve — from storyboard to color correction.

Digital marketing

Canva, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, content calendars, and email marketing.

Front-end development

HTML, CSS, WordPress theming, and responsive design.

Professional skills

Communication

Clear oral and written communication, active listening, openness to feedback.

Collaboration

Comfortable contributing inside a team, not just working solo.

Problem-solving

Identifies issues, weighs options, and follows through on a fix.

Initiative & adaptability

Seeks out resources independently and adjusts to new environments fast.

Meet the Interns in Cohort 1

The program, in their own words.

Learn about how young adults are building real skills at Santa Cruz County businesses and nonprofits through the AHSC internship.

Read all AHSC stories →

Software Eng · Nurbli

"Every feature I improved connected back to real people — indigenous families whose languages often lack digital resources."

Yuliana Morales-Galvan Software Engineering Intern Read her story →

Marketing · Siena House

"Working here has taught me how powerful communication can be in connecting people to a cause."

Elsa Tamayo Marketing & Comms Intern Read her story →

Social Media · Mission Hill

"I create creative content for our social media accounts while learning the ins and outs of the business."

Julian Cabadas Social Media Marketing Intern Read his story →

Outreach · Clean Oceans Intl.

"Strong storytelling can mobilize support and inspire action — I got to see that firsthand every day."

Emily Ramirez Social Media & Outreach Intern Read her story →

Social Media · Go Ask Alice

"This role has taught me how to tailor content for digital platforms while keeping a strong sense of storytelling."

Melanie Kate Social Media Marketing Intern Read her story →

Program Overview · All Cohorts

"We've been having such a good time working with a video editor. What a valuable resource Edgar has been for our organization. I wanted to share the most recent video he helped craft for us—it just made our founder cry."

— Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery

Read the full report →

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Filter by who you are, or browse everything.

Internships should be approximately six months in duration.

Start dates are unique to each employer and intern agreement — there's no single fixed cohort start.

Yes. Companies receive up to $10,000 from Santa Cruz Works to compensate their intern.

10–40 hours per week, varying by internship and by agreement between employer and intern.

Access to pre-screened talent — Digital NEST handles initial screening
Cost-effective — fully funded through the AHSC grant
Fresh perspectives from interns who bring current tools and ideas
Added capacity for projects your team hasn't gotten to
Mentorship reps for the employees who supervise
Stronger community standing and ties to local institutions
A real hiring pipeline — many interns convert to full-time roles

Most candidates come through Digital NEST's bizzNEST program, their in-house digital media agency that gives 18–24 year-olds hands-on, paid experience on real client work before they reach you. Expect a mix of technical training — web and graphic design, video production, digital marketing, or front-end development — paired with strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. See the full breakdown above.

Invoices for the prior month are due to Santa Cruz Works by the 5th business day of the following month.

You're responsible for conducting final interviews from Digital NEST's candidate pool and completing the hiring process within 3 weeks.

Email Catherine Wright at cathy@digitalnest.org. Let her know you're interested in the AHSC internship program and what part of town you live in.