General Information for 2026 Program
Spend your summer learning about the social and economic justice issues that affect working people in our region while exploring the intersections of class, gender, race, and immigration in the Labor Movement! Apply your skills to support labor and make a difference in the lives of workers and their families!
The Labor Summer Internship Program is an eight week, full-time internship, coordinated by the UC Santa Barbara Community Labor Center and co-sponsored by the Central Coast Labor Council. It is designed to train the next generation of labor and community organizers.
You will be placed with a labor union or community organization along the Central Coast where you will be able to apply your skills and gain hands-on experience in labor and community organizing. Having hands-on experience in vital issues that affect the Central Coast's working class, allows you to develop skills and build networks that will prepare you to pursue work in labor-related jobs in the future. This is a great opportunity for third and fourth year students who are interested in working in labor or allied organizations: several of our former interns went on to find jobs in the movement, including with their host organization!
Labor Summer 2026 Program Information
This year, we will be offering two spots to students currently attending CSU Channel Islands
Program dates: June 15, 2026 - August 7, 2026
APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Host Organizations: Friday, January 23, 2026
Intern Applications: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 11:59 PM
Info sessions:
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Tuesday, January 13, 1:00 PM on ZOOM
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Wednesday, January 28, 5:00-6:00 PM IN PERSON
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Monday, February 2, 2:00-3:00 PM on ZOOM
WHERE TO APPLY:
Program Details
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All interns are required to attend an in-person orientation from Monday, June 15 to Thursday, June 18, 2026. The orientation will cover the basics of labor organizing, history of unions, and provide training and workshops to develop organizing skills applicable to your summer placement. The orientation will also allow interns to form relationships with their cohort and host sites.
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Interns will then spend the next seven weeks (40 hours per week) at their host organization (labor union or community organization on the Central Coast) putting their knowledge and skills to work supporting local campaigns and workers' rights.
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A closing retreat will be held at the end of the Internship, during which interns will share their experiences and learnings, and reflect on what they have accomplished in the program.
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In this year's cohort, we will be offering two spots to students from CSU Channel Islands
Requirements to participate in Labor Summer:
- Interest in working on social and economic justice issues with unions and community-based organizations.
- Students who are able to work in diverse environments.
- Spanish fluency is not required for all placements, but necessary for several
- Availability for the entirety of the program: Monday, June 15 to Friday, August 7, 2026.
- Rising fourth years and graduating students are especially encouraged to apply - and will be given preference. The intention is to prepare upper year students for careers in the labor movement.
- Interns cannot be taking summer classes during internship. It is a full-time commitment (approximately 40 hours per week) and students can not have classes interfering with the internship.
- Placements are in-person and located throughout Central Coast counties, interns must be living near or able to commute to the worksite (most placements are NOT on campus, some are as far as Camarillo and Santa Maria.
Compensation
All interns will be paid a $7,500 stipend.
