254‐770‐2379
P.O. Box 729, Belton, TX 76513
dominic.elizondo@ctcog.org

Rural Internship Program

2024 Rural Internship Program

Does your Chamber, Economic Development Organization or Department of Tourism need an extra set of hands, but operate on a limited budget?

CTCOG and the DDCT are accepting applications for the DDCT Rural Internship Program for 2024. The Rural Internship Program awards scholarships to economic development entities, including Chambers of Commerce and Departments of Tourism for the internship of high school Juniors or Seniors in their local area. Students will gain hands-on experience promoting economic development in rural communities, and in turn, the communities will benefit through a bolstering of their economic development efforts and the cultivation of future ambassadors for rural Central Texas.

 

Download Application Form Here!Rural Internship Program Flyer

$1,000 scholarships will be awarded to Chambers of Commerce, local Economic Development Organizations or Departments of Tourism within the seven-county CTCOG region. Three awards are anticipated to be made for the 2024 program.

 

 

Student Interns must:

  • Be a junior or senior in his or her local high school.
  • Live in a rural community with a population of 20,000 or less based on the 2020 US Census.
  • Demonstrate civic awareness and community involvement.
  • Maintain an A or B GPA before and during the internship.
  • Have written recommendation from a school administrator.
  • Have two (2) letters of recommendation from teachers.
All rural Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Organizations, and Departments of Tourism in the seven-county CTCOG region are welcome to apply.                              
Deadline to apply is March 29, 2024

Applications may be submitted to Dominic Elizondo at dominic.elizondo@ctcog.org. Questions may be sent to the same email, or call 254‐770‐2379

The DDCT’s 2024 Rural Internship Program has selected four awardees-a program high-to receive $1000 each to support high school interns in building capacity for economic development projects in our region!

The awardees are as follows:

 

Organization Intern Hours Reason for Intern
Kay Theatre (Rockdale) 10-15 hours/week Collaboration with board for development and promotion of programming for Rockdale’s 12 day 150th birthday celebration, creation of Youth Advisory Committee, and staffing and operations of theatre during events.
Hamilton EDC 2 hours/day, 10 hours/week Social media campaigns, marketing, promotion, research, and event planning.
Nolanville EDC 9 hours week, M-W-Fri weekly Marketing and community outreach for new Nolanville SMART Museum, learning and encouraging use of AI and VR technologies for students, participating in set up of museum including marketing, admissions, and special events.
Lampasas Chamber of Commerce 20 hours/week, five weeks Research and design marketing materials for Texas Tourism Friendly Community designation portfolio, distribute marketing materials to media centers, assist with event set up.