Sprinternship® FAQs
When do Sprinternships take place?
Sprinternships take place over the course of three weeks in the month of January. This year they will run January 3rd - 24th, 2024 We chose this time frame because it is between the end of the fall semester and the start of spring semester, for most of our students, which allows us to maximize the use of the break.
What is the time commitment?
Sprinterns are required to be at their work site (which may be in person, online, or a hybrid, depending on the organization) for eight hours per day, Monday through Friday, for all three weeks of the Sprinternship. The exact work hours will be determined by the organization, but you can generally expect them to be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the three-weeks in January, students are required to attend two career development workshops on October 3rd or 6th and December 2nd or 3rd.
What are the eligibility requirements?
To be eligible applicants must meet the following qualifications:
- Women (trans and cis) and nonbinary students and other underrepresented groups in tech
- Undergraduate, degree-seeking students at a CUNY college
- Enrolled in at least 1 course at CUNY college during the Fall 2023 semester
- Good academic standing (2.0+ GPA)
- First-Year, Second-Year, or Junior
- 18+ years of age by November 1, 2023
- Living in the United States in January 2024
- Demonstrated commitment to a computer science major (for example, a computer science major, previous or planned classes, Summer Guild, a high school class, or other clubs, bootcamps, or extracurricular activities)
How will I be paired with an organization?
Break Through Tech New York staff members will host a matching fair, designed to give both students and employers the chance to meet with each other. Students and employers/partners will be able to submit their top choices for pairing. Break Through Tech NY Staff will do their best to honor the preferences, but based on the partner organizations’ needs and challenge projects and the applicant pool and students’ strengths, Break Through Tech NY will assign applicants to an employer/partner.
How much do Sprinternships pay?
Students will be compensated at least minimum wage ($15 an hour) but pay rates will vary by individual employers for an approximately 40-hour work week.
What is a Challenge Project?
A Challenge Project is a constructive, goal-oriented experience that might involve solving an internal issue or enhancing products or services with tech innovation at the host organization. The goal is for Sprinterns to think creatively and work with others while adding business value to the organization. Sprinterns will typically work in teams of 3 to 5 of their CUNY peers.
Is three weeks long enough to provide a valuable experience for students?
A Sprinternship® is intentionally designed to be a "sprint” which, in agile product development, is a short period of time during which a series of tasks have to be completed and ready for review. An average of 50% of past participants who were looking for technical summer internships successfully secured one after completing their Sprinternships® (and often times with the organization they completed their Sprinternship with). It is long enough for students to gain exposure and set themselves up for success for future internships.