Pictured Above: Beginning this spring, the USF Business For Good Internship will be open to all majors from all three campuses and can be completed for class credit.
Courtesy of Emma Jacobs
By Edyn Gottlieb
USF St. Petersburg student Emma Jacobs has launched a new remote internship program for students.
The USF Business For Good Internship program will partner students with Florida businesses interested in earning their B corporation certification.
“B Corp Certification is to business as Fair Trade Certified is to coffee and USDA Organic is to apples, a seal of social and environmental responsibility,” Jacobs, a senior honors environmental science and policy major, said.
Jacobs has partnered with Bekah Vigil, Administrative Specialist for the USF Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership, and Brittany Gray, owner of B is for Benefit, a burgeoning sustainability consultancy, to bring this internship to USF.
“USF’s newly pioneered Internship is inspired by the Business For Good model,” Jacobs said. “This internship was originally inspired by the University of Florida Business For Good Lab, B Corp Clinic in North Carolina, and ultimately contributes to the B Corp movement spearheaded by the B Lab.”
Beginning this spring, the USF Business For Good Internship will be open to all majors from all three campuses and can be completed for class credit.
During the internship, students will help businesses complete the B Impact Assessment (BIA) which is a tool used to measure the businesses’ impact through five categories: governance, workers, customers, environment and community.
“This 100+ question assessment helps businesses earn points through measuring their positive impact,” Jacobs said. “If a business earns 80 points or higher on the BIA, they are eligible for B Corporation certification.”
Students and their partnered business will meet regularly to complete the BIA and develop strategies to increase their score.
For the first four weeks of the internship students will be trained in the B Corporation certification process. After learning how to complete the BIA, students will apply their knowledge to help businesses complete the BIA and reach their certification goals.
Students interested in the internship can apply through Handshake and weekly information sessions are available to answer any questions regarding the program.
