The Illinois Broadcasters Association’s Multi-cultural Internship Program is a model for broadcasters in other states to follow.  Since its inception, IBA has nurtured a diverse group of future Illinois broadcasters, offering them unprecedented opportunities to work and grow with some of the most dedicated professionals in broadcasting. IBA MIP interns have worked at radio and television stations from Chicago to the tip of southern Illinois.  The experiences they report and the successes they achieve reflect the time and resources IBA has committed to the Multi-cultural Internship Program.

Students selected for IBA internships are the cream of the crop. They are chosen by their schools as applicants in a highly competitive process that ultimately whittles down a pool of 35 to 40 quality candidates to just a half-dozen or so finalists for summer internships.  IBA also accepts applications for fall and spring semester internships. Candidates come from all of the major state universities and other colleges and universities with membership on IBA’s Academics Committee. Applications are reviewed by IBA's MIP coordinator, a former broadcaster and broadcast educator, who interviews applicants at their schools and visits them on site during the internship.  MIP interns receive a stipend to help underwrite their experience, and they are required to spend a full 40-hours a week “on the job.”  The MIP coordinator keeps close tabs on the interns progress, debriefs the interns at the conclusion of their internships and serves as a mentor before, during and even after the internship.