The Digital Summer Clinic will follow a hybrid model with a portion of the work remote and one in-person meeting each week. See “Remote work and meetings” at the bottom of the page for more information.

Yes! In 2026, Clinic interns will earn up to $20/hour.

Applications are now closed for the 2025 Clinic. The clinic is running from June 9, 2025 –  August 8, 2025.

Applications for the 2026 Clinic will open around mid-February and close around the last week of April. Interviews for applicants typically begin on May 2, and intern selection will be completed by Memorial Day. 

1. 1. You will work as an intern for a startup company in Ann Arbor’s high tech incubator. You must complete your full internship between the start and stop date of the clinic as indicated above.
   2. You will be placed in one of four cohorts (Tuesday A, Tuesday B, Wednesday A, Wednesday B) and must attend the mandatory one-hour cohort meeting as well as the separate one-hour Thursday all-hands meeting each week of the clinic (two hours total per week). These meetings are not counted as work hours. Please see remote work and meetings at the bottom of the page for more details on these meetings. 
   3. There will be a cohort meeting and an all-hands meeting every week of the clinic with the exception of the week of July 4. After that week, you may miss one pre-approved mandatory cohort meeting and one pre-approved Thursday all-hands meeting. Missing any cohort or Thursday all-hands meetings beyond that is grounds for dismissal from the program.
   4. You must complete a tools certification during the clinic. Pre-approved certifications are Google Analytics and Google Ads. Others may be approved by the clinic director, Bud Gibson.
   5. You must complete the social media requirements and other requirements as outlined in the syllabus delivered at the first mandatory cohort meeting.

1. 1. We grant you the CDE-SPARK Digital Media Certification as an indication you have completed the clinic requirements. These requirements come directly from our industry partners who indicate them as desired traits in entry-level employees. As a result, we have historically had very strong success with student placement after the clinic. 
   2. You become part of our growing alumni base. Clinic alums work at large organizations such as Google, iProspect (GM’s digital agency), GTB (Ford’s digital agency), as well as many notable local small businesses. Clinic alums also work in Chicago and on both coasts.
   3. You become a prime candidate for continued work in the Ann Arbor area’s high-tech economy as well as other regional hotspots like Detroit and Grand Rapids. These opportunities can allow you to increase your relevant experience while still a student.

1. 1. A week or two before the clinic starts, you will be introduced to the company you will be working for.
   2. The clinic works somewhat like an ad agency or a consulting firm. We source the talent and assign you to companies with a specific project in mind. Sometimes we have to rearrange staffing a bit as the clinic progresses.

Any current college student or recent graduate (within 18 months of clinic start date)! If you’re interested in digital and looking to get your foot in the door, we encourage you to apply. Digital can mean an array of different things from coding and computer science, to analytics, advertising, and strategic communication. We’re simply looking for people who can hit the ground running and learn quickly.

Yes, you will need to obtain a CPT or OPT authorization. This is usually accomplished via your university’s international student office or equivalent. We will supply you with the offer letter to use in this process with your university. Your authorization must be valid for you to work starting the first day of the clinic.

1. 1. Those interested in being a part of the Digital Summer Clinic should apply through the website (DigitalSummer.clinic).
   2. In May, selected applicants will be notified if they have earned an interview with members of the mentor team. From there, 48 interns will be selected for our 24 companies and notified. 
   3. What will help your application most, is to describe experiences in your statement of purpose where you used your digital skills to achieve a result. This could be for a club or personal project or on the job.

This is a part-time internship. Ann Arbor SPARK allots 10 hours/week (90 hours total) for each intern. If you work beyond those 90 hours, your company must pick up the tab. It is very possible that you may be able to work beyond 10 hours, but we can only guarantee 10.

1. 1. You are hired by Ann Arbor SPARK for 10 hours/week during the clinic. You submit your timesheets to SPARK, and the company you are assigned to approves them.
   2. You must submit all the requisite employment paperwork to SPARK before you can be issued your first paycheck. SUBMIT YOUR EMPLOYMENT PAPERWORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER IT IS REQUESTED.

Each summer, there is a small team of interns that dedicate 10-15 hours per week as field team managers. These field managers are chosen by the mentor team.

1. 1. In 2026, we are planning that all internships will follow a hybrid model with a portion of the work remote and the other in-person meetings. Each company in the clinic has its own method of organizing remote work, but in all cases, it is some version of teleconferencing, calendaring, messaging, and file sharing.
   2. All clinic documents will be organized using Basecamp and/or Google Drive. 
   3. All clinic meetings will be scheduled via online calendar and compatible with Google calendar.
   4. There are two meetings that interns need to attend weekly. The first is group meetings (take place remotely via Zoom). The second is all-hands meetings. All of the all-hands meeting will be in-person at SPARK East in Ypsilanti.
   5. Required meeting times. The cohort meetings are via zoom, and all 8 of the Thursday all-hands meetings are in-person:
      • • Tuesday and Wednesday A Cohorts: 6 PM to 7 PM
        • Tuesday and Wednesday B Cohorts: 7:10 PM to 8:10 PM
        • Thursday all-hands meeting: 7:00 PM to 8:00 P