CAPS Fellows Program Application

Internships with Purpose and Impact

The CAPS Fellows Program reimagines internships as formative experiences grounded in purpose, reflection, and community. Fellows engage in 300-hour summer placements with mission-driven organizations while building professional skills, exploring vocational calling, and learning alongside peers and mentors. Each fellowship fosters personal growth and social engagement.

INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP and Service

Reflective. Relational. Responsive.

About

Christian Leadership and Formation

For Alumni

Deadlines and Timelines for 2026 CAPS Fellowship Application

Who can Apply

Current Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Open to ALL majors
GPA at or above 3.0

Application Components

Online application form
Personal statement in PDF format uploaded through the online application
Resume in PDF format uploaded through the online application
Reference form submitted by a Valparaiso University faculty or staff member
Unofficial transcript in PDF form uploaded to application.

Deadline

Applications for the 2026 CAPS Fellows Program will open from November 5, 2025 and will close on January 19, 2026.

Timeline

Semifinalist interviews with the Advisory Committee will take place on February 14, 2026 and those who move forward will become CAPS Finalists. The Finalists will interview with different placement sites in late March. Placements will be finalized by April 14th. The Finalists become CAPS Fellows when the Learning Agreement is signed by the placement, the Fellow, and Valparaiso University.

Applicants who have a conflict and will be unable to come for the Interview Day must contact the Institute for Leadership and Service as soon as possible at to provide their availability for the Mon-Wed following Interview Day in the event they are selected as a Semifinalist.

Resume and Personal Statement Guidelines

The following documents will be uploaded as PDFs to the online application as prompted. Be sure to include your name on all documents. Carefully review your statement before submitting to prevent typos and other errors.

Resume of no more than 2 pages. We strongly encourage you to meet with a Valpo Career Center staff for drop-in resume advising or attend one of their Resume Writing Sessions before submitting it for your application. You can learn more about this important campus resource on their website.
Personal statement of no more than 1,000 words total, addressing the following topics:

Your personal and/or professional goals at this time.
The key questions you’re asking about your future.
What you hope to learn from your participation in the CAPS Fellows program, as a program that emphasizes reflection and is different from a standard pre-professional internship.
Reflection on your coursework and co-curricular experiences and how they have contributed to or challenged your ideas about leadership, service and purposeful work.

Reference Form Guidelines

Applications require one reference form from a person (supervisor) that can attest to your professional/work/cocurricular experience, to be received by the application deadline. This could be a faculty advisor for an on-campus job or student organization or trip, a fieldwork or internship supervisor, a supervisor at your off-campus job, or similar person. If you have questions about how to identify a reference, please contact us at lead.serve@valpo.edu.

You are also welcome to secure an additional reference from another Valpo faculty or staff member who can speak to your leadership and service experience and/or add other important information about your candidacy. Send your referencer(s) this link to fill out the reference form.

The reference is an important component of your application, so be thoughtful in identifying a supervisor who can answer the questions knowledgeably and can attest to your character, skills, and capacity for leadership and service. Be sure to contact your reference(s) as soon as possible to give them plenty of time to fill out the reference form. Please do not have more than 2 individuals submit references on your behalf. References must use the required form and will not be accepted in a different format.