Chandler-Gilbert Community College celebrated its partnership with the City of Chandler and the success of the City of Chandler Internship Program and its students Friday, March 6, with speakers from the City of Chandler, including Mayor Kevin Harke and two former interns who now hold full-time positions with the City of Chandler.
Through the hard work of both teams and the impressive talent of the 83 CGCC students who have participated thus far, the program boasts a 30 percent employment rate with the City of Chandler following completion of the internship.
In 2021, the City of Chandler and Chandler-Gilbert Community College began a conversation about a new way to attract and retain CGCC students for positions with the City. The intent was simple: Get students excited about what the City of Chandler has to offer, expose them to the great opportunities available, and win them over with great mentors, high-quality internships and the culture of Chandler itself.
CGCC officially launched the City of Chandler Internship Program in 2022. A key to the program's success was a unique collaboration that recognized the complexity of initiatives like this, the impact of one-on-one support and the need to create a framework that makes the program easy for both mentors and mentees. Accordingly, CGCC and the City of Chandler hired a full-time internship coordinator, funded by both partners and working at both locations. This approach created a more holistic structure for the initiative and ultimately a more rewarding experience for students.
Now, in 2026, the 7th cohort of students is completing their internships, program graduates are working in full-time positions at the City of Chandler and the program has become a signature offering at CGCC, benefiting students from a wide range of majors and background.
Two program mentors from the City of Chandler, economic development director and cultural development director, called our student interns, "bold," stating they're "doing real work, with real impact" and are a "crucial piece to the success of the City."
CGCC is grateful for this partnership with the City of Chandler and is looking forward to what our interns accomplish next.