Got an idea for a holiday? Send it to us

Submit Now

National Internship Awareness Month – April 2024

Career Edge Organization founded National Internship Awareness Month in 2017. So every April we celebrate the benefits of internships for both employers and students. Think of it as a joint effort to produce tomorrow’s great talent. While internships often get a bad reputation as unpaid busywork, they’re still a great way for young professionals to start their careers through meaningful experience.

They’re also on the rise: About 62% of the class of 2017 reported doing at least one internship as compared to just 17% of the class of 1992. Cheers to you, interns!

National Internship Awareness Month timeline

2019
Paid internships returned to Capitol Hill

After 30 years of unpaid internships in Washington, the non-profit Pay Our Interns successfully convinced Congress to allot money to pay political interns.

Paying interns is important because money allows more diverse candidates the financial freedom to accept these important internships.

2015
"The Intern" released

Interns got the star treatment in this comedy where Robert De Niro plays a 70-year- old intern at a fashion magazine.

2011
Occupy Wall Street

When millennials realized that they were facing record economic downward mobility, they joined the Occupy Wall Street movement to protest wealth inequality and unfair labor practices, including exploitative unpaid internships.

In the years that followed, many large companies began giving interns stipends for the time they work.

1937
Congress passes the National Apprenticeship Law

Think of it as a precursor to National Internship Awareness Month. This law set out the definition and expectations for both employers and interns in the U.S. about what an internship constitutes. The National Apprenticeship Law also promoted internships in professional fields beyond medicine. 

1500s-1800s
Apprenticeships

Since medieval times, certain trade professions would pass on knowledge by way of a master to an apprentice. People learned crafts such as construction, wizardry, painting and sculpture, and metalworking by receiving mentorship from an older practitioner. The key difference between internships and apprenticeships is that apprentices would receive lodging and food for their labor, whereas many of today's internships are unpaid.

How to Observe National Internship Awareness Month

  1. Treat an intern to a coffee

    Let National Internship Awareness Month be a reminder: They deserve it.

  2. Take pride in yourself

    You’ve taken your first step into the adult world, and that's something you can stick on your mom's fridge.

  3. Make a treat for the office

    Make muffins, or buy some cookies. It’s an excellent way to show your employer that you're grateful for their help.

Why National Internship Awareness Month is Important

  1. Practical experiences

    Young people learn valuable skills which will follow them for a lifetime. You can't learn it all in a classroom.

  2. Hard work

    Millennials get a bad rap, but millions of young Americans are working hard for their unpaid internships. They do this because they know their work will go toward building a viable resumé in today’s treacherous economy.

  3. Job potential

    It's a great idea to see if your employer has any open jobs. It saves you from a grueling job search, and the company will have one less interview to do.

National Internship Awareness Month dates

YearDateDay
2024April 1Monday
2025April 1Tuesday
2026April 1Wednesday
2027April 1Thursday
2028April 1Saturday
Be Kind to Spiders Week
Blue Ribbon Week
Golden Rule Week
International Pooper Scooper Week
Laugh at Work Week
Medication Safety Week
National Bake Week
National Cancer Registrars Week
National Public Health Week
National Window Safety Week
Take Your Poet to School Week
Testicular Cancer Awareness Week
April Fools' Day
Assyrian New Year
Boomer Bonus Days
Community Garden Week
Cyprus National Holiday
Dyngus Day
Easter Monday
Edible Book Day
Fossil Fools Day
International Fun at Work Day
International Tatting Day
Library Snap Shot Day
Lupus Alert Day
Martyrdom of Imam Ali
Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month
Myles Day
National Connor Day
National Fun Day
National Greeting Card Day
National Loyal Day
National One Cent Day
National Sourdough Bread Day
National Trombone Players Day
Nature Day
Nickelodeon Anniversary Celebration Day
Odisha Day
Reading is Funny Day
St. Stupid Day
Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action
U.S. Air Force Academy Day
U.S. Air Force Academy Day
White House Easter Egg Roll
Adopt a Ferret Month
Adopt a Greyhound Month
Arab American Heritage Month
Autism Acceptance Month
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage Month
Cancer Control Month
Canine Fitness Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
Cesarean Awareness Month
Child Abuse Awareness Month
Children and Nature Awareness Month
Counseling Awareness Month
Couple Appreciation Month
Cranberries and Gooseberries Month
Deaf History Month
Defeat Diabetes Month
Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Dog Appreciation Month
Earth Month
Emotional Overeating Awareness Month
Fair Housing Month
Filipino Food Month
Financial Capability Month
Financial Literacy Month
Fresh Florida Tomato Month
Genocide Awareness Month
Global Astronomy Month
Global Child Nutrition Month
Grange Month
Heartworm Awareness Month
IBS Month
Informed Women Month
International Amateur Radio Month
International Customer Loyalty Month
International Guitar Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
Month of the Military Child
Move More Month
Multicultural Communications Month
Multiple Birth Awareness Month
National African-American Women's Fitness Month
National Alcohol Awareness Month
National BLT Sandwich Month
National Car Care Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month
National Decorating Month
National Donate Life Month
National Facial Protection Month
National Food Month
National Foot Health Awareness Month
National Fresh Celery Month
National Frog Month
National Garlic Month
National Grilled Cheese Month
National Humor Month
National Internship Awareness Month
National Kite Month
National Knuckles Down Month
National Literature Month
National Minority Health Month
National Month of Hope
National Pecan Month
National Pest Management Month
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
National Poetry Month
National Rebuilding Month
National Safe Digging Month
National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
National Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Education and Awareness Month
National Sjogren's Syndrome Awareness Month
National Social Security Month
National Soft Pretzel Month
National Soy Foods Month
National Volunteer Month
National Welding Month
National Woodworking Month
National Youth Sports Safety Month
Occupational Therapy Month
Panagyaman Rice Festival
Parkinson's Awareness Month
Parkinson's Awareness Month
Parliamentary Law Month
Pharmacists War on Diabetes Month
Physical Wellness Month
Poetic Earth Month
Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Primary Immunodeficiency Month
Records and Information Management Month
Records and Information Management Month
Rosacea Awareness Month
Sarcoidosis Awareness Month
School Library Month
Scottish-American Heritage Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month
Step up for 30 For Bowel Cancer Month
STI Awareness Month
Straw Hat Month
Stress Awareness Month
Summer Tire Changeover Month
SunSmart Skin Cancer Prevention
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
Tomatillo and Asian Pear Month
Women's Eye Health and Safety Month
Workplace Conflict Awareness Month
World Autism Month
World Landscape Architecture Month
Worldwide Bereaved Spouses Awareness Month

Holidays Straight to Your Inbox

Every day is a holiday!
Receive fresh holidays directly to your inbox.