What's New?

The Arts & Culture Department will require that internships take place on site at the organization, with the option to have the intern complete up to 100 of their 400-hour internships remotely. The program will  maintain the extended timeline that was implemented during the 2020 program year. In addition:

• Interns will be able to complete their 400 hours between June 1, 2025 and March 1, 2026.
• Due to increased demand from applicants, the maximum number of interns that can be requested by an organization has been reduced from three internships to two.
• Moving forward, no organizations will be required to host a community college student. Instead, all organizations who indicate an openness to hosting students from the community colleges in their application will be listed on our dedicated Community College webpage to assist with recruitment. Hosting community college students remains a priority for the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.
• The rate of pay for interns in the program will be reassessed and possibly amended after the public release of minimum wage guidance by the city and county of Los Angeles in January 2025. All grant amounts will be amended as necessary should the minimum wage in the city or county of Los Angeles be raised above $17.28 an hour. Additional guidance will be provided to awarded grantees at that time.
• Applicants will be required to complete an additional online form (“Agent Contribution Declaration Form”) in the SurveyMonkey Apply portal as a task to comply with new state law SB1439, also known as the Levine Act. 

Overview

Each organization participating in the program is awarded a grant ranging from $6,912 – $7,662 per intern. The amount an organization receives and the eligible number of internship positions requested depends on the applicant’s budget size (the total operating revenue less in-kind for the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year).

The grant supports an intern’s salary for 400 hours of employment between June 2, 2025 and March 1, 2026. Organizations choose the intern's start and end date within that period, as well as how many hours a week they will work. A full-time (40-hour per week) position lasts ten consecutive weeks, while a part time (15 hour per week) position lasts 27 consecutive weeks. Organizations may modify that schedule if needed within the program timeframe but may not exceed 8 hours per day/40 hours per week without paying overtime.

All interns will be paid $6,912 for 400 hours of work ($17.28 per hour). An additional stipend of $750 is awarded to organizations with budgets less than $500,000 to assist with administrative costs and any other additional expenses associated with hosting an intern.

Student Recruitment And Selection

NOTE: funded organizations are responsible for recruiting and selecting a student who meets eligibility requirements for the program.

In 2017, the Board of Supervisors expanded the number of positions funded through the program as part of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII) in recognition of the unique role of workforce development opportunities like the Arts Internship Program in addressing continued disparities of equity and access to arts careers. The Board stipulated that the additional positions be reserved for community college students, emphasizing inclusivity of those from communities that experience barriers to arts access.

All organizations are encouraged to be inclusive in recruiting and hiring students of all backgrounds, including community college students.

Summary of Allowable Requests and Awards

View The Guidelines