ProX calls on KC employers to help plant seeds; 1,700 student interns await program’s summer sunlight

For the fourth consecutive summer, ProX — one of the largest paid internship programs in the country — is giving Kansas City-area employers the opportunity to invest in the region’s future talent, Solissa Franco-McKay shared.

The collaborative ProX effort pairs Kansas City students — from both sides of the state line — with area employers for five-week paid summer internships or work projects supervised by a professional mentor.

Solissa Franco-McKay, ProX

“It’s an opportunity for these students to go into these new workplace settings and get some hands-on, real-world experiences,” explained Franco-McKay, executive director of the program. “It’s not just about getting a summer job. It’s about that career exploration and being able to try on new things that maybe they had no idea existed. Or maybe they’re really interested in culinary and they get to help run a food truck. It’s just really that hands-on exposure piece, but in a way that’s designed where it’s safe and inclusive.”

An initiative incubated at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and built with strong community engagement and expertise, Franco-McKay said, noting ProX provides coaching to every student throughout the application, placement, learning, and work experience.

“There’s support built into the five weeks,” she continued. “It’s really designed to make sure that there’s avenues for students and employers to be able to collaborate in a safe space and make sure that everyone’s getting what they need.”

Franco-McKay — who took over the program in August — likes to remind herself that ProX is special because it’s in the business of planting seeds, she said.

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“It’s really about being able to help provide these opportunities where students can just explore,” she explained. “And we may not even know what the real outcome is going to be until five to 10 years down the line.”

Prospective student interns are interviewed during a spring 2025 ProX kickoff event; photo courtesy of ProX

Over the past three summers, 150 local employers have hired ProX interns, she said, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“We have so much demand,” she continued. “For instance, we have over 1,700 student applications in the pipeline. That is far more than the number of internships that we’re going to be able to provide. So I think it’s really about the need — the want is here — and we just need employers willing to step up and to support a program like ours, because our students are ready, they’re eager, and they’re excited.”

Click here to enter an employer application. The deadline is March 1.

With the change in leadership, Franco-McKay noted, ProX has streamlined the employer- and student-participation journey.

“It’s about making this as efficient as possible for all parties involved,” she said. “We want it to be plug and play for the employers and students with clear expectations. That allows students to just focus on the experience at hand.”

A new coaching model is now in place that also will help ProX focus on durable skill development, Franco-McKay said.

“It’s going to help connect the dots to make sure what students are experiencing with the employers during their 21 hours with them is actually helping them develop those 21st century work skills that they need as they continue to think about their next steps,” she explained.