When you sponsor the YMCA Intern Challenge, your financial support goes right to work for the student participants. We use sponsorship dollars to fund projects, supplies, and the weekly stipend that each participant receives. Your organization will also be able to work directly with the students through a unique challenge related directly to your industry. 100% of support dollars go directly towards program support and scholarships. We offer this challenge free of cost to all participants and therefore rely on the support of local businesses and organizations to ensure the program can continue.

One of the most exciting aspects of this competition is the involvement with the business community. Your involvement in the weekly challenges and with the contestants is highly encouraged. We want these young students to walk away with personal connections to our Rockford community and valuable skills learned while accomplishing each challenge. We encourage each sponsor to create a unique challenge specifically related to your niche, giving these contestants a taste of what business in your field is like. If you would like examples, or need help from our staff, we are here for you.

The YMCA Intern Challenge is marketed directly to those who fit within the 16-24 age range for the competition. Marketing to this age group brings an awareness of your company to the future workforce and allows you the opportunity to make an impact on the next generation of decision makers an leaders in Rockford.

At the beginning of the contest, we will send a press release to all major media outlets in Rockford disclosing the chosen participants and sponsors. We will follow that up with a press update half-way through the competition as well as one at the end announcing the winner. This gives three major mentions in an 8-week period as well as weekly social media and web updates.

If you have any other questions or would like some more information on any topic relating to the YMCA Intern Challenge, please feel free to email us at internchallenge@rockriverymca.org or give us a call at (779)500-0800.