Culture and Talent Communications Intern

Position Title: Culture and Talent Communications Intern (May 2026- August 2026)

Department: Equity, Culture and Talent 

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, All Lumina staff and interns spend three working days per week in their local Lumina office. 

Duration:  May 12, 2026- August 6th, 2026

Compensation: $18-$21 per hour for student enrolled in an undergraduate program

$20-$24 per hour for students enrolled in a graduate program or a recent graduate

Schedule: 40 hours weekly. Schedule can be negotiated with supervisor.

Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision higher learning that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation’s talent needs through a broad range of credentials. We work toward a system that prepares people for informed citizenship and success in a global economy. With an endowment of nearly $1.5 billion and offices in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., Lumina has a passionate and committed staff that values candor, collaboration, and connection. Learn more about our values here.

Purpose

The intern will work closely with the Equity, Culture and Talent team to support Lumina Foundation’s efforts to cultivate an inclusive, high-performance culture and workforce. This role will strengthen the employee experience and organizational effectiveness by helping translate Lumina’s people practices into clear, accessible communications and resources for staff. The internship offers an opportunity to contribute to Lumina’s equity-centered culture work while building practical skills in internal communications, knowledge sharing, and organizational development in support of Lumina’s mission to drive systemic change in education.

Responsibilities

The intern will assist team members with:

Internal Communications and Knowledge Sharing: Support the development and implementation of HR knowledge-sharing resources that strengthen staff clarity about Lumina’s people practices. Partner with the Director of Culture and Talent and relevant stakeholders to translate policies and processes into warm, plain-language guidance that is easy to access, easy to understand, and consistently maintained over time. This work will include building and refreshing a set of HR FAQs and self-service resources that clarify how key experiences work at Lumina, including leave, time off, benefits basics, onboarding and offboarding, and who to contact for what. The intern will also support internal communications by drafting and organizing people-related updates and helping ensure resources are published in the right channels and remain current. This will be the primary focus of the internship. 

Culture and Organizational Development: Support learning and development initiatives that reinforce consistent people practices and Lumina’s ways of working. Responsibilities include assisting with background research and draft materials that align with Lumina’s Leadership as a Competency framework and manager fundamentals. This work includes compiling research-based resources to support managers, organizing content into usable formats, and drafting practical tools and templates for review and refinement. The role will focus on research, drafting, and content preparation support.

Organizational Effectiveness and Advisory Group Support: Participate in the Equity, Culture, Advisory Group and support communications and coordination needs that help the group’s work move from discussion to action. This may include assisting with materials and participant-facing information for the June retreat, and helping organize follow-up resources and next-step communications. The intern will also support the implementation planning phase that follows Lumina’s organizational effectiveness survey (staff engagement survey)  by assisting with staff updates, manager-ready materials, and intranet resources that make priorities and next steps clear and easy to access.

Education and Experience 

• Enrolled in or recently graduated (within the past 12 months) from a bachelor’s or master’s program in Human Resources, Communications, Organizational Development, I/O Psychology, Public Policy, Education, Business, Journalism, English, or a related field.
• On track to graduate within the next two years, if currently enrolled.
• Interest or experience in internal communications, knowledge management, employee experience, learning and development, or organizational effectiveness is a plus.
• Experience drafting clear, audience-friendly content, such as FAQs, guides, newsletters, training materials, web content, or campus communications, is a plus.

Qualifications

• Continuous access to high-speed internet when working remotely.
• A commitment to advancing equity in education and reducing barriers to learning after high school, with particular attention to unjust outcomes related to race, ethnicity, household income, and geography.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to translate complex information into warm, plain-language guidance for staff.
• Strong research skills and comfort summarizing information into clear, usable materials.
• Strong attention to detail and organization, with the ability to manage multiple drafts, feedback cycles, and deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, take initiative, and follow through on assigned projects.
• Comfort working with common workplace tools, including Microsoft Office and willingness to learn Lumina’s intranet tools and internal platforms.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Work is performed in an office environment, mostly sedentary.
• Role requires the ability to read, write, and communicate effectively, and to use technology necessary to draft and edit documents, publish intranet content, and manage shared trackers and files.

Accepting Applications- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Interview Period – Feb. 16 – March 6, 2026

Internship Dates: May 12 – Aug. 7, 2026