The University of Northern Iowa has received a five-year, $2.4 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to establish the UNI Humanities Hub, an initiative aimed at expanding paid internship opportunities and strengthening the role of the humanities on campus and in the community. The Humanities Hub will bring together and expand existing efforts across majors including history, languages and literature, communications and media, and philosophy and world religions. It will incorporate internships into curricula and support faculty involvement to strengthen career preparation for students. Over the course of the grant, UNI will support 250 paid internships, starting with 30 placements in the first year and increasing to 60 per year by year four. The internships will connect students majoring in the humanities with nonprofit organizations, community partners and employers across Iowa and the Midwest. “UNI is uniquely positioned to lead this work because of our long tradition of connecting humanities students with community partners and professional experiences … This initiative ensures that more students benefit from the adaptability, creativity and communication skills that a humanities education provides,” Mary Black, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, said in a prepared statement.