Wintersession

Harvard College encourages undergraduates to take time during the Winter Break to refresh and recharge. OCS does offer some limited programming during the Winterbreak and Wintersession periods.

Winterbreak

Undergraduate students who wish to engage in activities during the break may consider:

Connecting with an organization at home.
Participating in a job shadow Winternship or Arts & Museums Fellowship.
Joining OCS for a career exploration site visit or trek.
OCS is just one of the many centers and departments at Harvard that offer Winter break programming and funding. For more details, please read this PDF.

Winternships
Site Visits & Treks
OCS Programs
Arts & Museums Winternships

Winternships

Shadow an alum or employer over Winter Break!

Participate in the January Winternship Program, coordinated by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Office of Career Services.

A Winternship is essentially an externship, an unpaid domestic job-shadowing experience lasting anywhere from one to 14 days during the January winter break (January 2-19). Winternships allow students to observe and ask questions, provide participants with hands-on experience, educate students about an organization or industry, and facilitate networking and building relationships.

Here are examples of activities you may engage in during a Winternship:

Shadowing an alum or employer on a typical workday
Attending workplace meetings
Conducting informational interviews with staff
Undertaking a voluntary small project or relevant research assignment
Serving alongside an employer in volunteer work
Discussing industry trends and an organization's mission
Participating in an educational tour conducted by the office or organization

Though most Winternships are individual experiences, group Winternships are full day visits structured and organized by an alum or employer featuring job shadow opportunities, hands on activities, and in-depth experiences for small groups of Harvard students. Students may apply for Winternship funding for group Winternship experiences.

Search for a January Winternship

Winternships are posted on Crimson Careers, and may be independently created by an employer or in conjunction with a Harvard affiliate (e.g. OCS, CPIC, Harvard Alumni Association). You must be an undergraduate in Harvard College to be eligible to apply.

Note that Winternships are typically posted from September through October. Beginning November 1, you may search for independently posted opportunities by selecting “January Experience/Externship” as the position type upon login to Crimson Careers.
You must view a Winternship 101 online orientation to be eligible to apply to and receive funding for a Winternship. Although most postings have now expired, you may view the online version if you are seeking funding for an independently posted January learning experience that is structured similarly to a Winternship.
If you need funding, please fill out an OCS Funding Application for Winternship Opportunities through CARAT once you have secured your winternship position. Please note that you will need to submit the following Winternship Opportunities Application Form as part of your complete CARAT application. Submit the required materials as soon as possible but no later than the DEADLINE – Thursday, November 30, 2017, 11pm.
Funding Exception: The Office of Career Services, unfortunately, is unable to provide stipends for any political campaign volunteer experiences during Wintersession.

Note that only U.S.-based Winternships will be posted, and students will be responsible for their own travel and housing. The Office of Career Services can provide some funding to cover the domestic-only travel costs for students with financial need.

TREKS

Interested in exploring career sectors? Come join with other students in visiting several organizations outside of the New England region on a one-day TREK. You will have the opportunity to network with alumni and top professionals; learn an organization's history, culture, and mission; explore the various roles and functions in the organizations; and learn about internships and jobs in the sector.

TREK: Media, Entertainment, and Brand Management

Thursday, January 11, 2018, 9am-6pm
New York, NY

RESERVATIONS: Reservations are now open. Reserve your spot today!
COST: $25 fee to hold your reservation. If you attend the TREK or cancel within a week of the trip you will not be charged a fee. Note: If you do not have a credit card to reserve your spot on the trek, please contact Ruth Wilson at mrwilson@fas.harvard.edu to complete your reservation.
DETAILS: Attendees must commit to the full 9:00 am-6:00pm experience
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Harvard College undergraduate students.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25 spots
TRAVEL: Students are responsible for their own travel to the site of the first visit and must commit to arriving on time. OCS will coordinate travel throughout the day and can help provide a stipend for bus travel back to campus.

ORGANIZATIONS VISITED:

HBO (Home Box Office)
Creator of television series such as True Blood, Game of Thrones, Entourage, Boardwalk Empire, Sex and the City, and The Sopranos. HBO is the premium television-programming subsidiary of Time Warner, Inc. and the world's most successful TV service, providing two television services, HBO and Cinemax, to approximately 127 million subscribers worldwide.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo is one of the world's leading food and beverage companies with over $63 billion in net revenue and a global portfolio of diverse brands that include Pepsi, Tropicana, Gatorade, and Lay’s chips. PepsiCo has a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes 22 brands that in 2015 each generated more than $1 billion in estimated annual retail sales.
Conde Nast
Condé Nast is a premier media company attracting more than 100 million consumers across its industry-leading print, digital, and video brands. The company’s portfolio includes some of the most iconic titles in media: Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, BRIDES, SELF, GQ, GQ Style, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, Allure, AD, and Bon Appétit.

TREK: Television News, Radio and Digital Journalism

Thursday, January 11, 2018, 10:30am-6:00pm
Washington, DC

RESERVATIONS: Reservations are now open. Reserve your spot today!
COST: $25 fee to hold your reservation. If you attend the TREK or cancel within a week of the trip you will not be charged a fee. Note: If you do not have a credit card to reserve your spot on the trek, please contact Ruth Wilson at mrwilson@fas.harvard.edu to complete your reservation.
DETAILS: Attendees must commit to the full 10:30am-6:00pm experience
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Harvard College undergraduate students.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25 spots
TRAVEL: Students are responsible for their own travel to the site of the first visit and must commit to arriving on time. OCS will coordinate travel throughout the day and can help provide a stipend for bus travel back to campus.

ORGANIZATIONS VISITED:

CNN (Cable News Network)
CNN is among the world's leaders in television and online news and information delivery. Staffed 24 hours, seven days a week by a global team of almost 4,000 news professionals, CNN features the latest multimedia technologies, from live video streaming to audio packages to searchable archives of news features and background information. Come visit the Washington, DC studio where John King, Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash work.
NPR (National Public Radio)
NPR is a multimedia news organization and radio program producer. It is a network with a strong base of member stations and supporters nationwide. NPR employees are innovators and developers, exploring new ways to serve the public via digital platforms and improved technologies. NPR is also the leading membership and representation organization for public radio.

TREK: New England Patriots/Kraft Group

Thursday, January 11, 2018, 11:00am-2:00pm
Foxborough, MA

The Kraft Group is a holding company for the Kraft Family’s diverse set of assets, including Sports & Entertainment, Paper & Packaging, Real Estate Development and Investments. The Sports & Entertainment group has many business lines, including Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, KAGR (Kraft Analytics Group), Overwatch Boston of esports’ Overwatch League, and Patriot Place. OCS invites you to join your peers at Gillette Stadium to learn about the Kraft Analytics Group, a family-run business with one of the biggest brands in the world, and learn how it works across sports leagues and companies to help them use data to drive the business. If you are interested in technology, strategy, analytics, marketing, or business intelligence, this is a great exploratory experience for you.

SITE VISITS

Interested in exploring local organizations? Come join with other students on a half-day visit to an organization in the Boston area. You will have the opportunity to network with alumni and top professionals; learn an organization's history, culture, and mission; explore the various roles and functions in the organization; and learn about internships and jobs in the sector.

SITE VISIT: MITRE Corporation

Wednesday, January 17, 2018, 9:00am-1:00pm
Bedford, MA

RESERVATIONS: Reservations are now open. Reserve your spot today! (Registration Deadline extended to: Wed, Dec 13)
COST: $15 fee to hold your reservation. There is no charge for the site-visit. You will only be charged if you cancel within a week before the trip or do not show up on the morning of the visit. Note: If you do not have a credit card to reserve your spot on the trek, please contact Ruth Wilson at mrwilson@fas.harvard.edu to complete your reservation.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Harvard College and GSAS students. (Please note: Must be a U.S. citizen to attend this program.)
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25 spots
TRAVEL: OCS will provide students with transportation to travel to and from the site visit.
DESCRIPTION: MITRE is a not-for-profit organization that operates research and development centers sponsored by the federal government. These centers are unique organizations that assist the United States government with scientific research and analysis, development and acquisition, and systems engineering and integration on topics including cyber security, aviation, and intelligence. If you are interested in research, data science, or engineering, this would be a great learning experience for you and a great opportunity to connect with Harvard alumni working at MITRE.

SITE VISIT: Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)

Thursday, January 18, 2018, 10am-3:00pm
Boston, MA

RESERVATIONS: Reservations are now open. Reserve your spot today!
COST: $15 fee to hold your reservation. There is no charge for the site-visit. You will only be charged if you cancel within a week before the trip or do not show up on the morning of the visit. Note: If you do not have a credit card to reserve your spot on the trek, please contact Ruth Wilson at mrwilson@fas.harvard.edu to complete your reservation.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Harvard College and GSAS students, and HES degree candidates.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25 spots
TRAVEL: OCS will provide students with transportation (typically in the form of MBTA passes) for travel to and from the site visit.
DESCRIPTION: The MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world; the collection encompasses nearly 500,000 works of art from ancient Egyptian to contemporary, special exhibitions, and innovative educational programs. OCS invites you to explore the art, history, museum administration and leisure industry through the MFA’s innovative programs, brands, and work culture. If you are interested in museums administration, art and art education, and design this is a great learning experience for you.

SITE VISIT: Massachusetts General Hospital

Thursday, January 18, 2018, 8:00am-12:30pm
Boston, MA

RESERVATIONS: Reservations are now open. Reserve your spot today!
COST: $15 fee to hold your reservation. There is no charge for the site-visit. You will only be charged if you cancel within a week before the trip or do not show up on the morning of the visit. Note: If you do not have a credit card to reserve your spot on the trek, please contact Ruth Wilson at mrwilson@fas.harvard.edu to complete your reservation.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Harvard College undergraduate students.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25 spots
TRAVEL: OCS will provide students with transportation (typically in the form of MBTA passes) for travel to and from the site visit.
DESCRIPTION: Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) employs over 25,000 people and has a research budget of over $800 million. Thousands of Harvard College students and alumni have had volunteer experiences, summer jobs, and post-graduate jobs at the MGH. The MGH is the largest of the Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals with over a thousand beds. It is the oldest and largest hospital in New England and has the largest hospital-based research program in the world. OCS invites you to come get a glimpse of this hospital and its opportunities. We will attend medical grand rounds, meet representatives from the volunteer and research departments, learn about global health initiatives, take a tour of the Ether Dome, and visit the Paul Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation. Please join us for this fast-paced and informative visit.

SITE VISIT: Bridgespan Group

Thursday, January 18, 2018, 11:30am-1:00pm
Boston, MA

RESERVATIONS: Reservations are now open. Reserve your spot today!
COST: $15 fee to hold your reservation. There is no charge for the site-visit. You will only be charged if you cancel within a week before the trip or do not show up on the morning of the visit. Note: If you do not have a credit card to reserve your spot on the trek, please contact Ruth Wilson at mrwilson@fas.harvard.edu to complete your reservation.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Harvard College undergraduate students.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25 spots
TRAVEL: OCS will provide students with transportation (typically in the form of MBTA passes) for travel to and from the site visit.
DESCRIPTION: Want to learn more about nonprofit consulting? Come visit The Bridgespan Group and learn how analysts work with social sector organizations to help advance their mission and goals. Hear from Bridgespan Harvard alumni and staff about their work, take a tour of the office, and learn more about opportunities in this exciting and impactful field. OCS will provide lunch and T passes to/from Bridgespan! Students will have the option of meeting at OCS and going together as a group or meeting directly at Bridgespan.for you.

SITE VISIT: Google

Friday, January 19, 2018, 2:00-4:00pm
Cambridge, MA

RESERVATIONS: Reservations are now open. Reserve your spot today!
COST: $15 fee to hold your reservation. There is no charge for the site-visit. You will only be charged if you cancel within a week before the trip or do not show up on the morning of the visit. Note: If you do not have a credit card to reserve your spot on the trek, please contact Ruth Wilson at mrwilson@fas.harvard.edu to complete your reservation.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Harvard College and GSAS students.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25 spots
TRAVEL: OCS will provide students with transportation (typically in the form of MBTA passes) for travel to and from the site visit.
DESCRIPTION: The Google Cambridge office is a hub for both engineering and sales, located in a hotspot for startups and MIT and Harvard talent. Google Cambridge contributes to such high-visibility products as Search, YouTube, Chrome, Android, Image Search, Google Play for Education, and Newsstand. OCS invites you to get “Googley” and explore the wonderful and innovative world of Google. If you are into design, engineering, computer science, product management roles, or sales, this is a great opportunity.

"Explore" Summer Opportunities Wintersession Bootcamp

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 or Thursday, January 18, 2018
11am - 1pm

Want to learn how to get started landing great summer experiences and funding? Come roll up your sleeves and get help finding summer opportunities and filling out funding applications. This hands-on interactive boot camp will help you get a jump on deadlines and teach you how to reach out to alumni and employers. Learn about the different types of summer experiences such as research, study abroad, internships, public service and volunteering and compare domestic and international options. After a short general overview, you will spend time with individual OCS advisers who will help you research summer opportunities and funding sources. Bring your laptop, or use the OCS computers to get the most out of this session. Two sessions Wednesday, January17th 11:00-1:00 and Thursday January 18. A Pizza lunch will be served. Space is limited. PLEASE REGISTER TO ATTEND.

“Explore” Next Steps Beyond Harvard, Using Design Thinking

Friday January 19, 2018
10am-4pm

The same design thinking responsible for cutting edge technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your career. Join us for this day-long workshop created to help you tackle the challenge of understanding work you might like to engage in. Adapted from the popular Stanford course and book entitled “Designing Your Life,” this hands-on session will give you the tools to make decisions, learn more about the world of work, and confidently leverage the Harvard network while prototyping a few different plans for your future. The day will be filled with specially-designed individual and group activities, and lunch will be provided. Open to juniors and seniors in Harvard College.

PLEASE REGISTER TO ATTEND.

This OCS program places Fellows in arts organizations and museums for a 3-week, full-time, project-based internship over the January break with, in some cases, the opportunity to continue into the spring semester (5-8 hours per week). All Fellows receive a stipend through the Office of Career Services, and local Fellows receive free on-campus housing! Past Fellows have worked at the following arts organizations: A.R.T., Art Institute of Chicago, Boston Casting, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston Children’s Museum, Handel & Haydn Society, Harvard Forest’s Fisher Museum, Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Wyoming, Boston Baroque, and Jose Mateo Ballet Theater.

Opportunities are posted in Crimson Careers during the months of September and October.