College Students are the next generation of animal welfare leaders!

At Wayside Waifs, we work one-on-one with college students, to promote the 25 different types of job opportunities at Wayside Waifs – including Canine and Feline Care Technicians, Veterinarian, Veterinary Technician, Finance Associate, Marketing Coordinator, Humane Educator, Non Profit Manager, and Facilities Manager. We typically have four interns and 15 Job Shadow students per year.

College Student Opportunities

  • Internships – available during the Spring, Summer and Fall semesters. Contact us to learn more.
  • Capstone Project – work with Wayside Waifs for your Capstone Project or special school project when you’re looking for a real world issue to solve.
  • Guest Speaker – invite Wayside Waifs to be a speaker at your college club, fraternity/sorority meeting, or school class.
  • Shadow Days – contact us to shadow a Wayside Waifs professional for a school day.
  • Mock Interview Days – invite Wayside Waifs to participate at your college’s Mock Interview Day.
  • Animal Welfare Clubs – join Wayside Waifs’ Club or start one at your college.

Career Fairs

Look for Wayside Waifs at your college’s next career fair. These events have proven to be very helpful college students wanting to network with Wayside Waifs to learn about internships, job shadowing, employment opportunities, and student volunteer programs.

College Student Volunteer & Education Days

Wayside Waifs welcomes college student groups for educational tours and volunteer days. The student groups, often fraternities and sororities, volunteer at our shelter for the day and learn about career opportunities. Many students come back to volunteer, adopt, and share the shelter’s mission with the community.

Capstone and School Projects

Wayside Waifs works with area students and educational institutions to provide Capstone Project and general school project opportunities. Projects fulfill students’ class need(s) while meeting shelter needs as well. This program is great for learning about all aspects of animal welfare. Students will also get hands on working experience with a nonprofit organization.

“Capstone is an opportunity to practice communication skills to learn how people live, feel about, and take active roles in the community. My project consists of observing and conducting interviews to gain a better understanding of the organization.”
Laura Murphy - Rockhurst University Student

“In school, we learn a lot about hypotheticals and ideas but we don’t often get to actually put these notions into action and see if and how the real world reacts to them. At Wayside, I was able to not only help develop these ideas but was able to put them onto paper and see firsthand how they directly impacted the animals and volunteers.”
Katie Hess - University of Kansas Student

If you’re interested in one of our College Experience opportunities, please email Morgan Edmiston [email protected]
or call 816-986-4480.

Wayside Waifs

3901 Martha Truman Road
Kansas City, MO 64137
816-761-8151

Adoption Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

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