Clement Renzi's “The Three Graces” is a bronze statue outside the main entrance to the Music Building’s Concert Hall at Fresno State. Fresno State photo

Officials at Fresno State announced Wednesday that it is one of five public colleges and universities to receive funding from the Mellon Foundation to create paid internship program opportunities for humanities majors.

The $5 million for the College of Arts and Humanities will go toward implementing and scaling an internship program for its humanities majors, allowing them to practice theories learned during coursework.

Established in 1969, the Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Four additional schools will also receive $5 million: City College of New York, Old Dominion University, University of Missouri at Kansas City and North Carolina Greensboro.

The schools selected for funding were chosen due to their commitment to humanities education, furthering an ongoing commitment to expand access to humanities-based learning.

“As a humanist who deeply appreciates the inherent gifts of the humanities – creativity, critical thinking, empathy and awareness of how the past informs the present and creates potential for the future – I am profoundly grateful to the Mellon Foundation for its generous support,” said Fresno State President Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “By integrating career preparation into our curriculum, we are transforming the educational experience of our students, and empowering them with tools for a lifetime of personal and intellectual growth.”

The funds will also work to enhance awareness of post-collegiate employment opportunities for humanities majors.

“With this transformative grant, our students will apply and hone their humane perspectives and analytical, multilingual skills developed at Fresno State via paid internships beyond the classroom,” said Fresno State College of Arts and Humanities Dean Dr. Honora Chapman. “Through earning income while also receiving academic credit towards graduation in their internships, our humanities students will become leaders by making an immediate impact on our Valley and creating a brighter future for themselves and their families.”

Fresno State hopes the Mellon Foundation’s humanities internship grants make participation in the programs more widely available for applicable majors, and hopes that added awareness will show that humanities study continues to offer viable career options to students.