Kmart has launched an internship program to empower Hispanic women through the company's “Latina Smart” program.
The initiative, which was created in May 2011, is an online platform for Hispanic women, focused on encouraging culture, education, and professional advancement. Last year, the program awarded $25,000 in scholarships to high school seniors and post-secondary students.
Through the 10-week paid summer internship, Kmart will assist five students by helping them gain work experience, develop networking connections, and receive career-development counseling. To be selected, students must be a business, marketing, PR, retail, or fashion major.
During the process, the interns will talk about their experiences in real-time on Latina Smart's social channels, which include Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The students will participate in a variety of tasks for Kmart through the program, such as advertising work, PR and marketing campaigns, and financial analyses.
The internship program is a great way to authentically engage young Hispanic consumers and their parents, as well as to promote the importance of education. To increase buzz for Latina Smart, the company leveraged Latina celebrities, such as actress Sofia Vergara, to blog for the program. Vergara also launched a line of exclusive contemporary clothes, shoes, and jewelry for Kmart last fall, and has been very active with Hispanic and mainstream media and consumer engagement.