Spend your summer tackling social issues abroad

Specific business-aligned project options may be found under the internships outlined below. Interns will work with the international internship partner before the internship begins to solidify projects based on interest and experience that fall within the categories below. Each intern is responsible for bringing their personal laptop for internship work in-country.

• There is one application for all KISI international internships. Within the application, you may choose the internships for which you want to be considered.
• Once you have completed your application, email a PDF of your resume to kisi@iu.edu. Your application will not be considered complete without your resume.
• Selected applicants will be offered the opportunity to interview.

• Must be a Kelley undergraduate or Liberal Arts Management Program (LAMP) student at IU Bloomington
• Must have completed four full semesters of college before the internship starts
• Minimum GPA 3.0
• Language requirement (Dominican Republic only): have taken or currently enrolled in HISP-S280.

Internships must take place between mid-May to mid-August. Interns at each site will be required to have the same program dates, and will work with the international internship partner on the most ideal eight week time frame for all.

The following KISI international internships are eight-weeks with the exception of Shrimad Rajchandra Love & Care which is notated below:

• Global Mamas
• Niños de Guatemala
• Puente Desarrollo Internacional
• Roots
• Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care (9 weeks | May 13 – July 15 (exact dates flexible))

All interns will work with KISI and the international internship partner during the spring semester to prepare for the summer internship. Information ranging from cultural norms, housing, safety, emergency contact information, and more will be provided to assist with preparing the student for the cultural context they are entering. All interns will participate in the KISI international internship group orientation during the spring semester and host organization orientation upon in-country arrival.

Interns will communicate regularly with KISI during the internship, submit reflection prompts, track hours, and complete a re-orientation at the beginning of the fall semester. These avenues provide interns with a space to both reflect on the internship and learn how to effectively market themselves to future employers.

Interns should consider applying for additional funding support through the Changemaker scholarship.

Interns can be expected to work an average of 40 hours per week for the eight week internship.

Interns will live in Cape Coast, Ghana, with visits to the new Global Mamas Fair Trade Zone in Kpong. Cape Coast, a fishing port on the Gulf of Guinea, is the original and largest Global Mamas production location. There is plenty to do in the city, but there is plenty of time to travel on weekends. Popular activities include going on a canopy walk in the Kakum National Forest or visiting a nearby beach town.  

Both interns will homestay in the private home of one of the Mamas. The homestay Mama will provide breakfast and dinner for the first four weeks of the internship. The interns will have the opportunity to decide if they want to pay to continue, or be responsible for their own meals for the second half of the internship.

• Breakfast costs about $2 per day; if wanting to eat with the family for other meals, that can be arranged with the Mama directly.
• Each lunch and dinner at the home range $4-5 daily. 
• Interns will have access to kitchen and utensils in in homestay should they choose to cook their own food.

Housing accommodations are simple, but clean and comfortable. Rooms and bathrooms are shared with other interns. The bathroom includes a shower, and only cold water. There is running water most of the time, but unreliable infrastructure can sometimes result in disruptions. When running water is not available, water will be provided for bucket showers and flushes, which are easy to use. There are regular power outages, but Global Mamas has a generator so devices can be charged during the day at the office if outages extend beyond a few hours. Lanterns will be proided at night as needed. Wi-Fi is available at the Global Mamas office, but it also experiences outages from time to time. 

KISI will cover the cost of:

• Program cost is $2,034 and includes:
  • Airport pickup and travel to Cape Coast
  • Homestay in Ghana
  • Project related expenses
  • Support: in-country staff providing 24-hour support
  • Pre-departure and in-country orientation
• Additional health insurance
• Visa

Interns will cover the cost of:

• Airline ticket (approximately $1,800)
• Daily travel to and from internship (approximately $2/day)
• Required vaccinations and medications
  • Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is currently required by Ghana
  • Proof of yellow fever vaccination is also required (approximately $150)
  • Malaria pills (prices vary depending on your selection and insurance)
• All meals after first four weeks
  
  • Food: traditional food (approximately $2-5 per meal), western food (approximately $13 for a pizza), one week of groceries (approximately $30)
• Trips/activities/personal expenses

The intern will be responsible for tasks related to the growth and professionalization of the social enterprise Cambio NDG. They will work predominantly in an office environment in El Cubo Center, the Good Hotel, and the homestay in a part-time role: 30 hours per week for 8 weeks. The intern’s tasks will be oriented around current operations of Cambio NDG, as well as preparing the social enterprise to move into its next phase of development through strategizing, professionalizing, and branding the business.

Antigua is in the central highlands of Guatemala. It is known for its architecture and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a growing tourist destination known for its chocolate and is also a popular place for people who want to learn Spanish through immersion. The beautiful city is surrounded by three volcanoes, and it is easy to explore other parts of the country from Antigua. Students will live in a single room with a shared bathroom in a homestay. All homestays are located within 10 to 15 minutes of internship sites. Homestay families will provide three meals per day, every day except Sunday.

Work place: The office is located in El Cubo Center, Km 77, RN-14, San Lorenzo El Cubo.

KISI will cover the cost of:

• Program cost is $1,645 and includes:
  • Housing
  • Food: three meals per day, six days per week
  • Airport shuttle pick up and drop off (approx. 1 hour travel to/from airport)
  • Orientation and training
  • Support: On-site staff providing 24 hour support
  • Program fees
• Additional health insurance

Interns will cover the cost of:

• Round-trip flight to Guatemala
• Food on Sundays
• Laundry
• Trips/activities/personal expenses
• Spanish lessons (optional)

Interns can be expected to work between 20 to 30 hours a week, 4 to 5 days a week during the 8 week internship. Workdays are typically 8 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Interns should be self-starters and feel comfortable socializing as it’s not the norm to stay inside all day in the Dominican Republic. Speaking Spanish is required, and KISI will require that participating students have completed Spanish Grammar and Context (HISP-S280) prior to departure.

While staying in Constanza interns will stay in homestays with families that typically have 1 to 3 children; this provides the interns a friend from the start. They almost always become lifelong friends! Interns will have their own room, a private or shared bathroom (shared by no more than 2 people), cement floor, block house and bars on the windows, access to WiFi, and 24/7 access to water and electricity. Interns will not be staying in a loud part of the community where there are bars, convenience stores, or heavy traffic. However, stores, hospitals, clinics, etc. will be within a 5 to 10 minute walk if not closer. Host families also have access to cars and/or motorcycles.

Interns will be expected to eat all meals with the family unless the intern has notified the family prior to the meal. It is likely interns will eat meals at some point with Puente staff out in the community, but it is encouraged to eat at least two meals at home per day. Lunch is always at noon sharp and the country breaks from 12 to 2 p.m. to eat. Rice, beans, meat, eggs, plantains, yucca, and all types of fruits are staples. It is very hard to be vegan/vegetarian in this culture. KISI interns will likely not stay in the same homestay but will be within a close walk from each other as well as within walking distance to the internship site. On days where interns are out in the field, they can travel with the local partner via motorcycle or car.

KISI will cover the cost of:

• Program cost is $2,050 and includes:
  • Housing: homestay for eight weeks
  • Food: three meals per day, seven days per week
  • Laundry at homestay
  • Orientation and training
  • Support: onsite/in-country staff providing 24-hour support
  • Program fees
• Additional health insurance
• Visa

Interns will cover the cost of:

• Round trip flight to either Santo Domingo or Santiago (approx. $1,200)
• Round trip, private bus airport transportation ($600 round trip; if interns travel together they can split the cost in half)
• Trips/activities/personal expenses
• Required vaccinations and medications

Interns can expect to work approximately 30 hours per week during the internship and may occasionally have weekend tasks.

Roots Interns was established in 2016 and partners with nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, NGOs, and small start-up companies with ethical and sustainable practices to create valuable internship experiences in Africa for undergraduate students. Roots Interns offers personal and professional development, support, internship logistics, connections with in-country partners, and accommodations.

The community organizations students could work with are Butterfly Space, Earth Workshops, Malawi Schools Permaculture Clubs (MSPC), and Supreme. Butterfly Space is an eco-friendly lodge that combines sustainable tourism and community development. The lodge is home to various social and environmental projects in the neighboring communities, such as HIV support groups, permaculture clubs, educational programs, and media development projects. One of these projects is MSPC, a nonprofit that promotes permaculture principles to children in Malawi by supporting teachers who want to run after-school permaculture clubs. MSPC works with over 600 children yearly at 21 different school clubs and plans to expand around Malawi and beyond. Lastly, Supreme is a social enterprise that creates reusable sanitary pads and spreads education about menstrual hygiene in local communities. Supreme also runs a nonprofit organization in which they provide necessary educational programs to rural communities around Malawi.

Interns will stay at an ecolodge in the northern town of Nkhata Bay. This lodge has an idyllic location and a relaxed vibe with a private beach (with snorkeling and paddleboarding included), beautiful permaculture gardens, and several communal spaces. The rooms are comfortable dormitories, although there are options of upgrading to a single chalet. The lodge is a hub for people who are volunteering their time at different community and environmental projects in the area. The lodge is the office for Butterfly Space and MSPC and a short drive from the Supreme office. Two meals a day are included for the first month. For the second month, interns will be able to eat out in town, shop for food at a local market, or opt in to a package for two meals a day for an additional fee. Roots Interns has found that most interns want the first month of food provided and then look forward to meal planning on their own for the second and final month of the internship, once they are more settled.

Malawi is small (roughly the size of England) which makes it relatively easy to travel around in terms of distance. Malawians are known for their friendliness. The country is landlocked with borders to Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Lake Malawi consumes a fifth of the country’s land mass, making Malawi strikingly green during the rainy season that lasts from November to May. There are five main cities: Lilongwe (the capital), Mzuzu, Karonga, Zomba, and Blantyre. In most parts of the country, public facilities are limited, and a lack of infrastructure can cause irregularities in electricity, roads, water supply, and telecommunications, although this is gradually improving. Nkhata Bay is a small, busy port town in the north of Malawi and is located on the banks of Lake Malawi. Interns will be encouraged to explore and seek out activities outside of work hours. There are opportunities for visiting The Mushroom Farm, Usisya via the Ilala ferry, boat trips, kayaking, hiking, village tours, cooking lessons, market trips, and more.

KISI will cover the cost of:

• Program cost: $2,049
• Cost includes:
  • Housing (shared room in the lodge) for eight weeks
  • Food: two meals per day, seven days per week for the first month
  • Laundry
  • Matchmaking between intern and organization
  • Orientation program with supervisor
  • Regular check-ins during the internship with supervisor and Roots team
  • Account on a career development platform that offers content and courses focused on different career opportunities
  • Support: onsite/in–country staff providing 24-hour support
  • A reference letter at the end of the internship
• Additional health insurance
• Visa

Interns will cover the cost of:

• Round-trip flight to Malawi
• Round-trip private airport transportation
• Trips/activities/personal expenses
• Required vaccinations and medications
• Meals after the first month: Students have the option to book the same meal package again for $270 for the second month
• Daily transportation to the project/organization/office (only Supreme)

Interns can be expected to work approximately 25 to 30 hours per week during the 9 weeks. Interns will spend their first and final week in Mumbai. The middle six weeks will be spent in Dharampur, India. Interns will be required to submit an end-of-internship presentation and report to their direct supervisor and SRLC core team.

Upon arrival, interns will first land in Mumbai. The SRLC program team will help coordinate a hotel-style accommodation for the interns.

Throughout weeks two through eight of the internship, the interns will stay at the Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram. If interns are the same gender, they will likely share a room. If they are not the same gender, they will likely have their own room in the same building. Interns can choose to opt into the Ashram dining hall package or purchase their own food as needed from the dining hall, cafeteria, or town restaurants. Please note that all meals provided in the Ashram and at the homestay will be vegetarian. Vegan food is also available. There is also a small grocery store in the Ashram, where snacks, beverages, and other essentials can be bought. Life in the Ashram is an experience of community living, inner growth, spirituality, cultural immersion, silence, and celebration. The Ashram is built on 223 acres and has many facilities, such as the community gardens, dining halls, a sports arena, and a modern fitness recreational center. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of optional activities, including sports, yoga, meditation retreats, and volunteering.

KISI will cover the cost of:

• Program cost is $1,800 and includes:
  • Housing
  • Laundry
  • Food: three meals per day for first half of internship (interns will be given various options of meal plans they can choose from during the second half of the internship)
  • Two trips: traveling from Mumbai to Dharampur end of week one and Dharampur to Mumbai end of week eight
  • Orientation and training
  • Support: onsite/in–country staff providing 24-hour support
  • Program fees
  • Travel to/from internship location from the Ashram in Dharampur
• Additional health insurance
• Visa

Interns will cover the cost of:

• Round trip flight to/from Mumbai (approx. $1,500)
• Food: meal plan for second half of internship
• Airport transport to/from homestay (approx. $100 total)
• India SIM card and unlocking personal phone
• Purchases at the Ashram grocery store
• Trips/activities/personal expenses
• Required vaccinations and medications

• Education abroad financial considerations
• Changemaker scholarship
• Hutton International Experiences Program
• Hutton Internship Grant
• Education abroad scholarship resources
• Education abroad budgeting resources

• Education abroad diversity, identity, and accessibility resources
• Forum on Education Abroad: equity, diversity, and inclusion
• African American travel tips  
• Asian travelers’ guide  
• Latinx tips  
• LGBTQ study abroad guide  
• Women in travel 
• Traveling with a disability 
• Students with disabilities abroad guide 
• First-generation students abroad

• Education abroad summer handbook
• Education abroad health and safety
• Education abroad updates

• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Forum on Education Abroad: advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals through education abroad