International Internships

Spend your summer tackling social issues abroad.

Work with a nongovernmental organization (NGO) or social enterprise and address a social issue you are passionate about.

The Kelley Institute for Social Impact offers summer internships that provide students with the opportunity to use their business skills to create social change. All interns will work abroad if travel allows; otherwise, all internships will transition to virtual work.

Internship locations include:

  • Cape Coast, Ghana
  • Antigua, Guatemala
  • Lima, Peru
  • Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Madrid, Spain
  • Chiang Mai, Thailand

For questions about the KISI International Internships, contact Courtney Bidwell at clbidwel@indiana.edu.

Applications will open Tuesday, December 1 and close January 19. Please note that applications submitted after the deadline or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

See below to learn about the summer 2021 internship opportunities.

This internship has taught me the importance of being flexible. I thought that because of COVID-19 I wouldn't be able to truly understand what Flying Squirrel Outfitters does and what it stands for. However, this internship has shown me how insightful even a remote internship experience can be.

Apurva Gadde, BS’22, marketing and public policy analysis

  • There is one application for all KISI International Internships. Within the application, you may choose the internships for which you want to be considered.
  • If you are interested in one of the KISI International Summer Internships, please carefully read through all the information provided and then fill out this application. You can preview the essay questions here.
  • Once you have completed your application, email a PDF of your resume to kisi@indiana.edu. Your application will not be considered complete without your resume.
  • The application deadline is Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Please note that applications submitted after the deadline or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
  • Selected applicants will be offered the opportunity to interview.

All internships are open to admitted Kelley undergraduate students and Liberal Arts Management Program (LAMP) students at IU Bloomington who are in their fourth full-time semester of college.

Year in School: You must have completed four semesters of coursework on a college campus.

Minimum GPA: 3.0

Language Requirement (Guatemala, Peru, and Spain only): Have taken or currently enrolled in HISP-S250.

All interns will receive a comprehensive Welcome Pack or go through a comprehensive Webinar that covers everything from cultural norms to housing details, safety suggestions, emergency contact information, and other information that participants need in order to feel adequately prepared for the cultural context they are entering. Upon arrival, interns will also have an in-country orientation. This information will cover both navigating the culture and internship.

All interns will also participate in a KISI orientation prior to the end of the spring semester. Interns will be required to write four blog posts throughout the duration of their internship. This culminates with a re-entry workshop at the beginning of the fall semester that will provide a space to both reflect on the internship and learn how to use new skills to market yourself to employers.

  • The cost varies for each internship. Please follow the link at the end of each internship description to learn more about costs and what is included in that.
  • The cost will vary based on whether the internships are in-country or virtual.
  • Some funding support is available through KISI.

Women’s Empowerment: Cape Coast, Ghana

Global Mamas is a fair trade network of more than 600 women who produce handmade products using traditional methods and sell their goods locally and overseas, with the mission of creating prosperity for African women and their families.

Internship possibilities include topics such as microfinance, accounting, supply chain management, strategic business consulting, and environmental sustainability. Global Mamas will work with you to determine a project that best fits your strengths, interests, and academic major.

Summer 2021 Information

Education: Antigua, Guatemala

Niños de Guatemala is a Dutch-Guatemalan NGO whose aim is to assist in breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering empowerment in Guatemala by providing education and social services to children from low-income families in the town of Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala. Niños de Guatemala (NDG) operates two primary schools and a middle school that provide high quality education to 385 children (and growing every year).

In addition, Niños de Guatemala has a partner social enterprise, called Cambio NDG, that financially supports the NGO. Cambio NDG operates a Spanish language school and various cultural tours to Antigua visitors. Cambio NDG’s “Experience Guatemala Tour” visits NDG schools, local businesses, and the community where most NDG children and their families live. The tour generates funding for NDG schools, and participants learn about social issues in Guatemala. The intern will be responsible for tasks related to the growth and professionalization of the social enterprise Cambio NDG. There are internships available in the areas of marketing and public relations and business development.

Check Back Soon for Summer 2021 Information

Social Impact Consulting: Lima, Peru

Students will be placed in teams of two to three to assist a nongovernmental organization (NGO) or social enterprise for an eight-week social impact consulting project. Interns will complete a high-level strategy, research, or implementation project to help organizations achieve their objectives more effectively. This opportunity combines leadership training, personal coaching and mentoring, reflection, and team-led social impact projects.

Participants will attend workshops that expose them to the social, cultural, and economic history of Peru, including seminars on topics such as informal economies and women’s empowerment. Sample internship projects include marketing and fundraising strategies, monitoring and measuring impact, and new program or project development and rollout.

Summer 2021 Information

Emzingo Virtual Internship Information

Poverty Alleviation: Johannesburg, South Africa

Students will be placed in teams of two to three to assist a nongovernmental organization (NGO) or social enterprise for eight weeks. Fellows will complete a high-level strategy, research, or implementation project to help organizations achieve their objectives more effectively. This opportunity combines leadership training, personal coaching and mentoring, and team-led social impact projects.

Participants will attend workshops that expose them to the social, cultural, and economic history of South Africa, including seminars on topics such as HIV/AIDS in the workplace, broad-based Black economic empowerment (BBBEE), or business in informal settlements. Sample internship projects include development and implementation of marketing strategies, impact assessments, income-generating activities, and human resource restructuring for NGOs or social enterprises.

Summer 2021 Information

Emzingo Virtual Internship Information

Madrid, Spain

Students will be placed in teams of two to three to assist a nongovernmental organization (NGO) or social enterprise for an eight-week social impact consulting project. Interns will complete a high-level strategy, research, or implementation project to help organizations achieve their objectives more effectively. This opportunity combines leadership training, personal coaching and mentoring, reflection, and team-led social impact projects.

Participants will attend workshops that expose them to the social, cultural, and economic history of Spain. Sample internship projects include marketing and branding strategies, business development plans, and project development and rollout.

Summer 2021 Information

Emzingo Virtual Internship Information

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Flying Squirrel Outfitters (FSO) is a social enterprise in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The company sells handcrafted hammocks and bags. The purchase of all products directly supports FSO’s continued efforts to grow sustainable economic opportunities in small villages across northern Thailand.

Interns will work with the founder of FSO, an O’Neill School alum, on various business projects. Work will be done in co-working space and coffee shops, which is common in Thailand. There will also be occasional visits to the production center.

Summer 2021 Information