Internships and Service Learning

Students interested in internships should indicate their interest while submitting their general application to the program. Once their general application is submitted, they will receive an email encouraging them to fill out the Internship Application. Students should thoughtfully fill out the application. Once it is submitted, our internship coordinator will reach out to them and set up an interview. During the interview, the candidate will get to discuss their interests and the internship coordinator can work with them to set expectations and answer any questions they may have. After the interview, students will receive the decision on their application within the following weeks.

Both internships and service learning offer valuable experiential learning opportunities, but they are designed with different goals in mind. Internships focus on professional development and help students gain practical experience in a field related to their academic or career interests. Service learning emphasizes community engagement, pairing service work with reflection and coursework to deepen students’ understanding of social and cultural issues.

Internship credit depends on the requirements of your home institution and academic program. Students should review the IDS 490 syllabus with their academic advisor to determine how the internship may count toward their degree and whether any adjustments are needed for credit approval. Students should address these considerations during their interview to determine how or if the internship responsibilities can be adjusted to meet their home institution’s requirements for receiving academic credit.

In terms of the nature of the work, the experience is likely to offer a blend of direct community interaction and organizational support. Many Community Partners, such as those working with homeless communities or youth training, provide opportunities for hands-on engagement. At the same time, some responsibilities may include administrative or project-based support. The program’s focus on “immersing themselves in actual grassroots projects” implies that direct interaction is a meaningful component rather than a purely office-based role.

Italian proficiency will likely shape the depth of the internship experience. The syllabus emphasizes developing communication skills “including Italian language,” which suggests that students are encouraged, but not necessarily required, to use and improve their Italian. Students with stronger Italian skills may be able to take on more community-facing roles, while those with limited proficiency might initially engage more in supportive or structured tasks. That said, the program is designed to be accessible and developmental, so a beginner could still benefit, especially with openness to learning and adapting. And our Community Partners support this.

Our internships sit at the intersection of a professional internship and a hands-on service opportunity. They are designed to build career-relevant skills (teamwork, adaptability, communication, exposure to NGOs) while also prioritizing social impact and community engagement and community partner-centered approach. In that sense, it’s not purely one or the other, it intentionally integrates both.

The broader goal of the program is to deepen students’ understanding of social justice, human rights, and community work in Italy from a bottom-up/direct experience's perspective, while contributing meaningfully to local organizations. For example, a student placed with an organization like one supporting the homeless might assist in outreach, daily operations, resource distribution, or community programming, directly contributing to efforts around housing access, documentation/bureaucracy and inclusion. Similarly, working with a group focused on youth or migrants could involve supporting educational initiatives, daily operations or integration programs. In each case, the student’s work contributes to ongoing grassroots efforts that aim to empower marginalized communities. And, extremely important, everything starts from assessing community partners current needs.

No. Prior experience is not required to participate in an internship. However, relevant experience through coursework, volunteer work, or previous jobs can help students feel more prepared and get more out of the opportunity. Internships are learning-focused, so curiosity, professionalism, and a willingness to engage are most important.

Internships are unpaid. Due to the nature of students’ legal status in Italy, participants are not permitted to receive compensation for any work or internships completed during the program.