Working with an NGO

For the Butler IFSA program in Peru it is mandatory to work with an NGO. The program normally sets students up with a hand-on activity working with women who do domestic work. You can also find other more internship-style opportunities on your own. I wanted to learn about indigenous rights and culture so I found an NGO myself that focused on these issue. I got really valuable experience working in their office and speaking/writing in Spanish. I also got to travel with them to one of their film festival conferences in another city, which was one of the highlights of my experience.

Interning in Italy

It is pretty easy to incorporate something like teaching English into your experience, especially in Bologna. The Brown program is well-established and is often approached by language schools looking for students to help teach English and I had some friends who did that.

Finding another kind of internship can be pretty difficult. Things run more really slowly with Italian companies and they are not used to a system of students interning part-time during the school year. Many students spend over a month just trying to establish contact with the correct person in a company or museum etc.  If you are really sure you want to find an internship, come at least a month early to start setting things up. Be aware that companies operate on a stand-still in August and most people are on vacation – – it would be very unlikely to find a job during that month.