Monday’s info session will give details on this international funding opportunity.
Rising juniors and seniors interested in spending the summer interning abroad with an intergovernmental or nongovernmental organization might be eligible to receive financial support to help offset travel costs and living expenses.
Dr. Oya Ozkanca, associate professor of political science, is chair of a new program sponsored by the College’s Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking and made possible by an international studies and foreign language grant from the U.S. Department of Education. As the name implies, Ozkanca explained, the IGO/NGO Summer Internship Financial Support Program funds provide three students with round-trip airfare and an hourly wage for an otherwise unpaid internship.
It’s quite a generous grant…”
“It’s quite a generous grant,” she said, adding that the fund will cover internships lasting about six to 10 weeks.
In addition to needing to be a rising junior or senior (Class of ’15 or ’16) to apply, students must already have secured a position for the summer. Ozkanca added that an upcoming IGO/NGO conference will feature a career and internship fair; this, she said, is a perfect opportunity to find a few organizations to which they might be interested in applying.
Ozkanca explained that NGOs and IGOs operate at different levels and perform an array of services that suit the College motto, ‘education for service,’ including education, advocacy, encouraging political participation and sharing constituent concerns with the government. She said participating in an international internship with an NGO or IGO “fulfills a desire to serve” and is an opportunity to travel and experience a different culture.
“The neat thing is the fact that all majors can apply,” she said, dispelling any notion that a student must be majoring in political science, modern languages or international relations. “These organizations need a variety of different backgrounds.”
Students can learn more about the IGO/NGO Summer Internship Financial Support Program, including eligibility requirements, application process and deadlines, at an information session at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30, in Hoover 211.