“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Mia Benjamin ’13 interned with Pathways for Mutual Respect and the International Institute of Connecticut in Singapore, Malaysia and Connecticut.         

What did you do?

Read the rest of this entry »

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Esme Lutz ’12.5 interned with the Rehwa Society in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, India.

What did you do?

My project focuses on the Rehwa Society, an Indian nonprofit organization established in 1978 dually to promote a regional craft and provide employment specifically for women. Before traveling to India, I conducted research using many of Middlebury’s online resources in order to deepen my understanding of Indian culture and gender relations. I planned to compile a photographic documentary—using images combined with text to illustrate Rehwa’s story to a viewer—and thus spent my time in India observing the weaving process, interviewing key figures associated with the organization, photographing a variety of individuals and objects, as well as traveling to a few different workshops to compare and contrast the methods utilized there. Now near returning back to school, I am in the midst of collating the materials I collected in the way I described in my proposal (with a few small additions): composing an article to publish in a campus magazine, working with curators to exhibit the images I took at Middlebury, sharing the pictures with Rehwa to be used in a promotional “look book,” submitting written material to Rehwa to include in a future application to UNESCO to become a living heritage site, and displaying the photographs publicly via the web.

What did you learn?

My experience was not easy: I was living alone, in a small town in a rural area, unable to speak a difficult-to-just-pick-up language in a country with drastically different from the one in which I had spent most of my life. While at times being in Maheshwar was incredibly enchanting and filled me with an effusive sense of love for the world around me, at other it was exhausting, lonely, and incredibly frustrating. This being said, besides  the factual knowledge I gained, the benefits of interacting with people whose lives are very different from my own, of encountering norms and problems unfamiliar in my home environment, and of pushing myself into a situation in which I initially felt very uncomfortable, are undeniable.

What are your plans for the future?

As my studies wind to a close (in February) and I think increasingly about my next motions, my experience in India will definitely register strongly in my mind when considering characteristics I desire in a career. It was incredible to encounter people with different circumstance and background, to push myself further into situations that were momentarily uncomfortable, and to have an expanse of time to think critically about a single subject. My interests have definitely taken a more international focus, and I hope to, in part, address the fundamental challenges I observed firsthand while in Maheshwar.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Ellery Berk ’14 interned with Gardens for Health International in Kigali, Rwanda.   

What did you do?

For the month of June, I interned with Gardens for Health International as a communications intern, conducting interviews, collecting media and writing blogs. Gardens for Health  is an agricultural NGO that partners with Rwandan health centers to equip families facing malnutrition with the knowledge and resources for greater self-sufficiency.

What did you learn?

Through Gardens for Health, I learned anew the values of self-sufficiency and community, and I have great expectations for our partnership moving forward. I learned that it is very important to be flexible.

What are your plans for the future?

My interest in development and global health remains strong; however, I realize that my place in the field likely does not lie in a small grassroots organization. While in Rwanda, I found that the most effective work Gardens for Health did was completed by Rwandans themselves. Expat staffers provided programmatic and technical support for Rwandan staff members, but little else. From this experience, I’ve learned that if I want to continue in the global health and development field, I should probably work with larger organizations, like Oxfam or the UN, and I should get an MPP and MBA.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

Shelburne Farms

Special Functions Event Assistant Shelburne, VT

Shelburne Farms is a membership-supported, nonprofit environmental education center and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. Their mission is to cultivate a conservation ethic in students, educators and families who come here to learn. This position provides administrative support to the Special Functions Manager and a wide level of hands-on event services for all special functions at Shelburne Farms. In addition, may involve back-up support in restaurant at the end of the season. Special functions take place at multiple sites on the Farms and include workshops, conferences and meetings, fundraisers, private parties and wedding receptions.

*For more information about applying, go to LACN

How to access LACN:

- LACN provides students access to job postings/internships from 29 top small liberal arts colleges

- In the middle of your MOJO home page, you will see ‘announcements’, ‘shortcuts’ and ‘JUMP TO.”

- Under ‘jump to’ you will see the link ‘LACN’

- Clicking on the link ‘LACN’ will bring you to the Liberal Arts Career Network

- Utilize LACN the same way you would utilize MOJO

- To return to MOJO, simply go to your LACN home page, and click on the link that says jump to ‘Middlebury College’

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is pleased to announce its paid Internship Program. Interns gain practical work experience and support the work of our Communications, Development, Program, Human Resources (both for the field and the office), and Executive departments. Interns also gain a basic introduction to the field of international medical humanitarian aid and advocacy. All internships will take place in our New York office and will be paid at the rate of $10.00 per hour.

For application and deadline information visit the Doctors Without Borders web page.

For more information about one of these opportunities, see MOJO.

Don’t miss these DEADLINES for

Winter Term Internships in Non-Profit and Environment:

Shelter Assistant with the John Graham Shelter Vergennes, VT

Duties of the intern include: Identify and reach out to homeless individuals and families to build trusting relationships in order to foster empowerment and assist with transition from homelessness to housing; Assist with intake process, forms and recordkeeping as needed; Build trust and self esteem with clients through daily interaction via one on one and group activities. DEADLINE: October 9

Advocate Intern with WomenSafe Middlebury, VT

Interns will provide direct service to women and children of diverse backgrounds and status, dealing with sexual violence, domestic violence (SV & DV) and life transitions by responding to crisis calls, in-person meetings and requests for information, provide on-going peer advocacy and on-going emotional support, and provide options and safety planning. DEADLINE: October 15

General Associate Intern with the Roosevelt Institution Washington D.C.

Our temporary staff members will work on a variety of potential projects, depending on the need at the time. This could mean fundraising, communications, publications, etc. All work will be substantive and goal-oriented. DEADLINE: October 9

Caromont Farm Intern Esmont, VA

Assist Gail Hobbs Page and husband Daniel Page in ALL aspects of sustainable farming, food production, and food education. DEADLINE: October 17

See MOJO for more details and application instructions.

Below is a summary of the Winter Term ‘10 internships posted on MOJO as of Sept. 22, 2009. For more information about an opportunity, or to see more listings, visit www.middmojo.com.

Abigail Leathe ‘11

WomenSafe Summer Internship

This past summer, I interned at WomenSafe in Middlebury. WomenSafe is a nonprofit organization that works toward the elimination of physical, sexual, and emotional violence against women and their children through direct service, education, and social change. WomenSafe provides legal and medical advocacy, emotional support, safety planning, crisis intervention, and problem solving assistance. Through community education and outreach, WomenSafe seeks to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence.

Read the rest of this entry »