LEAPNOW Individual Internship Opportunities

College International Internship | Volunteer Education | International and Domestic Internship Opportunity | Student Internship

The following are volunteer, educational international and domestic internships for individuals, this list is modified on a regular basis. Most of these internships need people throughout the year and many can accommodate multiple volunteers. Most internships are happy to have you stay for a long period of time.

LEAPNOW charges a one-time fee of $750 for each intern placement.
The application process is easy, to apply please visit our page on application & logistics!

After reviewing the current list of internship opportunities available and you have further questions, please visit the Internship FAQ. If there is something more specific you are looking for please let us know and we will try to and be of assistance.

Environmental Textile Service Project with Women in India (10115)

Volunteers are needed to help with a grassroots project in Northern India hat reuses plastic bags to make artisan bowls and baskets.  The service work includes organizing materials for the projects, helping market the textiles and assisting the director with other administrative tasks.  Volunteers will learn how to make the textiles themselves as well as work with local impoverished women and children who are making the textiles.

This volunteer project is run by a woman who also runs a small family style guest house. $300 a month covers room and board and volunteers get to stay at the guest house and enjoy the familial atmosphere. This is a fantastic project for people interested in working a local project that employs undereducated females in the area as well as learning about how to start and manage a grassroots organization.  Internship volunteers should be mature, innovative, and prepared for long days in a culture that can be challenging.  The guesthouse is in a semi-rural setting near a large city.  Women should be prepared to dress in traditional and conservative clothing throughout the duration of their volunteer project.

Ecolodge in Guatemala (3034)

Interns are needed at a farm turned backpacker hostel in Guatemala. They need volunteers to assist with getting guests situated, serving food, assisting in the kitchen, cleaning, and, if you have the skills, leading outdoor outings, and leading and tending their 5 horses. Volunteer work is 8 hours a day, six days per week, but there is time to explore the surrounding environs. The farm is run by an American woman in an area noted for its access to Mayan ruins. They have guesthouses, treehouses, bungalows, hammocks, campgrounds, and access to jungle hiking, caving, swimming, and horseback riding. Guests come from all over the world, with a large influx of Israeli and German travelers, the ability to speak a second language is valued. Room and board is in exchange for volunteer services with a minimum of a one-month commitment. Excellent food, Internet sccess, phones, and access to good medical care is near by. At any given time there can be as many as 6 international volunteers to supplement the staff of 35.

They also have periodic opportunities to work in the Peten Jungle helping to re-introduce captive animals back to their natural environment. This experience is rare: a unique experience in a beautiful location.

Environmental Conservation in Ecuador (2472)

Volunteers are needed at a cloudforest conservation project in northwest Ecuador. Volunteers assist with outdoor projects such as tree planting, weeding, creating fire breaks, erosion prevention, nursery development, clearing trails, and there are some possible opportunities for research, environmental education, and agroforestry studies. During the late spring and summer, they have positions working with children and doing environmental education, and they periodically run courses in permaculture, nutrition, and other related fields for their volunteers and paying guests.

Accommodations are in either a hostel or in cabins with running water and cooking facilities, and they ask for a minimum stay of one month though would love to have you stay longer. $240 per month covers room and board, and they make special arrangements for intern volunteers with special skills or those wishing to stay more than three months. Running water, toilet, shower, electricity, and phones are all available at the various volunteer sites. They ask that volunteers be comfortable with their Spanish before starting as little English is spoken at the worksite.

They have an office in Quito, Ecuador that can arrange to meet you at the airport and give you an orientation to Ecuador and the city before traveling overland to the actual volunteer site. They have 3 work sites, each of which are heavily tied into the local villages, and each of which has a strong biodiversity component to the work. Some sites are remote enough to necessitate having horses and knowing how to ride them, others are more centrally located, and volunteers are allowed to choose how they'd like to spend their months working. On each site there are at least 2 other international volunteers at any given time to assist with the work and form a sense of community.

There is no malaria in the area, and they recommend that volunteers have adequate medical insurance as the work can sometimes involve machetes and other physically challenging activities.

Teach at a School in Northern India (4545)

Opportunities to volunteer at a unique free school for approximately 400 poor children in northern India. The school has 300 day students and 100 evening students who are day laborers or street children. The school curriculum includes Hindi, English, Science, Math, etc., and also includes meditation, hatha yoga, music, massage, philosophy, emotional literacy, ecology, mythology, martial arts, astrology, and other non-traditional subjects. The school is a unique experiment in education inspired by two Tibetan spiritual teachers. It synthesizes Buddhist teachings with transpersonal psychology and modern progressive educational methods.

Teaching and administrative volunteers are welcome any time for a minimum of one month. The volunteers must be self-supporting for lodging and food, but you can expect to pay no more than $150 per month total. Former volunteers have been able to design and teach their own curriculum, or if that is too overwhelming, to assist in the teaching of the staff's curriculum. This is a volunteer placement where you can experience the true India in its rural form - with homestays and interactions that enfold you fully into the village life. There is ready access to amenities like telephone, internet, and hot water, though the setting is very traditional. Great medical attention is readily available within a 30 minute drive.

Teach at a School in Turkey (10005)

Teaching assistant internships at a school in Izmir, Turkey or at a school near Istanbul. Room (with a local teacher), board, and a small stipend provided. Commitment of a semester at a time - September - January, February to May.

The School is a coeducational preK-8th grade private school founded in 1998 through the financial support and assistance of a Turkish Foundation. The school enrolls day students in the preschool, elementary and middle school divisions and boarding students when the high school begins. The school has embraced a dual language concept - Turkish and English and athird language, French, is started in fourth grade. Although the school serves mostly Turkish children, it enrolls a substantial number of international students of other nationalities. The school opened in 1998 with the preschool and grades one and two. Each year a grade is added for the next ten years until the school is complete. Assistants spend their days assisting teachers, teaching English, and providing a bridge to the West for the school's students. The many opportunities including coaching, teach theater arts, or other specialties.

Orphanage in India (9723)

Volunteers are needed at an orphanage and homeopathic clinic run by an energetic American woman who has been living in India for many years. She is open to having volunteers come for a minimum of one month, but you would be welcome to stay for longer. Previous volunteers stayed at a decent hostel in town, but some construction has been completed recently and volunteers can now stay at the orphanage itself and save money that way. Basic accommodation (shared double room and bath) and food are provided for about $150 (or 3000 rupees) a month, but cheaper if you can stay longer.

Volunteers should be physically fit, mature and emotionally prepared for hard work in a difficult setting. Not only would you be working with the kids at the main orphanage, but you would also be visiting other villages and orphanages on a periodic basis to teach hygiene, art, or a variety of other subjects. It can be difficult living and working with orphans and hearing their stories over time, so volunteers must be prepared for some of the difficulties inherent in this kind of work. The orphanage is in desperate need of volunteers to work and play with the kids, do small construction projects, teach English, organize the volunteer program, and coordinate with fund raising over seas.

Wildlife Refuge in Bolivia (9998)

Work with endangered species at a wildlife refuge in Bolivia. The workday starts at 7:30 AM and ends around 6:00 PM, with an hour and a half lunch break and one day off every 15 days. Work varies greatly, from tending sick or newly arrived monkeys to preparing birds for their return to the wild, or even walking some of the wild cats (pumas, jaguars, etc.). The refuge houses about 200 monkeys of six different species (spider, capuchin, squirrel, nocturnal, titi and tamarin). They also have dozens of birds, from toucans to hawks to the big macaws, as well as coatis, turtles, snakes (at times) and a few wild cats (ocelots, pumas and a jaguar). Many of the animals are of endangered species. Volunteers also guide visitors who are visiting the reserve, giving explanations about the animals and the importance of wildlife and habitat preservation. Minimum commitment for volunteers is 15 days, but the longer you can stay the more opportunities you would have to work with a greater diversity of wildlife. For example, volunteers that stay for the minimum amount of time are only allowed to work with primates, whereas those volunteers who can stay for 2 months are allowed to pick what animals they would like to focus with. Cost for volunteer housing is $70 for the first 15 days and $2.50/day thereafter. Food is no more than $5/day.

They need self-starters to do the work needed, and are looking for people who don't shy from sometimes messy work. The internet is a good 30 minute bus ride away, although there is a phone at the actual worksite that volunteers can use with a phone card. The nearest hospital is not spotless, but volunteers have access to a better hospital if need be, that is about 5 hours away by bus. English is the primary language spoken, although volunteers have the opportunity to practice their Spanish with the local workers. Please be aware that you would be working with wild animals and they should be treated as wild. There are adequate safeguards in place for volunteers, but you'll have to be assertive enough to use them.

Here's what a previous volunteer had to say about some unexpected perks: "Oh yeah - the jungle, some of the people I met, being licked by a puma, getting a good scar..."

Mama Tesha - Teacher's Assistant in Tanzania (3566)

A Tanzanian woman, Mama Tesha, who is based in Arusha, and also is the director of a school for kindergarten and primary age children (3-10 years old) that has 170 children (half in nursery school, half in primary school). They have an ongoing need for volunteers at the school, and may have future need for people to do construction work. The school is run by an all-women board, is a registered non-profit in the United States, and relies on volunteers to relieve the excess work at the school. The LEAPNOW contact is also a great Kiswahili instructor and can arrange and orient new volunteers to the area.

Typical volunteer duties may include: researching grant opportunities, primarily on the internet; writing grants; talking with Mama Tesha and other school staff about project ideas and structures; meeting staff, students, and families. Volunteers are asked to work about 30 - 40 hours per week, and must be proactive, as the workload itself doesn't allow for a volunteer coordinator to tell you what needs to be done. Access to computers and the internet as well as telephones is readily available. Medical facilities are good, and transportation routes are well traveled and not too expensive. Count on spending between $8-$10 per day for room (with Mama Tesha in a true village setting), board, and Kiswahili lessons.

Outdoor Leadership School in New Zealand (2027)

Volunteers are needed at an outdoor center in New Zealand. They have constant need for volunteers willing to commit a minimum of one month to assist with general program and grounds maintenance. Free room and board in exchange for work. For volunteers with experience leading outdoors trips or with specific outdoor skills, there are opportunities to learn new skills and get experience leading trips through one of the most reputed organizations in the South Pacific. Specific examples of skills they need and teach are: rock climbing, river and sea kayaking, mountaineering, ski touring, trekking, backpacking, bushcraft and bush survival. Past volunteers have equated the organization to a New Zealand NOLS or Outward Bound type experience. For volunteers willing to stay longer, there is the opportunity to build up credits enough to either assist or participate in the programs being led. Volunteers work a full week, but the workload is light enough that you could take a week or two off at any point to travel the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The work itself can be pretty basic if you don't have some hard skills, but the staff are usually very eager to hang out with you and teach skills during their down time.

Staff usually spends the weekends outdoors practicing skills and playing in nature.

Teacher's Assistant in Honduras (10098)

Volunteer at a bilingual School in Honduras. The school is about a 45 minute bus ride from San Pedro Sula in Honduras where there is also an airport. This primary school was just constructed over the summer months of 2004 and everything is brand new, so there are lots of challenges. Volunteers are needed to work on general construction projects, to support the role of the staff and community in further efforts to improve the school, and to assist with the teaching responsibilities at the school. Volunteers need not be fluent in Spanish, but they do ask that you have a good understanding of the language - enough to have a basic conversation with the kids. Room and board are very inexpensive, and access to email and telephones is fairly easy to gain access to. Volunteers can be met at the San Pedro Sula airport and transported directly to the school. They are looking for a minimum commitment of two months.

The thing that makes this school unique is the level of community involvement it has: from the donation of the land, to the construction and materials, to the petition and local transport. They are currently trying to establish the model and hopefully be able to transport it to other areas of need within Central America.

The school currently has about 85 students, eight classrooms, and 11 teachers. A former LEAPNOW client and intern is currently running the school! (This could happen to you!!!).

Teach at a Remote High School in Micronesia (9761)

Interns have the opportunity to work in any of six schools on tiny Micronesian islands of the Woleai Atolls; the largest need is with primary and secondary school children. High school subjects they most need support are English, Math and Science. An intern might be a teachers assistant, or teach by themselves, depending on what the school's current needs are. Free room with a host family (usually the principal or a fellow teacher at the school) is provided, but a small donation for food is expected. Any intern would have to be super-careful of native customs and very, very sensitive to the requirements of a very traditional community. The cultural difference is profound, and this internship requires a great degree of flexibility: up to 4 days on a boat to get to the island school may be required. There is access to email on most of the islands, and in those without, they have access to a satellite phone to make necessary emergency calls.

Please be aware that this is a placement that is both very authentic, and can be very challenging with its remoteness. Accommodations are basic, and food standards don't have much variety. There will likely be no other Americans or foreigners on the island you're teaching at, and the cultural norms are quite different there. Women find it a more difficult place to volunteer as the society is fairly patriarchal and they ask that volunteers not try to effect 100 years of change within the three months that you'd be there.

Typically, they need people for the academic year which mirrors the US's approximate dates, though there is always a need for ongoing English classes should you desire to take part in this program over the summer or winter months.

Outdoor Environmental Project in Patagonia, Argentina (9880)

Volunteers opportunities to work on a beautiful ranch in Argentina doing all the work on an estancia plus some extras that go along with a drive to achieve self-sufficiency in an organic and fun way. The program offers horse use and some of the best fishing in South America at the rivers and streams that are on the property. Also volunteers have full use of the recreational facilities; squash court, volleyball, sauna, running trails and all of the camping spots over the 100,000 acre ranch. The property reaches up to the border with Chile in the high Andes, including a 500 acre lake and a hot spring - the place is lovely beyond compare and offers a wondrous energy hit, largely due to the clement weather and the isolation - no cars, no planes overhead, no television etc.

At the winter ranch (May - August) volunteers (up to 4 at a time) live with the gauchos, do ranch chores and ride horses daily to check on the resident guanaco (related to the llama) population as a semi-scientific task. The summer ranch is located near the fishing and here the volunteers will again live with gauchos and help with the preparation of the garden and with other chores. They charge $100 to pick up volunteers at the local airport; otherwise they can hike in from the nearest town, El Huecu, an all day hike, much of it on the actual estancia. In order to get there, volunteers will have to fly to a remote airport, and then take a jeep to a stable before embarking on a four-hour horse ride.

They seek self-starters, non-complainers, and competent people who enjoy pitching in and also enjoy the time off in this setting. They have room for up to seven volunteers in various housing arrangements; shared bathrooms and kitchens. Spanish is not required but is helpful to enjoy the native folk who work on the ranch. It is a small family community of writers and artists, involved in permaculture and self-sustainable ideals. The ranch is also the site of a book and film project currently underway. A Spanish teacher can be provided on the ranch for $25/day. Room and board cost $17.50 per day for the first month and drops down to $12.50 per day after the first month, with optional activities and trainings costing slightly more.

Intern with Theater and Sustainable Living Organization in New England (10204)

This is a chance to work with a dynamic theater and sustainable living organization.  Based in New England, this organization's mission is to cultivate high quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability, and social justice.  This independent organization was founded in 2001.  It is a  theater, a working small organic farm, and a retreat and workshop center where artists, activists, underserved young people and just good folks can come for renewal and inspiration. This is an opportunity to participate and learn about the arts, sustainable living, and activism in the community.

A Office Manager Intern is currently needed.  A small group of interns, mostly college age or slightly older, live on the farm and participate in both farm and theater related activities.  100% of the intern placement fee will go directly to this organization.

 

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