Academia Latinoamericana offers an array of internship opportunities throughout three of the most beautiful countries in South America. Students will spend half the day at their internship placement, and half the day in language classes. Internships available in the following areas (and more):

• Early Childhood Education
• Health Care & Medicine
• Insurance
• Law 
• Management 
• Consulting 
• Pharmaceuticals
• Public Service & Civic Organizations 
• Publishing 
• Retail & Merchandising 
• Software  
• Newspaper and Radio
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Art
• Communications

Choose to work in one of the following locations:

Quito, Ecuador

Located in the inter-Andean valley, Quito is a city of sun and sky surrounded by mountains, with three snow-capped volcanoes in view on a clear day. Its climate has  been described by many as eternal spring due to its high altitude and its location close to the equator. Quito is a blend of modern and traditional culture, with strong Spanish, indigenous, U.S. and northern European influences. There are stark contrasts between colonial and modern architecture and rich and poor neighborhoods. It is cosmopolitan and small-town (almost rural) at the same time. Where else can one see a cow or a horse or a pig grazing in the middle of a four-lane highway in the middle of town?

Cusco, Peru

Imagine learning Spanish in one of the most beautiful and historic locations to be found anywhere in Latin America! You’ll be captivated immediately by the magic of Cusco: the ancient capital of the Inca Empire is set only a stone’s throw away from Machu Picchu World Heritage Site and at the very entrance to the Sacred Valley of the Inca. Your Spanish program in Cusco is much more than just a language course: it is guaranteed to be a deep plunge into history and into an ancient and mysterious culture.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Medical and healthcare internships in clinical environments in Ecuador and Peru have been suspended until further notice. There may be opportunities to complete healthcare internships through non-profit and community organizations which will require flexibilty to participate.

Language Credit Option:

Students wishing to receive language credits during their internship at Academia Latinoamericana can do so if they have completed a minimum level of 3 semesters of university level Spanish (Intermediate I) by the time of their internship. The student will receive 6 language credits upon the successful completion of the internship/language classes. Students who choose to complete a language immersion while completing their internship will spend half the day at their internship site and half the day learning Spanish at the language school. A language immersion intern could also receive an additional 4 credits (for a total of 10 credits) through independent study. The independent study would need to be approved through the World Languages department chair.

Students with less than Intermediate I may not earn language credits from Queens but can take the language placement test upon return to place into higher levels of Spanish.

Community Service Alliance (CSA) - Dominican Republic

- Summer (6 weeks)

CSA interns gain first-hand experience working in a rural Dominican community, where they work side by side with the local people. Interns take part in meaningful projects which utilize their skills and abilities to improve the lives of the local people. The work is hands on, allowing for rich cultural exchanges and relationship building with the Dominican people.

Interns with CSA may do such things as conduct community evaluations, work with a women’s cooperative, create materials for HIV/AIDS education, teach English to children and high school students, supporting summer literacy programs for children, train young adults to be peer educators, among many other possibilities dependent on the intern’s skills and interests. CSA is dedicated to supporting and empowering local, grass-roots community organizations. CSA personnel work with community leaders to identify local needs and priorities, then develops projects based upon the abilities and interests of our international interns. As such, the contribution of each individual intern is part of a larger program, ensuring its short and long-term value to the community.

Food and Housing

Students will stay in home-stays with local families who will provide all meals during the program.

Duration & Dates

6-8 weeks

• Cycle 1: May 10 - June 30
• Cycle 2: July 1 - August 15

Program Timeline

• Week 1 - Week 1.5: Orientation to Dominican culture and Spanish language classes
• Week 1.5 - Week 7: Execution of internship plan
• Week 7/8: Project wrap-up, evaluation

Requirements for Participation

• Intermediate to high Spanish language ability
• Proactive individual, ability to work independently

 

 

Independently Arranged International Internship

Students can choose to apply for an independently arranged international internship and receive a $3000 stipend. Students can use this stipend to offset costs as they choose, but all additional expenses must be paid by the student. The student must work with the Vandiver Center for Career Development (VCD) office to certify the internship for approval and the PCIE for pre-departure paperwork and preparations. Stipends will be dispersed once students have completed their internship contract with the VCD and provided a copy of their purchased flight to the PCIE. 

In order to receive the $3,000 stipend, students must: 

o   complete an internship course for credit. This can be either an internship course approved through the Vandiver Center or an independent study that is approved by faculty

o   provide an airline ticket itinerary and receipt for travel to the internship destination

o   provide receipts for internship programs to total $3,000 (including airline ticket)

o   provide Internship information including emergency internship program contact name and telephone number

Additional Information:

Pre-Requisites

To earn INT credit for your Internship, certify that you have completed INT 201 Career Connections.

Course Registration for Students Seeking Internship Credit:

Students must be enrolled in the international internship section(s) of the appropriate INT courses during their time abroad (students in some majors may receive different course credit). Students are required to meet with the internship office for approval to enroll in the International INT course sections (INT 401/402/404: Int'l/Overseas Professional Internship I, II, and/or III) for their international internship. 

Scholarships

The Elizabeth Dalton International Internship Scholarship is awarded to rising juniors and seniors interested in gaining career related experiential learning abroad. Preference is given to students academically eligible for Queens internship courses with approved internship contracts and completed information forms from the Vandiver Center for Career Development and PCIE offices. Awards vary based on student need and availability of funds.