CBS Sunday Morning (Sunday, August 14, 2011) ran a piece titled “Internships: A foot in the door? Is it something young people can take advantage of, or are they being taken advantage of?”
It was an interesting piece, but did not present the whole story. There’s more to internships than volunteering one’s skills and the money that is or isn’t received. One new innovation is that internships are no longer just for the young — many are open to all ages. The Student Conservation Association, which provides stipends with internships, should change their name. Their programs are not just for students do not have age limitations.
Both of my travel guidebooks, Volunteer Vacations Across America and Immersion Travel USA, have hundreds of opportunities to try out many different fields and positions through internships and other programs before deciding what you really want to do — if that’s in college or after retirement or in between. Explore a passion, plan a career move, or step right into a job by applying for an internship.
If the time commitment of an internship is not for you, consider a short-term volunteer experience. Here are a few featured in Volunteer Vacations Across America and Immersion Travel USA:
The Student Conservation Association
(SCA) is the nation’s largest and oldest provider of conservation service opportunities through a tuition-free summer volunteer program for high school or college students and a 3- to 12-month, expense-paid internship program
for people over 18. SCA’s mission is clear: “To build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of our environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land.” http://www.thesca.org/
Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, offers a wide selection of residencies, classes, activities, scholarship
programs, and internships throughout the year. It is the world’s largest glass museum, featuring 35 centuries of
examples and styles. Instructors from all over the globe teach participants ranging from beginner to more advanced of all ages. http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=11976
Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT), San Francisco Bay Area, CA creates opportunities for at-risk and underprivileged youth in the San Francisco Bay area to get outdoors, explore the wilderness, and experience nature. BAWT offers six-monthinternships in four areas: Development, Program, Marketing, and Climbing for Kids. http://www.bawt.org/
The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Topsail Beach, NC has as its mission the conservation and preservation of all species of marine turtles. The center protects nests, nesting females, and hatchings, and is involved with the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick and injured turtles and with educating the public about sea turtles. Internships with housing provided are available year round for a minimum 12-week period. http://www.seaturtlehospital.org/
Adventures in Preservation (AiP), Boulder, CO, is a non-profit organization offering volunteer vacations designed
as hands-on building conservation workshops, which are held at a variety of locations around the world. Their mission is to save the world’s architectural heritage by supporting community-driven preservation projects that seek to create economic and environmental sustainability.
ImmersionTraveler 