Internships Are Not Just for the Young Anymore

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.

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Volunteer Vacations Across America: Bear There

Take it easy. Photo by John Derych, Jr.

Volunteer Vacations

Volunteer vacations are working vacations. You might choose to build or renovate homes, teach or tutor, translate and aid in communications, garden or farm, build hiking paths, or lead tours, among many other options. Volunteer vacations reward the traveler and the host through mutual growth, understanding, and experience. They are reciprocal—benefiting both the person who serves as well as the recipient, improving the quality of life for everyone.

The “vacation” part of volunteer vacations refers to the reality that for most people any time away from work is vacation time, and taking time off to do good for others is a carefully considered decision. These are projects, trips, and opportunities for people who are serious about helping others all over the USA and want to make a difference. You will leave an important mark on the community you visit, take a big piece of your experience back with you, and return home a different person from the one who left.

Volunteer with The American Bear Association

The American Bear Association, (P.O. Box 77, Orr, MN 55771; 218-757-0172; http://www.americanbear.org; bears@americanbear.org) offers an opportunity to volunteer at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary (VSWS). Located on 520 acres in the North Woods of Minnesota, two hours northwest of Duluth, VSWS is a seasonal home to many black bears. Volunteering outdoors in an extraordinary setting, meeting people from across the county and visitors from abroad, and learning about the bears and other wildlife and their habitats are rewarding and exciting experiences.

The work varies, and your interests and skills are matched to appropriate jobs when possible. Most activities involve manual labor, so good health and stamina are necessary, along with enthusiasm. Jobs range from daily clean-ups to cooking meals for staff and volunteers, picking up and unloading supplies, maintaining the property, planting, mulching, weeding, road maintenance, and preparing bear food. You may also greet visitors, park cars, educate the public and answer their questions, or work in the gift shop.

Volunteer days begin early and may end late, with time off in the afternoon, from May 1 through September 30. You may volunteer for an hour, day, weekend or the entire summer, or any period of time in between. While it is not possible to provide housing for everyone, efforts are made to accommodate long-term volunteers. Some people stay at nearby Cabin O’ Pines Resort (218-757-3122, http://www.cabinopines.com), which offers a discount to sanctuary volunteers. The town of Orr offers a variety of accommodations, including motels, resorts, and campgrounds. Contact the Orr Tourist Information Center at 1-800-357-9255.

Volunteers enjoy social events together, relaxing around campfires, enjoying barbeques and picnics, and swimming in nearby Pelican Lake. There’s also fishing, boating, and canoeing in area lakes, and hiking at the International Wolf Center, Superior National Forest, and at Voyageurs National Park.

Note: Both of my new books, VOLUNTEER VACATIONS ACROSS AMERICA and IMMERSION TRAVEL USA are out in the stores and available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Drop me a note to Sheryl@immersiontraveler.com if you’d like autographed stickers for your books!

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