Chile

Overview

This virtual internship and online seminar will focus on the role of Chilean educational institutions, social organizations, and communities working for social change. Chile has a history of human rights violations and deep social and economic inequities. Recent protests have been led by students, teachers, community members, and workers to obtain social benefits for marginalized populations.

Your program will begin with an introduction to the broader cultural, social, educational, and political contexts of Chile. Seminar discussions will include workplace norms and the ethics of interning in another country. After your placement, you will complete an online internship with an organization working in sectors such as education, human rights, collective and historic memory, gender and LGBTQI+, migration, indigenous communities, or another field related to your interests and career goals.

You will be expected to devote approximately 37.5 hours a week both on synchronous and asynchronous course activities. Synchronous activities may include orientation sessions, seminar country and theme specific lectures, initial meetings with your internship advisor, group reflection sessions, and project presentations. Frequency, duration, and scheduling of synchronous activities will be determined the first week of the course in conversation with participants to find mutually convenient times. In the event that a student cannot attend a live session, every effort will be made to provide a recording, transcript, or summary for off-line viewing.

Asynchronous activities may include seat time at your internship, break-out groups, check-ins with your academic director, internship coordinator and your internship mentor, writing progress reports, discussion boards, completing assignments and a final paper, and using audio or video to record reflections on the internship experience. Students are required to demonstrate a strong online presence by participating in group discussions, answering questions, and interacting with course participants and staff.

Highlights

• Engage in discussions about current social protests, community organizations, and educational alternatives.
• Complete an internship with a local community organization or NGO.
• Develop your professional Spanish-language skills.
• Participate in weekly group reflection and assessments led by the academic director.

Prerequisites

Two semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent.