Internships
Internship placements are determined by your interests and strengths. All organizations that Changemaker International partners with are dedicated to achieving social impact, while also being financially sustainable.
Why are Internships so Important?
We think that some of the greatest impact comes from the non-academic aspects of the program. These include being exposed to a new culture and language, interacting very closely with participants from different nationalities, being inspired by stories from actual social entrepreneurs who have turned their dreams into reality, and being stimulated by our carefully chosen field visits and internships.
Changemaker International has handpicked social enterprises that offer meaningful work experience for our target audience – in most cases we have met with the founders of these organizations to develop the internship options carefully. Our team will work closely with participants to ensure that their internship experience provides a meaningful experience.
Our Internship Partners Include:
“ChepeCletas was born in 2010 with the original intention of reducing emissions from transport and to find (environmentally and socially) sustainable ways to mobilize. We focus on the promotion of civic culture in the city of San Jose, capital of Costa Rica…We appropriate public space to encourage a civic culture that generates coexistence as a tool to deal with feelings of insecurity without using violence. We change emissions by adding interactions and emotions” – ChepeCletas
Equino Lideres (Equine Leaders)
“Equine Leaders provide professional and specialized therapy for the care of children and adults with different needs. The organization provides rehabilitation on the psychological, cognitive and social levels through therapeutic workshops with horses. Equino Lideres opened its doors to children with special needs on 28 August 2011. After two years of planning, all staff are trained to the highest level in horse therapy.” – Equino Lideres
UPEACE Centre for Executive Education
“Located within the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE), the Centre for Executive Education delivers dynamic courses to leaders from around the world. The Centre reaches out to nonprofit leaders, business executives, educators at all levels, UN staff, students and other professional audiences. The Centre aims to develop key leadership skills by incorporating the following crosscutting themes: Intercultural communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, and teambuilding” – Centre for Executive Education
“The department of Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development (RMSED) emphasizes economic and management perspectives of peace while focusing on the concepts of sustainability and responsibility. Its creation was based on the belief that to better contribute to the promotion of sustainable peace, it is imperative to explore what role the economy plays in the world today and its impact on our environment and societies’ wellbeing.” – UPEACE RMSED Department
El Niño y La Bola (Boy with a Ball)
“El Niño y La Bola is a nonprofit organization recognized in Costa Rica as Foundation for Integral Youth Development. Their job is to support young people at social risk during their training, development and involvement in society holistically. The mission of the organization is achieved through mentoring relationships and where young people and their families are equipped to prosper and become community leaders to transform their small groups.” – El Niño y La Bola
United World College: Costa Rica
“The mission of UWC Costa Rica is to educate a diverse group of young men and women to become happy, healthy and committed individuals, capable through their leadership and engagement, of fostering positive change in their communities in order to contribute to achieving a more sustainable and peaceful world. As the only UWC in Latin America, we offer a bilingual program, opportunities to learn more about the social, political, and cultural history of the region, and options to explore Costa Rica.” – UWC Costa Rica
“DEHVI Foundation is a Costa Rican non-profit organization of public interest that works hand in hand with family, community and public-private partnerships for the benefit of children from 0 to 5 years through innovation and nutrition in schools. All programs DEHVI: Family Friendly Company (EFR), Positive Parenting (TripleP), and Educational Focus, develop life skills at all stages of human development.”- DEHVI Foundation
“The Earth Charter is an ethical framework for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action.” – The Earth Charter
The Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation
“The Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation (CRHF) is a non-profit organization committed to developing creative and economical solutions to a wide range of social problems in Costa Rica. The CRHF provides opportunities to exchange friendship, goods, services, and financial resources for critical needs among different cultures, socio-economic classes, and language groups.” – CRHF
The mission of Changemaker International is to support youth to experience their tremendous potential as Changemakers. Through immersion experiences in Costa Rica, we introduce students in their gap year to social innovators making an impact in the world while also being financially sustainable.