Each participant in the Intern Abroad program chooses an area of focus from the fields of Education, Health, and Social Services. The area of focus defines what the intern’s concentration for their in-country experience will be, and determines some of the additional Cultural & Learning Activities, reading assignments, and conversations with the Intern Supervisor. Additionally, the intern will receive a placement within their area of focus that is related to their set learning objectives.
Education
An area of focus in Education concentrates on developing an academic and cultural understanding of the educational opportunities in the community, whether formal, such as a classroom setting, or informal, such as teaching conversational English at a community center. Examples of internships may include:
- Sharing new ideas and life perspectives with junior high school students in Ghana
- Teaching computer basics and other vocational skills at a special school in India
Health
Interns with an area of focus in Health will concentrate on healthcare and the social and educational influences on community health by getting involved with health issues in schools, homes for the elderly, health clinics, day-care centers, or other types of organizations. Examples of internships may include:
- Accompanying nurses on vaccination campaigns for communities near the city dump where residents are at risk for disease in Guatemala
- Teaching about nutrition at a center for pregnant women with HIV in South Africa
- Offering massage and physical therapy to elderly to increase their mobility in Peru
Social Services
Social Services interns will have an academic focus on the community initiatives that are in place to assist underserved or underrepresented populations such as women’s empowerment groups, the elderly, and infants and children. Examples of internships may include:
- Developing arts & crafts projects at a center in Costa Rica where adults with disabilities come to learn income-generating skills
- Developing play therapy activities for children in an orphanage or daycare in Russia
Please note that CCS volunteer placements are always designed with the community’s immediate requests and needs in mind. For that reason, we can never guarantee specific volunteer placements.
