General Information

Building on Penn’s Global Development Initiative (Penn GDI) internships, IEDP began a new  International Internship Program (IIP) in June 2011. The IEDP internships are supported by funding from PennGSE, and are undertaken in partnership with international non-governmental organizations (NGO) and universities. Many of these organizations have a commitment towards addressing the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Length. IIP is designed as a summer internship program between 6-10 weeks, although in coordination with host organizations, some students arrange for longer internships.

Placements. IEDP students are placed as interns or research interns in NGO fieldsites worldwide, where there are productive work opportunities, and where IEDP interns have skills that match the position openings. For most IEDP students, the work fieldsite will be in a developing country, with activities relevant to the student’s skills and interests. If a student already has prior experience in working in a developing country, the student may (exceptionally) apply for a fieldsite placement at the headquarters of an NGO (or similar agency), which may be located in the US (such as Washington or New York).

Funding. PennGSE will offer support (up to $3000/student for qualified students) that will cover international travel, insurance, and part of local support; local agencies may provide in-kind and/or cash support (including, for example, per diem, local travel, etc.).

Course credit. Each IIP intern has a designated Penn faculty mentor drawn from the IEDP faculty (or others if more appropriate). In order to gain course credit, students must be registered for the summer internship course (which includes a substantive paper related to the internship experience).

Coordination with PENN’s Office of International Programs (OIP). The IEDP IIP will coordinate closely with the OIP, particularly with respect to issues of risk, insurance, health, travel, and logistics.

The 2010-11 cohort of IEDP students, have had a variety of international summer internships placements, including in Chile, Rwanda, Mozambique, Thailand, and India working in organizations such as Save the Children, Pratham, Akanksha, UNICEF, and UNESCO.