Work in a cross-cultural development environment
Gain valuable skills working in a cross-cultural development environment by working with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) for a semester. In the internship program, you'll earn 12 hours of academic credit while preparing for a career in development work and nurturing a commitment to life-long service.
Application requirements
To apply for IDS 359, you must be working toward a major or minor in international development studies. At the time of the internship, you should have:
- junior or senior status,
- completed SOC 253, IDS 201 or SPHO 205, and IDS 355 or STHO 212,
- completed a semester program in a developing country
- appropriate language skills
- a GPA of 2.7 or higher
Internship responsibilities
As an intern, you will be supervised and mentored by CRWRC staff and perhaps by development workers from CRWRC's partner organizations. Placements may include work in community development, micro-enterprise and business development, literacy and adult education, organizational capacity building, data gathering, basic health needs, disaster preparedness and response, refugee assistance and resettlement, local church-based development, and peace and reconciliation work.
Internship location
You will work with the CRWRC to find a placement in one of the 30 countries around the world. Calvin students have been placed in Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Romania and Zambia.
Costs
You will pay a full semester of tuition plus a program fee to cover all program costs for your internship.
What's covered:
- round-trip travel
- visa costs
- room and board
- on-site visits from faculty mentors
- general liability insurance
What's not covered:
- medical insurance
- passport fees
- personal expenses
Internship orientation
Prior to departure, you will participate in an orientation program, approximately one week in length, organized by CRWRC.
Learn more
Contact Professor Roland Hoksbergen to learn more about how this international development internship can fit into your program of study.
