Undergraduate Internship Opportunities through the Human Rights Institute.
As an undergraduate in the Human Right minor or major, students have the opportunity to complete their internship requirements through the Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut. We invite students to consider some of the following opportunities for your internship experience.
International and Domestic Undergraduate Internship Opportunities, Summer 2013.
As the undergraduate human rights program at the University of Connecticut continues to expand, we are rapidly developing internship opportunities for our students at domestic and international human rights organizations. Consider one of the following internships for Summer 2013.
Victor Schachter '64 Rule of Law Award at the Bangalore Mediation Centre
Bangalore, India
This fully funded internship is given to an outstanding human rights undergraduate student completing a summer internship at the Bangalore Mediation Centre in Bangalore, India. Any student interested in pursuing an international internship experience is welcome to apply, but preference will be given to a student pursuing an interest in India and/or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the legal system.
The Bangalore Mediation Centre (BMC) Summer Internship is a six-week learning immersion experience hosted at one of India's most dynamic legal institutions, located in Bangalore (capital of the state of Karnataka), in southern India. Students involved in this internship will observe first-hand the practice of ADR in a developing country context through daily involvement with the activities of the Centre.
For more information on the Bangalore Mediation Centre Summer Internship, please view the full description at the Study Abroad website. Applicants must submit an application through the Office of Study Abroad. A separate HRI Internship Award Application does not need to be submitted.
To read about previous recipiants of the Victor Schater '64 Rule of Law Award and for more information click here.
Application deadline March 1
2012 Intern at the Bangalore Mediation Centre.
Lisa Y. Browne
Lisa Y. Browne is currently a second year student at the University of Connecticut School of Law where she serves as the Outreach Coordinator of the Public Interest Law Group and Vice President of the Military Law Society. She has over five years experience implementing and coordinating humanitarian relief and development projects with the William J. Clinton Foundation, the United Nations and other international NGOs in Eastern Africa.
Lisa completed her B.A. at Lake Forest College in International Relations and Business, an M.P.H. from Columbia University specializing in health policy and management, and holds a Certificate in International Healthcare Management from Yale University. She is currently a Research Assistant at the Program for Humanitarian and Conflict Research at Harvard University. Lisa is fluent in Hindi and Urdu.
Freedom House
Washington, DC
This fully funded internship is given to an outstanding human rights undergraduate student completing a summer internship at Freedom House in Washington, DC. A $5,000 stipend is provided to assist with expenses related to the internship. Any student interested in pursuing a human rights internship experience is welcome to apply, but preference will be given to a student pursuing an interest in advocating for democracy and human rights around the world.
The Freedom House Summer Internship is an eight-week learning immersion experience hosted by a nonpartisan advocacy institution that has been in existence since 1941. Students involved in this internship will observe first-hand the practice of supporting democratic change, monitoring freedom, and advocating for democracy and human rights around the world.
Applicants must submit an HRI Internship Application. A separate HRI Internship Award Application does not need to be submitted.
Application deadline March 1
2012 Intern at Freedom House
Tess Johnson
Tess Johnson is a rising senior at the University of Connecticut and was the first intern from the Human Rights Institute at Freedom House in Washington D.C. She worked with Freedom House from June through August 2012 as part of their sub-Saharan Africa programs.
Since her freshman year, Tess has been a student in the University's Honors Program in the Department of Political Science. Tess has had the opportunity to do undergraduate research on two separate occasions, looking at public attitudes and behaviors about ethical consumption in the spring of 2011 and at the New England town meeting form of government in the state of Connecticut in the fall of 2011. Tess recently presented her research, "Public Views on Ethical Consumption," as part of the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts Research Experience (SHARE) at the 15th Annual Frontier in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition this April. Tess also hopes to be one of the first graduates of the new Human Rights major.
Tess has also worked as a student facilitator in the UConn Connects Program, which helps students on academic probation and other at-risk students to get back on track. Tess has also been active in the Arabic language program at the University.
Tess will be writing her Honors thesis beginning in the fall of 2012 in conjunction with the Political Science Department and the Human Rights Institute with Dr. David Richards. Tess hopes to examine in depth the relationship between corporations and human rights. Upon graduation, Tess hopes to pursue a career in human rights after completing a program in either international affairs or law.
Witness
New York, NY
This internship is given to an outstanding human rights undergraduate student completing a summer internship at Witness in New York, NY. A $5,000 stipend is provided to assist with expenses related to the internship. Any student interested in pursuing a human rights internship experience is welcome to apply, but preference will be given to a student pursuing an interest in using video and storytelling in advocating for human rights around the world.
The Witness Summer Internship is an eight-week learning immersion experience hosted by a media centric advocacy institution that has been in existence since 1992. Students involved in this internship will observe first-hand the practice of utilizing media to promote human rights advocacy. Interested students should consult, http://www.witness.org/jobs, for more information about the specific internships available. Please specify which position you are applying for in the cover letter. If you do not meet the qualifications for any of the internships advertised and/or would like to be considered for an internship in Non-Profit Management with WITNESS, please also note that in your cover letter.
Applicants must submit an HRI Internship Application. A separate HRI Internship Award Application does not need to be submitted.
Application deadline: March 1
2012 Intern at Witness
Kristina Fica
Richard Goldstone Internship at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
The Hague, Netherlands
The University of Connecticut Human Rights Institute announces a competition for graduating UConn seniors with a Human Rights Minor or Major for the Richard Goldstone Internship at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). This six-month internship at the ICTY in The Hague, Netherlands, will provide supervised working experience in the Research Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor. The internship comes with $6000 funding towards accommodation and travel expenses. The selected student will still have to apply through the ICTY internship process.
To read about previous recipiants of the Goldstone Internship and for more information click here.
Applicants must submit an HRI Internship Application. A separate HRI Internship Award Application does not need to be submitted.
Application deadline: March 1
2012 Intern at the ICTY
Paige Casaly
After graduating from the University of Connecticut in May 2012, Paige Casaly began a six month internship at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, Netherlands. She was awarded the Goldstone Fellowship from the UConn Human Rights Institute, which provides funds for her trip to the ICTY.
Paige majored in Anthropology and minored in Human Rights through the UConn Honors program. She served as vice president and secretary for the UConn chapter of the Lambda Alpha National Honors Society for Anthropology and was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society. While at UConn, she completed volunteer archaeobotanical research within the Anthropology department and completed an Honors thesis analyzing Early Bronze Age archaeobotanical remains from Tell Qarqur, Syria. She received the CLAS Fleur & Jerry Lawrence Endowed Scholarship in International Relations and Human Rights for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years.
In the spring semester of 2011, Paige studied abroad in London, UK, with the UConn in London study abroad program. Here she participated in an internship with London Citizens, a community-based non-governmental organization that works to solve problems and improve the neighborhoods of London through organizing and uniting pre-existing community groups to work towards common goals. Her internship was focused on the Living Wage Project, which pressured companies to guarantee wages high enough for all Londoners to support their families and live dignified lives.
After completing her internship with the ICTY, Paige plans to study international and human rights law at the New York University School of Law.
We also encourage you to look at other programs that previous human rights students have completed an internship through:
UConn at Cape Town, South Africa
View e-book/blog on UConn at Cape Town here
UConn Social Entrepreneur Corps in Guatemala
International Human Rights Exchange in Johannesburg, South Africa
UConn Careers for the Common Good.
Undergraduate Internship Opportunities at the Human Rights Institute, Fall 2013.
As an undergraduate in the Human Right minor or major, students have the opportunity to complete their internship requirements at the Human Rights Institute on the Storrs campus at the University of Connecticut. We invite you to consider one of the following opportunities for your internship experience.
Special Project Internships
Special Project Internships are available on occasion through the Human Rights Institute. Projects are developed by HRI faculty and staff dependent on current need, but may also be proposed by the student.
Human Rights Institute Internship: Social Media Undergraduate Coordinator
This internship is for a student who is interested in helping to develop the web presence of the Human Rights Institute, especially in regards to social media. This internship is available for the first time in Spring semester 2013. The intern will work closely with the graduate student Publicity Liaison, as well as with other HRI staff, in helping to enhance the web presence of the HRI as well as integrate us into the emergent worlds of social media and blogs. This internship will be especially useful for students who are interested in a career in information communication technology driven human rights outreach, as well as photojournalism, media, blogs, and social media development. Many jobs in human rights, especially in the non-profit sector, are actively hiring in the information communication technology sector and one of the goals of this internship will be to allow students to gain experience in this emerging field.
Application deadline March 30th 2013.
HRI Undergraduate Internship Application: Social Media
Namaste
Namaste is the student human rights journal published through the University of Connecticut Human Rights Institute. Positions available include Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor(s). The Editorial Board is responsible for the entire production of the annual issue of Namaste under the guidance of Dr. Elizabeth Holzer, Faculty Advisor. The Editor positions are a year-long commitment beginning in the Fall and will count towards your human rights internship credit in the Spring.
Applicants must submit an HRI Undergraduate Internship Application.
Application deadline September 15
Current Special Project Internship Available
United Nations Session Trip
This intern will be responsible for assisting in the Human Rights Institute's first United Nations Session Trip to New York. Responsibilities will include advertising, coordinating travel plans, and setting the agenda while in New York. The internship is a year-long commitment beginning in the Fall and will count towards your human rights internship credit in the Spring.
Applicants must submit an HRI Undergraduate Internship Application.
Application deadline September 15
Additional Resources for Finding an Internship
Internship Opportunities in Human Rights in CT and Beyond (updated by HRI January 2013)
For more information on the internships in our large listing contact the organizations providing internships individually.