The CALS Global Fellows Program supports CALS undergraduate students from any major in pursuit of challenging, professionally focused summer internships and research placements that enhance and complement their career goals and academic progress while enriching their undergraduate experience with diverse cultural and international immersion. Through key partnerships, the Global Fellows Program provides a platform for students to make positive and definable contributions to global organizations and communities.

Acceptance to the program is competitive and a limited number of students are selected each year. Selected Fellows receive a stipend to offset major expenses.

Students who are accepted into the CALS Global Fellows Program will be required to complete 4 parts of the program:

• An in-person 7-week, Spring (session 2) pre-engagement 1 credit course ALS 2300, focusing on health and safety, cultural awareness, logistics and more.
• a continuous 7–8-week internship or research placement in an international setting
• and a 7-week, 1 credit post-engagement course in the first half of the Fall semester (ALS/GDEV 3105)
• Poster Symposium in the Fall

Information Session:

• Visit the CALS Engaged Symposium on Thursday, October 22 from 4:45-6pm in Mann B75 to learn more and see posters from the most recent CALS GFP interns.

Placement Opportunities:

Placements: 2 total spots available (in-person in Costa Rica) 

Finca Cántaros Environmental Association or Asociación Ambiental Finca Cántaros (fincacantaros.org), based in San Vito, Costa Rica, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental education, which serves as a foundation for the three main pillars of work: forest landscape restoration, birds and gender. The organization manages and conserves 140 hectares of land, which encompass mature secondary forest, degraded pasture undergoing restoration efforts with active community involvement, and a sustainable silvopastoral system to showcase the balance of agriculture and biodiversity in the landscape.

Intern objectives: 

• To support and engage in the environmental education outreach of the organization, including but not limited to the BirdSleuth (Detectives de Aves) lessons in local schools, tree growing ac vi es facilitated on-site, and for female interns, sessions led as part of the Women Committed to the Earth (Mujeres Comprometidas por la Tierra) program. These activities include assisting in the daily management of the organization's tree nursery, implementing a new community garden, and more. 
• To support and engage in community-oriented research ac vi es that priori ze the inclusion of historically excluded audiences such as women, rural youth and indigenous communities. 
• To support and engage in the implementation of new initiatives being developed by the organization, such as creating more organic agriculture projects as part of the forest landscape restoration pillar. 
• To gain hands-on training in the practical implementation of restoration and conservation management schemes developed within the local socioeconomic context and ecosystem dynamics of the highly biodiverse region of Coto Brus in southern Costa Rica.
   

Expectations:

30-50 hours/week, depending on pre-programmed activities and ones that might arise. At Finca Cántaros we divide an intern’s typical day into 3-4 hours daily of “outdoor tasks” in the mornings (since it usually rains in the afternoon) and 3-4 hours daily of “computer tasks.” 

Preferred qualifications for intern: 

• Spanish language skills are useful and can make the experience more enriching, but not a requirement; 
• Self-motivated and independent work ethic; 
• Demonstrates initiative to seek out answers and help when needed; 
• Willing to work outdoors in an environment that some might consider challenging.

Background: Environmental education outreach experience, Forest restoration experience, Organic agriculture experience, Research skills (such as wildlife monitoring) 

Suggested majors and/or professional interests: Environment & Sustainability, Agricultural Sciences, Biology & Society, Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Global Development and others. 

You may preview the application without starting an application by clicking on the “preview application” button next to the apply button. All applications contain the same questions and all information related to the program can be found within the experience page. There is no additional information within the application.