Internship: Help Organize Live International Dialogues
About Learning Life and Its Citizen Diplomacy Initiative
Learning Life is an educational nonprofit in Washington D.C. that seeks to spread learning in everyday life beyond school walls. Learning Life has recently begun a Citizen Diplomacy Initiative that engages lower-income American families in Washington D.C. in live internet video dialogues or “virtual exchanges” with similar foreign families in order to foster global citizenship and family and youth development.
About the Internship
Learning Life is now recruiting metro D.C. university students to serve as interns. Interns assist with finding and screening eligible families in D.C. and abroad, connecting and coordinating with nonprofit partners abroad, organizing and moderating the live international dialogues, research and drafting of documents, document translation and dialogue interpreting, and mentoring of D.C. youth involved in our Citizen Diplomacy Initiative.
Interns must be able to commit eight hours per week. Learning Life’s founder, Dr. Paul Lachelier usually holds weekly four-hour work meetings with interns as a group, then assigns each intern four hours of homework.
This opportunity is unpaid, but offers substantive, resume-building experience on an innovative international initiative, and a formal reference and/or recommendation letter given satisfactory performance.
The Interns We Are Looking For
Applicants should be interested in international affairs, languages, community organizing and/or social justice. Applicants should also be outgoing, organized, detail-oriented, motivated and responsible (e.g., complete work well and on deadline, and show up to meetings on time). Native or fluent speakers of Spanish, Arabic, French or Tagalog are especially encouraged to apply. People who have lived in or have family in Washington D.C.’s Wards 7 or 8 (D.C. east of the Anacostia River), and/or in Latin America, Africa, Asia or the Middle East are also encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Email Dr. Lachelier directly at paul@learninglife.info with your resume and times you are available in the next seven days for a phone interview.
Fall Internships Now Available
Students:
Looking for an interesting internship opportunity this fall semester?
Do you love learning?
Are you interested in helping to educate the public in innovative ways?
If so, you may be interested in the following internship with Learning Life…
Note: Inquiries in advance about interning over winter break or spring semester 2014 are welcome.
ABOUT LEARNING LIFE
Learning Life is a non-profit educational project based in Alexandria, VA, in the Washington D.C. metro area, and a program of United Charitable Programs, a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. Learning Life seeks to inform and empower more people by spreading knowledge on the surfaces of everyday life – like volunteer and employment opportunities on tabletop tents in school cafeterias, health and safety facts on posters in public bathrooms and laundromats, poetry and philosophy on cup sleeves in cafes and coasters in bars, science and history on napkins and cereal boxes, etc. – then connecting these surfaces to a world of learning here at Learning Life’s website.
At Learning Life, we work for a world where learning happens in everyday life, not just in school, a world with less inequality and more empowered people because knowledge is everywhere, fun and rewarding. We are looking for motivated volunteer and interns who want to help us build this better world.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
Learning Life is now recruiting responsible, motivated graduate and undergraduate students to help with a variety of tasks including academic and market research, quiz development on a variety of topics, website, design and social media work, and assisting with pilot educational projects.
No experience necessary. Each intern’s precise work will depend on their personal interest, experience and skill as well as organizational need.
Interns must commit at least four hours per week, all or most of which time will be spent working directly with Learning Life founder, Dr. Paul Lachelier, and other interns at a regular time and day each week. Interns are also expected to participate in once-monthly Learning Life staff meetings via Skype, phone conference, or face-to-face.
The internship is unpaid, but available for credit or non-credit, as the intern prefers. Credit interns must secure a sponsoring professor then fulfill whatever academic requirements that professor expects for the course credit. Besides course credit, interns and volunteers alike can gain resume-building experience and a formal reference and/or recommendation letter given satisfactory performance.
HOW TO APPLY
Email your resume to Learning Life at inquiries@letlearninglive.org. We will then contact you to schedule an interview.
Spotlight: Spring 2024 Learning Life Interns
Learning Life’s interns do vital work to grow our organization. This spring, their work included outreach to thousands of people on Facebook and Linkedin to help grow the Family Diplomacy Initiative(FDI) worldwide, and our Democracy Learning Community (DLC) in the Washington DC capital region; assisting with in-person Democracy Dinners and organizing for the DMV Democracy Festival; research to develop our DLC vision and action plan; supporting our international family dialogues; research and outreach to develop Citizen Diplomacy International; and more. Learning Life is very grateful for their dedicated work. You can learn a little about each of the interns below.
Ian Bastida
Year, major, and school: I am a graduating senior from UCLA, ready to receive my Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Chicano Studies.
Hobbies: Theatre is one of my greatest passions and something I have enjoyed for many years. In my free time, I love supporting local productions and working on my craft as a playwright. My favorite shows are The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Cabaret, and The Drowsy Chaperone.
Career aspirations: Majoring in English has allowed me to develop my creative voice as a writer and I hope to incorporate that into my career. Over the years, my infatuation with words has only deepened with each book I read and every word I write. I hope to become a cultural critic, where I can share my insights and perspective on the media we consume.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life is a great opportunity for me to enter the professional world and apply the skills I have gained as an undergraduate. This is where I can immerse myself in diplomatic and educational industries while navigating the non-profit sector. Interning at Learning Life allows me to make meaningful connections and help organize important citizen conversations on democracy and diplomacy.
Michelle Chen
Year, major, and school: I am a current sophomore at the University of Southern California, majoring in International Relations-Global Business with a double minor in Legal Studies and Cybersecurity.
Hobbies: I love to dance hip-hop and play pickleball in my free time. I also love trying out new restaurants and cute cafes with my friends. If I had an unlimited budget, I would choose to travel to a new state/country whenever I had the time because I am an adventurer at heart.
Career aspirations: I am currently interested in pursuing a career in law, government, and cybersecurity management. I plan to go to law school after I graduate, and am particularly interested in areas of international law and civil rights law.
Why Learning Life? I was interested in interning for Learning Life because I was curious and excited by their mission of spreading the concept of family and citizen diplomacy, and the active work they were conducting at the grassroots. I wanted to gain hands-on experience working in a grassroots organization and feel that I am a part of a bigger movement giving back to the world. Learning Life definitely connected me to a community like that and has helped broaden my network greatly!
Samantha Cruz
Year, Major, and School: I am a senior at Towson University. I am majoring in Law and American Civilization with a minor in Political Science.
Hobbies: During my free time I like to learn new cooking and baking recipes. I enjoy going to the gym and finding new horror movies to watch. I also love visiting my family and spending all day with them.
Career aspirations: After I graduate I plan on attending law school and eventually becoming an immigration lawyer. I would love to help others within my community and I’m looking forward to learning more about how to help people from different places with citizenship and immigration issues.
Why Learning Life? When I came across the internship listing, I was interested in how education could be tied to diplomacy and democracy. The whole concept of outreach and uniting people from different countries to hear their stories is a great way to bring awareness to what occurs in their country. I also think it’s important to continue to educate many people about democracy. Schools tend to only teach the surface-level basics of it, but through Learning Life, we can learn in greater depth what democracy is and how it impacts people.
Leslie Figueroa-Borja
Year, major, and school: I’m a third-year History major, doubling minoring in Latin American Studies and Dance. I attend the University of California, Davis.
Hobbies: I’m a dancer, and enjoy dancing all styles of dance. Dance has taught me to be intentional with everything that I do. I also enjoy going on long walks and grabbing an iced coffee!
Career aspirations: After completing my undergraduate education, I aim to pursue a master’s degree in public policy or history. Then, I aim to pursue a career in public service or public policy research focused on addressing issues marginalized displaced communities face.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life aligns with my desire to storytell. I believe storytelling is an effective strategy to resist systems of oppression. I hope to have the opportunity to tell stories about the struggles marginalized communities face to initiate societal reforms.
Kinsey Martindale
Year, major, and school: I am an undergraduate senior at NYU Shanghai where I am studying political science with minors in Chinese and Journalism.
Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy writing, photography, wandering the streets of Shanghai, trying new cafes, watching documentaries, discovering new music, and snuggling with my cat Pablo! I’m also a huge travel junkie, and I’ve been very blessed throughout my college career to have studied in three different continents and visit over nine countries!
Career aspirations: As my graduation approaches, I’m currently working towards pursuing a career in the international development space. I have been accepted into the Peace Corps and am set to serve as a primary education teacher in Lesotho for two years starting this September. I then plan to get my master’s degree which will hopefully lead to a position with an international development organization working on projects that contribute to expanding opportunities for people in underprivileged communities. I am also interested in using my journalism experience and international background to pursue freelance work focusing on global development.
Why Learning Life? I’m very grateful to be working with Learning Life this semester. I have had the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the inner workings of a nonprofit. A lot of my work has focused on helping coordinate our four live international family diplomacy dialogues on the theme of “Understanding and Addressing Threats to Family Security.” It has been enlightening to hear how people from all regions of the world are affected by a variety of issues including war, poverty, climate change, gender-based violence, and the internet. I am looking forward to applying the experience and knowledge that I have obtained through my internship with Learning Life to a future career in international development.
Mahum Shah
Year, major, and school: I am a public administration major with a concentration in non-profit management. I am a senior at George Mason University and I will be graduating this May!
Hobbies: I love to go to the gym, paint, travel and journal. I am also very family-oriented, so I love to spend time with my siblings and cousins in my free time.
Career Aspirations: I hope to work in the nonprofit sector with organizations such as UNICEF, in education, health, and human rights. I hope to be able to better the world both locally and globally. I eventually want to start my own nonprofit and work in project management/public budgeting for government agencies or nonprofits.
Why Learning Life? I was interested in working with Learning Life to gain insight into the functions of a non-profit organization while tapping into my passion for helping others around the world. Learning Life helped me strengthen my passion for diplomacy, family, and education and I learned the importance of storytelling. I got to work closely with many incredible individuals from all over the world via the Family Diplomacy Initiative and made many connections. I learned about so many different people’s lives and what they have gone through. Being able to help them in any way I could was rewarding. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.
Saige Thibaud
Year, Major, and school: I am a graduate student at the University of Miami about to receive my Master’s of Science in International Business in May 2024.
Hobbies: I like exploring different countries’ cuisines by trying different recipes I find online. I also like reading fantasy books. These are my two favorite ways to unwind.
Career Aspirations: My ultimate goal is to work in the field of foreign policy. For now, I plan to take a year to work and study for the LSAT to go to law school in 2025, with my target being Georgetown Law.
Why Learning Life? Given my career goals align with Learning Life’s focus on diplomacy, taking on this internship was a no-brainer. I was happily surprised by the additional benefits of learning the inner-workings of a nonprofit and being exposed to such a wide range of lived experiences across the world through Learning Life’s international citizen diplomacy programs.
Bianca Timofte
Year, major, and school: I am a freshman in the Dual BA Program between Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University! I will be getting my first degree in economics and sociology and the second in financial economics.
Hobbies: I love to go on walks, runs, hikes, or get out in nature any way I can! Another way I love to spend my free time is baking. I’ve made everything from croissants, to macarons, to a three layer chocolate cake. If I’m not outside or baking, you can find me crocheting with some music on!
Career aspirations: In the future I would love to go into a career in financial services. Although I am undecided on a specific position, I hope to be able to apply both my analytical and presentation skills in my future career. Aside from financial services, corporate law is another pathway I’m considering.
Why Learning Life? I was drawn to intern with Learning Life to gain deeper knowledge of how diplomacy can be spread internationally. It was an incredible experience to meet people from all over the world, from our intern meetings to attending international family diplomacy dialogues. Additionally, I was super excited to assist with Learning Life’s transition to Salesforce to learn more about customer relations management and implement technology to improve Learning Life’s ability to connect with and benefit communities!
Jenna Tooley
Year, major, and school: I am a third-year senior at UCLA graduating in June 2024 with my Bachelor’s in Political Science and a double minor in Public Affairs and Global Studies.
Hobbies: In my free time I enjoy exploring coffee shops and bakeries for the ambiance, listening to podcasts, going to the beach, and traveling to new places!
Career aspirations: Upon graduation, I plan to continue studying for the LSAT in preparation for law school in addition to working in the Washington, DC area doing law and government-related work. While I haven’t solidified the specific type of law I intend to pursue, my interests span international relations, reproductive health, and criminal justice. Due to my array of interests, I am open to other possibilities related to diplomacy, democracy, the legislative process, and the judiciary system to expand my knowledge about the impact of critical decision-making and political initiatives on a global scale.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life bridges and fosters the interconnectedness of democracy and diplomacy on local and international levels, which immediately piqued my interest. Although I’ve taken some political science courses about international relations, Learning Life offers me the opportunity to delve into international relations from a multi-faceted, intersectional yet personable approach, through the Democracy Learning Community, the Family Diplomacy Initiative, and Citizen Diplomacy International. Being able to connect with individuals across the globe and hearing their stories is both enriching and inspiring, contributing to more inclusive spaces while strengthening education.
Spotlight: Fall 2023 Learning Life Interns
Learning Life’s interns do vital work responsible for the energy and growth of our organization. This fall, their work included outreach to thousands of people on Facebook and Linkedin to help grow the Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) worldwide, and our Democracy Learning Community(DLC) in the Washington DC capital region; assisting with in-person Democracy Dinners; supporting family diplomat trainees worldwide with the development of their family stories; research and writing to develop our DLC vision and action plan; research and outreach to develop Citizen Diplomacy International; and more. Learning Life is very grateful for their dedicated work. You can learn a little about each of them below.
Racquel Garcia
Year, major, and school: I am in my Senior year at the University of California, Merced graduating in May 2024 with my bachelor’s degree in political science.
Hobbies: I love to sit down and ease my mind with some crochet projects while listening to podcasts or books, especially about current events in the news, history, politics, and fiction as well.
Career aspirations: I am currently interested in studying to become a lawyer. I am interested in going to law school for either immigration law or labor law.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life allows me to work on the Family Diplomacy Initiative where we work with people on an international level to help them develop, and grow their relationships with family and community via storytelling.
Kayla Hoang
Year, major, and school: I am a third-year student double-majoring in English and History at the University of California, Irvine!
Hobbies: In my free time, I try to learn as many creative skills as possible, so I enjoy drawing and painting, crocheting, and I’ve started trying to teach myself some new instruments. Recently, I developed a newfound love for traveling and exploring new places and am working on incorporating those passions on a budget!
Career aspirations: I am really interested in advocating for educational access and equity, so I’m drawn to work in correctional education for a while and eventually to educational leadership or administration to push forward these goals in the long-term. More recently, I’ve been considering international and/or government work to advance educational equity through policy.
Why Learning Life? What drew me to Learning Life was the idea of spreading learning outside of the traditional academic setting, and being able to connect with people and professionals around the world. I wanted more experience in nonprofit work and to know more about how nonprofit organizations work behind-the-scenes. Working with Learning Life allowed me to develop my perspective about what it means to lead a nonprofit, but also the steps needed to make connections and interact with a wide range of people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures!
Alaina Leasure
Year, major, and school: I’m a sophomore majoring in law and policy with a minor in political science. I go to Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.
Hobbies: Almost every day, I make sure to go on a walk, then recharge with a cup of coffee and a good book. I like going to arts and crafts workshops, and recently started taking piano lessons.
Career aspirations: After I graduate from Dickinson, I plan to go to Penn State Dickinson Law School. I’m thinking of going into business law, but currently exploring other possibilities as well.
Why Learning Life? I chose Learning Life to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a citizen diplomat. I believe that spreading the values of democracy and diplomacy is essential, as it will help to bridge the divides that exist between communities across the world. The research and outreach I’ve conducted with Learning Life has given me valuable insight as to how a non-profit organization functions.
Mahum Shah
Year, major, and school: I am a public administration major with a concentration in non-profit management. I am a senior at George Mason University and I will be graduating this May!
Hobbies: I love to go to the gym, paint, travel and journal. I am also very family-oriented, so I love to spend time with my siblings and cousins in my free time.
Career Aspirations: I hope to work in the nonprofit sector with organizations such as UNICEF, in education, health, and human rights. I hope to be able to better the world both locally and globally. I eventually want to start my own nonprofit and work in project management/public budgeting for government agencies or nonprofits.
Why Learning Life? I was interested in working with Learning Life to gain insight into the functions of a non-profit organization while tapping into my passion for helping others around the world. Learning Life helped me strengthen my passion for diplomacy, family, and education and I learned the importance of storytelling. I got to work closely with many incredible individuals from all over the world via the Family Diplomacy Initiative and made many connections. I learned about so many different people’s lives and what they have gone through. Being able to help them in any way I could was rewarding. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.
Jiayi Wang
Year, major, and school: I am a junior at George Washington University in DC. I am majoring in International affairs and minoring in French, with a concentration in Asia studies and international development.
Hobbies: I love painting, dancing, skiing, and tennis. I do outdoor sketching regularly every month. And every winter, I go skiing with my friends or family.
Career aspirations: Upon graduation, I am driven to pursue advanced studies, aiming for either a Ph.D. or a Master’s degree in International Relations. This academic path will allow me to delve deeper into specific areas such as diplomatic studies, conflict resolution, or global governance. I am particularly interested in contributing to academic research that informs diplomatic strategies and international policy. Simultaneously, I am eager to gain practical experience through internships that align with my academic focus. I aspire to secure internships within diplomatic missions, international organizations, or research institutions, where I can apply theoretical knowledge and my linguistic advantages to real-world challenges. These experiences will not only enhance my skills but also provide valuable insights into the operational aspects of international affairs.
Why Learning Life? A fall internship at Learning Life presents an ideal opportunity for me to merge my passion for international affairs with a commitment to innovative education and citizen engagement. I am eager to contribute to projects that extend learning beyond traditional boundaries and resonate with my aspiration to foster global citizenship. The organization’s mission, coupled with its Washington, DC location, aligns perfectly with my academic focus and career goals, providing a unique platform to apply my skills and make a meaningful impact.
Maggie Yang
Year, major, and school: I’m a freshman majoring in Regional Studies in Asia at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.
Hobbies: In my free time, I love to read new novels, listen to political podcasts, and cook food with my sister. I like to spend time with friends and family whenever I get the chance. My favorite show of all time is Sherlock, the BBC version.
Career aspirations: For now, I’m hoping to finish a bachelor’s degree at Georgetown and eventually pursue a Master’s degree in international affairs. I hope to gain further experience working with both diplomacy-based think tanks and various government agencies, such as the Department of State.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life’s commitment to citizen diplomacy and ability to bring together people of different backgrounds and perspectives captivated my attention. I’m grateful for the opportunity to meet people from across the world, as well as conduct outreach with industry professionals across the country. Encouraging civic engagement through the understanding of democracy and diplomacy is more important than ever in a politically polarized world.
