International Development Internship in Mexico

28 Days

At a glance

  • This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
  • Gain hands-on work experience at NGOs and help address different issues that affect the population, from women’s rights to immigration.
  • You’ll get involved in all kinds of practical work, from fundraising for the NGOs, to field work in the communities themselves.
  • There’s plenty to see and do in your free time, and you’ll also have the opportunity to learn or practice your Spanish!

Details

  • Support immigrants travelling through Mexico
  • Work to empower women in marginalized communities
  • Help to address child malnutrition
  • Get involved in community land rights issues

Includes/Excludes

Food and accommodation

  • Food (three meals a day)
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off
  • Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
  • Transport to and from your work placement
  • In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
  • Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
  • Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
  • Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
  • Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
  • Access to our local office with internet connection
  • Certification of project completion
  • Access to our alumni services and discounts
  • Visa support and advice
  • Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
  • Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
  • Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
  • Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
  • A free cultural awareness course
  • Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
  • Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable

Not Included

  • Flights
  • Visa Costs (where applicable)
  • 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.

Itinerary

Is this right for you? :
What to Expect

Are you planning to pursue a career in international development? Perhaps you’re a recent graduate or current university student looking to gain practical work experience. If so, this may be the ideal internship for you.

Joining this project is an opportunity to gain insight to the problems that a developing country can struggle with. You’ll learn directly from professionals who are working to address these issues. You’ll obtain international work experience, while using your knowledge and skills to assist local NGOs. It will boost your CV, and give you interesting points to talk about in interviews and applications.

While you don’t need previous experience to join, you do need to speak basic Spanish. This will enable you to communicate directly with the people in the local communities where you’ll be working.

The internship is available year-round, apart from a short time over Christmas and Easter. You need to join for a minimum of four weeks. However, our start and end dates are flexible, so you can choose a time that suits you.

What will I be doing? :
Typical Day

Once you’ve enjoyed breakfast at the home of your friendly host family, it’s time to head to work. You’ll travel there by bus, which is extremely affordable. On your first day, a local staff member will show you the way.

A typical day on this internship runs from Monday to Friday, with around six hours of work per day. Your exact working hours depend on your placement, but in general you will be busy between 8.30am and 4pm. There is also the possibility of weekend work, as well as work trips.

Your specific work activities and daily schedule will vary according to the organisation that you are working with. You will usually find yourself assisting with their current projects. On any given day, you may spend time on administrative tasks and fundraising proposals, or take part in field work within local communities.

With so many different activities to get involved in, you’ll never be bored. But it’s not all work and no play. When you’re finished for the day, it’s time to explore your new surroundings.

Why not spend some time getting to know your host family over a delicious Mexican-style dinner? Or discover the delights of Guadalajara, one of the most important cultural centres in the country. We also organise regular social events for our interns, such as barbecues or cooking classes. This is a great way to make friends while learning about the local way of life.

There are two main aims to this project: providing you with a practical, insightful work experience, while helping to address issues affecting development in Mexico.

Many of the interns who join us are looking for hands-on experience in their field of study. We provide you with the opportunity to learn from skilled local professionals and gain first-hand insight into the issues facing Mexico. By sharing knowledge and experiences, you’ll participate in valuable cross-cultural exchange. This will help prepare you for your future career.

The goal of international development is to improve the wellbeing of local communities by working on sustainable solutions to their problems. On this internship, you can choose to focus on a range of different issues, from immigration to human rights. Working with local NGOs who have expert knowledge of the situation, you’ll contribute towards their efforts in protecting and empowering vulnerable groups of people.

Help to create long-term positive change in local communities on this internship, while gaining invaluable international development work experience in Mexico.

Food and accommodation

You’ll stay with a host family in Guadalajara. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Mexico and have a truly unique experience.

We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.

Your programme fee includes three meals a day.

Find out more about our accommodation.

Leisure activities and free time

With beautiful beaches, arresting art galleries, and buzzing restaurants, there’s something for everyone in Mexico. You’ll have plenty to do during your free time on your project in this dynamic country.

There’s something captivating about touring through old buildings. If you’re into neo-gothic architecture, treat yourself to a trip to the Templo Expiatorio del Santisimo Sacramento. It’s a work of art with its ornate steeples and glowing stained glass windows.

There are also plenty of museums, giving you the chance to immerse yourself in the country’s rich history. For something different, you can spend the day appreciating the wildlife and lush vegetation of Las Peñas Ecological Park.

You can’t take a trip to Mexico without tasting authentic Mexican cuisine. You can spend an evening enjoying pozole or tamales at a local restaurant and watching the vivid orange-red sun melt into the horizon.

We have a host of different projects in Mexico so there’ll likely be lots of other volunteers in the area during your trip. So you can choose to travel and explore in a group or on your own.

Map

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

International Development Internship in Mexico
From $4,100
/ Adult