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Public Health Internship in Nicaragua

Healthy communities are a primary building block of community development. Without proper care, communities are caught in a brutal poverty cycle that is nearly impossible to overcome. As an intern with Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) you will have the opportunity to grow personally and professionally in this culturally immersive and educational program while contributing to locally-led efforts to address public health issues. Interns are matched with a community-based organization, learn about their priorities, and work with their host-colleagues to develop a project plan that aligns with the organization's mission and will advance efforts that are important to the community.

While working in Nicaragua you will have the opportunity to interact with host communities and may participate in community education; HIV/AIDS support; child health and nutrition; preventative outreach; psychological and social services for women and children; reproductive care; health research; holistic health; or health empowerment. Many communities have limited access to the most basic health resources, and our interns play an essential role in educating community members about global health.

*Note: Interns are not permitted to conduct clinical work. Interns can shadow doctors and nurses, but will not be asked to give vaccinations, or other clinical work while interning with FSD. The work completed by FSD interns focuses on public health and education.

Internship Highlights

Interns will work directly in community organizations and advance public health work in Nicaragua. You may intern at a hospital, health center, rehabilitation center, clinic, or health NGO.
You will have the opportunity to develop a truly sustainable project during your time in-country. Our site teams will help support your project development and give guidance as needed. 
All interns have the opportunity to write a grant proposal through the FSD Grant Writing Competition (optional). For interns interested in a career in nonprofits, proposal writing is extremely helpful
Our in-country site teams provide in-depth training on development topics and 24-hour support for anything you may need during your stay abroad.
Interns live with host families to foster community integration and cultural understanding.

When interns arrive in the field, FSD in-country teams will lead an orientation, providing each intern with invaluable guidance and insight that will help them throughout their program. Orientation is a blend of theoretical topics such as FSD’s asset-based community development model and community-based research and day-to-day details such as how to navigate the local transit system, safety, and security. Through the orientation process, interns are introduced to the people who will be their support network while they are in country: FSD staff, their project supervisors, host organizations, host families, and other interns serving in the area.

FSD internships are designed and structured for university students and recent graduates. A strong emphasis is placed on experiential learning, meaning that interns are learning through the implementation of key phases of work in their internship. FSD site teams conduct training and reflection sessions to assist interns during their cultural integration and during their project planning and development work. We strive to ensure relationships of reciprocal benefit, meaning that both the community and intern benefits from the experience.