Gallaudet University Global Internship Program

The Global Internship Program gives Gallaudet undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to gain practical experiences while broadening their perspectives by being exposed to other cultures. Through the program, students engage in international internships, where they work with deaf, hard of hearing, and/or hearing populations for various periods of time (up to one semester). In the past, students have had the opportunity to serve internships in countries such as Austria, China, Costa Rica, Greece, India, Kenya, and the Philippines. Learn more about other students' experiences on the Bison Abroad Blog!

How can I find my internship?

Students are responsible for obtaining their own internship placements.
Click here for a map that will help you learn how to find an internship.
Students are responsible for reaching out to these organizations to see if they are willing to host an intern for a summer or semester. Click the button below for a step by step guide to finding an international internship.

Application Deadlines:

Semester You Would Like to Go Abroad	Application Deadline
Spring 2023	October 15, 2022
Summer 2023	March 1, 2023
Fall 2023	May 1, 2023

Requirements:

For international internships (outside the U.S.), you must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above; you can receive only ONE INTERNATIONAL stipend in your entire Gallaudet career, except in unusual situations as determined by the Career Center director
You must sign and return the form showing you received a stipend and will repay the stipend if you do not complete the internship
You must write a thank you letter to the donor of the stipend funds
Your internship must involve career-related work activities -- stipends are not intended for study abroad, part-time jobs, independent study, research, thesis or capstone projects (unless these occur within an internship)
Stipend funds cannot be used for payment of tuition or fees at Gallaudet University or other colleges or universities
Stipend funds cannot be used for sign-language interpreting services
Your internship must be unpaid, except in unusual situations as determined by the Career Center director

Stipends are intended to assist you with living expenses (transportation, housing, meals) and are distributed "first come, first serve" based on demonstrated need and available funds. Funds are limited and priority will be given to students who fully complete their learning agreement and stipend forms.

International Internship Sites, Summer 2017

Chiangmai, Thailand (International Studies, World Languages and Cultures)

Christine Marshall, Laurel Peterson, & Jade Delao: These students worked at the Anusarnsunthorn School for the Deaf in the Muang District of Chiangmai. They taught ASL and English to deaf and hard of hearing students at elementary, middle, and high school levels, and assisted teachers with activities in and out of the classroom.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: In a classroom, there are six young students in light blue and navy blue school uniforms. Two teachers are standing next to the students. Jade, Laurel, and Chrissie are behind the students. They all are signing "ILY" and smiling.]

Guam (International Studies, World Languages and Cultures)

Darriyan Thomas, Connor Baer, Angela Rogers, & Myra Aguon: These students worked in the Oasis Empowerment Center, including work in a Summer sign language camp, working with older youth and adults with various needs, and organizing community events for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION]: In a group of people smiling, Connor is in the middle. He is wearing a red shirt and grey sneakers. Darriyan is behind him, sitting next to Myra and Angela on the left. They are all smiling and singing the gesture "ILY. ]

Xalapa, Mexico (Spanish, World Languages and Cultures)

Spanish majors Bianca Mendoza (second from left) and Cassidy Flagg (third from left) were warmly welcomed by members of the deaf community in Xalapa, Mexico, on May 16, 2017. As part of a requirement for the Spanish major offered on campus, they completed a 10-week internship working with the deaf community in Xalapa to support literacy and language rights efforts. As part of their internship, they also took Mexican Sign Language classes. The World Languages and Cultures (WLC) Department established the Xalapa internship in 2015 and has sent WLC interns every summer since. This internship is supported by stipend funds from the Career Center.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION]: Outside of a classroom, there are six females all standing together for the photo. The female on the far left is latching on Bianca, a person of color wearing a navy blue shirt. The middle female is white, and she wears glasses.]

Mexico City, Mexico

Claudia Hopkins: Hopkins interned at Alas de las Artes. Having dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico, she taught Mexican Sign Language to students and worked to empower and educate deaf Mexican citizens about their civil rights.

Liberia, Africa

Dominique Yeboa (International Studies, World Languages and Cultures): This student interned at the Liberian American Deaf Association in Monrovia, Liberia. She helped design programs and participate in training for various groups within the Liberian deaf community, including women’s health issues, advocacy, and organizational development.

New Delhi, India

Ethan Sonnenstrahl & Liane Fahmie: These students interned at the Centum-Global Reach Out agency in New Delhi, India. During the 10-week internship, they worked closely with trainers at the agency to provide guidance on working with deaf clients and to institute deaf empowerment training. They assisted English instructors in the classroom, as well as helped the agency create a marketing strategy through the use of social media platforms.

Liane Fahmie (second left) and Ethan Sonnenstrahl (middle) interned at the Centum-Global Reach Out agency in New Delhi, India.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION]: In a cloudy mountainy setting, there are seven people in the photo. They are all standing together. Liane, a white female with blond hair, is wearing a bright pink jacket and blue baseball cap. Ethan is in the middle, right next to a taller man smiling. He is white, and he wears glasses.

Kingston, Jamaica (International Studies, World Languages and Cultures)

Krista Whitaker: Whitaker participated in a six-week internship at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf. She worked as an assistant teacher, presenting curriculum content in the classroom, engaging with students in after-school activities, and learning about deaf education and deaf culture in Jamaica, and Jamaican Sign Language.

Bogotá, Colombia (Education Major and Spanish Major)

Joshua Aldredge: Aldredge interned at the National Institute for the Deaf of Colombia, under the Colombian Ministry of Education, as part of his Spanish minor studies. He is learning about policy and administrative aspects of education while expanding his knowledge of another culture and international perspectives on education and deafness. Already quite knowledgeable in Spanish, he immersed himself in both Spanish and Colombian Sign Language (LSC).

Dong Da, Vietnam (Master of Public Administration

Jarvis Grindstaff: Grindstaff interned at the World Concern Development Organization, a non-profit organization. During his 10 week internship, he learned how to manage at an international level and gained an understanding of how non-profits work with international government offices. Grindstaff also collected data related to accessible technology for deaf people in Vietnam to be used in his Capstone project for the fall 2017 semester.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION]: Jarvis Grindstaff (second from right) who interned at World Concern Development Organization, Dong Da, Vietnam, Is pictured with staff from the Hanoi Association of the Deaf during a meeting with the Hanoi Association of People with Disabilities to explore new strategies for supporting people with disabilities in Vietnam.