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Internships
Since we are a new and small organization, we are very flexible and open to new ideas from students. Our executive board itself is made of an eclectic group of people with many perspectives, from anthropologists to doctors in ichthyology. Our hope is to allow students the free rein that traditional internships are not designed for, in a safe, adventurous environment. We do have projects going on in the community now, including implementation of “dry toilets,” homework help for local school children, and the development of Kichwa language teaching materials. Students are welcome to work with us or extend upon existing projects, as well as develop their own projects. Joint projects (between 2+ people) are encouraged and welcomed. We firmly believe in multiple perspectives at Two Rivers Reserve. Our focus is on your passions and imagination, allowing you to achieve something that is important to you and helps a broader community. With that said, our internship program is more challenging in the sense that YOU design and implement a project. You will work with a local mentor to help you design your project. Your Mentor will let you know the real needs of the Reserve, the materials we have available, and an idea of cost. Since the project is so intensive on the student’s part, we recommend only a 2-4 week time period for project based internships. While that seems short, part of the internship itself will be done within the US (i.e. talking with your mentor, planning, etc.) Accommodations We are happy to offer discounted accommodation of $125 dollars a week, or $500 a month, which includes one meal every day.Please note, that Two Rivers Reserve is located in the rural Amazon. The accommodations are beautiful, safe, and adequate for academic inquiry, but are not luxurious by any means. If you feel at home in nature, then this is the internship for you. More information about accommodations can be found on the amenities page. Mentorship We can also offer English and Spanish local mentorship. Everyone knows that once you start doing a project, issues arise. Our local community members can help the students troubleshoot these issues with cultural intuition and knowledge of the land. Language Skills All of the mentors at Two Rivers Reserve are fluent in both Spanish and English, so Spanish knowledge is not mandatory but EXTREMELY helpful once you are in Ecuador. Deadlines Internship application acceptance is rolling, however we do ask that an application is submitted at least 90 days before the intended start date to allow adequate time for our Internship Team give feedback and economical travel arrangements. Funding It is important to note that the internships are not funded by Two Rivers Reserve, therefore cost of living will be the student’s responsibility in Ecuador. We have estimated that the cost of living (outside of accommodation fees) would be between $150 to $300 a month, depending on the student’s spending habits, as well as the cost of project materials.We acknowledge that this might be a financial burden, we therefore offer workshops on fundraising for your project. What to do now: 1. Think about a project that you would like implement. A general idea is okay at this point; we will get to the details later. Think about when, and for how long you would like to be in Ecuador. Think about funding. Will you fund yourself? Ask to connect with a fundraising workshop? Can you get funds from your university? 2. Fill out an application below. In the application, particularly in the proposal, let us know that you have thought about all the things mentioned in number one above. 3. We will get in touch! We will give you some feedback about your application and start making some plans! Please fill out an internship or volunteer application, , send it TwoRiversReserve@gmail.com, and you will hear from us shortly. |
